Behind the Design
The Martian Girl from Mars Attacks! is one of the most unforgettable looks in sci-fi. For Monsterpalooza 2025, I finally built her in latex — hand-painted, swirl by hypnotic swirl.
In collaboration with DYAD FX Studio and makeup artist Jennifer Corona · Made by Laura Petrielli Pulice
The Martian Girl, finished — FX by DYAD FX Studio · Makeup by Jennifer Corona
When it comes to iconic sci-fi fashion, the Mars Attacks! aliens are in a league of their own — and the Martian Girl has been on my list of dream builds for years. This year at Monsterpalooza, I finally brought one of my all-time favorite Tim Burton designs to life the only way I know how: in latex.
The piece came out of a collaboration between me, makeup artist Jennifer Corona, and the special-effects powerhouse DYAD FX Studio. They were building a showstopping booth for the show, and Jennifer reached out to ask if I would create a latex version of the Martian Girl look. My answer was a very loud yes.
This was an intense build. The full pattern and construction took a single day. The painting took three days straight — every swirl and hypnotic curve done by hand.
We considered printing the pattern, but the placement had to be exact, especially across the bust, the neckline, and the sleeves. We also needed real glitter in the design, and printed latex would have broken the swirls apart at every seam. So there was really only one option: paint the whole thing by hand, using cut stencils to keep the pattern true across the body.
The hand-cut stencils that kept every swirl in exactly the right place.
That unmistakable retro-futuristic shape needed the right foundation. The exaggerated bust came from a vintage cone bra that I modified and filled out to capture the silhouette from the film, and the whole latex piece was layered over that custom understructure — the detail that gives the look its perfect sci-fi edge.
The finished Martian Girl dress — hand-painted latex over a sculpted understructure.
Seeing the final result at Monsterpalooza was beyond rewarding. The response was overwhelming — fans tagged the piece all over their posts, including David Arquette. Moments like that make every hour of work, and every last speck of glitter, worth it.
The Martian Girl and her Martian on the show floor — FX by DYAD FX Studio · Makeup by Jennifer Corona
Collaborating with other artists always energizes me, and this project was a reminder of exactly why I do this: to bring bold, unexpected visions to life in latex. Thank you to Jennifer Corona and DYAD FX Studio for dreaming it up with me.
About This Piece
The Martian Girl dress is a one-of-a-kind piece and not for sale. That said, we would be open to creating a printed version for collectors or performers down the line. If you have a character or concept you want built in latex, custom commissions start at $3,000 and scale with the build.
Start a custom design Shop the collectionMade in California, painted by hand
Tell us the character you have in your head. We will tell you honestly what it takes to build it — and then we will build it, by hand, to last.
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