Fifi's Custom Wigs in New Orleans Enters Its Second-Busiest Season: Halloween

Founded in 1977 by Marcy Hesseling, Fifi's Custom Wigs occupies a spot in the French Quarter of New Orleans, where it draws locals and tourists seeking elaborate headpieces. Thomas O'Donnell and his husband Neil Ard acquired the business in 2023 after relocating from New York City, where O'Donnell had worked in theater and Ard in fashion; O'Donnell had first joined the shop part-time. Creative director Bridget Broyles oversees wig design, and the co-owners also construct wigs themselves. Ready-to-wear stock runs to hundreds of pieces in every style, color and length, while custom commissions translate characters and concepts into wearable form — past examples include butterfly wings, disco balls, tropical gardens, a Friday the 13th slasher look, a pirate ship attacked by tentacles and a Popeyes Chicken wig. Budgets range from roughly $60 to $600, and turnaround spans a few hours to several weeks depending on complexity. Halloween ranks as the shop's second-busiest period after Mardi Gras; custom orders open in summer, and by October the back room operates as what O'Donnell calls a full creative machine. Recurring requests include bloody prom queens, sexy Medusas and darker Marie Antoinette interpretations. Demand continues past November 1 with Thanksgiving fascinators, holiday wigs, parades, luncheons and private parties.