Sherri Shepherd Recreates Iconic Met Gala Looks from Cardi, Kim, Rihanna and Tyla for Halloween Show (Exclusive)….. Read More

PEOPLE has all the details about the Oct. 31-episode of the comedian’s self-titled talk show

Sherri Shepherd is serving lewks this spooky season.

For the Oct. 31-episode of Sherri, the comedian is throwing her own Halloween Fashion Gala, where she rocks a whopping four fashion-forward outfits.

PEOPLE was on hand for the filming of the episode, and has the exclusive First Look at Shepherd’s ensembles. If her styles seem familiar, that’s because she’s recreating some of the most memorable Met Gala looks from years past — ones first worn by Cardi B, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna and Tyla.

Shepherd got the idea to honor these icons of the industry after last season’s epic Halloween show, in which she dressed in six of Beyoncé’s outfits from the Renaissance Tour.

“Now how do you top that?” she asks PEOPLE, when reflecting on how the theme was chosen. “You top it with the Met Gala.”

Enter Sherri’s talented glam team, led by stylists Willie Sinclair III and his second in command, Chanel Smith, who helped picked and design what Shepherd would be wearing.

“We wanted to make sure that we did something that was show-stopping, but still worked for daytime.” Sinclair explains. “It couldn’t be too crazy, but it still had to give viewers that Met Gala essence; that opulence and glamour.”

“It had to elevate everything, and also be fun,” adds Shepherd. “You know, I grew up watching talk shows and I always loved the Halloween shows and seeing what people were wearing. So I knew when I had my own show, I’d want to continue it and make it big. I want people to say, ‘What is Sherri going to be doing?’ I wanted it to be big so they’d never forget.”

An initial list of 20 fits throughout the years were chosen, and then narrowed down to the top four by the host herself. “I think we chose some really outstanding looks,” says Shepherd. “Cardi, Kim, Rihanna, Tyla, these are all women who made such a mark. And we wanted really strong women; that was kind of the underlying theme.”

Narrowing down the list was one thing; creating the costumes proved to be its own challenge. “Oh my gosh, it was a lot,” Sinclair recalls. “We kind of started with the most complicated, which were the looks from Cardi B and Tyla, and then worked backwards from there. And we didn’t have a lot of time, either. I think overall, we probably made all the looks in three and a half weeks; much shorter than last year.”

Makeup artist Rodney Jon and hairstylist Theo Barrett next came in to complete the looks, putting their own stamp on these starry styles.

“Drawing inspiration from the most unforgettable fashion moments at the Met Gala, I created makeup looks for Sherri that highlighted her beauty and worth,” Jon says, noting it was all about “making her feel confident and empowered.”

“It was important to capture a similar look with a Sherri twist,” adds Barrett. “For Kim Kardashian’s look, I gave Sherri a sleek ponytail with 40 inches of hair weighing close to 5 lbs. and transformed her into Tyla with a cute and sexy lace front wave.”

Also transformed was Sherri’s entire studio. Lush florals and flowing curtains flanked the set, where a white carpet had been set up for Shepherd to walk down as if she were entering a theater. Every time she debuted another outfit at “Sherri’s Halloween Fashion Gala,” she was greeted by a chorus of photographer extras taking her picture.

Elevating the experience further was a studio audience all dressed in formal wear. For one photo, they stood on the raised risers — doubling for the Met Gala steps — alongside two faux hedges, added for definition.

There were even André Leon Talley and Anna Wintour lookalikes, whom Shepherd posed with.

The biggest challenge for the glam squad was getting Shepherd through those costume changes.

“We didn’t have much time between those commercial breaks, so that was really, really difficult,” says Sinclair. “But we worked through it. We were able to create a new area backstage, so we didn’t have to go as far, and we tried to make everything really easy to get out of with industrial zippers and inner padding built into it she didn’t have to wear much shapewear.”

“Oh, they gave me hips, which was such a tear. They gave me an hourglass figure!” Shepherd jokes. “And that’s what I love about Willie, Chanel and everyone who worked on these dresses: they didn’t do cheap knockoffs. Everything looked … I think I could literally wear all these out again. And I just might!”

Here’s more to know about the making of each costume: