Tell me about the outfit you are wearing – who are you cosplaying and how did you decide to pick this particular character ?
Matsumoto Rangiku from Bleach. I’ve always been very attracted to strong female character roles, and Matsumoto definately fit! Obviously she’s very gorgeous, but she was extremly skilled and held a rather high and respected position of skill. Her goofy personality was one that always made me smile and laugh. When things turn serious i get all excited hoping to see her fight and kick some butt.
Tell me about the process of making your outfit – was it easier ortougher than you imagine it to be ?
It was actually much easier than i had thought. I used authentic kimono and Hakama patterns. I was surprised with how well the Japanese utilize the fabric space and had very minimal waste (i know, i really shouldn’t be surprised!). Seeing as Matsumoto wore a traditional style Japanese costume i chose to use a natural fabric (Linen) for the kimono and Hakama, and silk for the scarf and waist sash. I also chose to make two kimono for an authentic look rather than fake the layering. The Hakama was very easy to make, but had a ton of mathmatics involved that i wasnt expecting (i freaked out when i bought the pattern only to open it and find a sheet saying there was actually no pattern!!! All of it was based on my individual measurements!).
For the division badge, i cut the back plate out of styrene. The top layer with the division number was sculpey that i rolled through a pasta machine (to get uber smooth) that i later used a stencil to cut the number and flower design and then baked. The top and bottom layers were sanded, primed, sanded again, and painted and ready to assemble. For a added detail texture i added a peice of black sandpaper under the top layer.
The Katana was made by purchasing a plastic costume ninja katana. I disassembled it and used silver rub n’ buff for the blade. The tsuka (handle) was painted cream to resemble a skin. I hand wrapped the tsuka with the same silk fabric as my scarf to match (got to love the internet for finding the art of Tsukamaki!!!). The Tsuba was made from layered shapes of plastic styrene in order to achieve the same design Matsumoto had. Pretty much the entire plastic katana and saya (scabbard) was primed and repainted.
Any interesting stories from people’s reaction to your outfit at the con ? ^^
um, yes, as you can probably imagine… i have! One man basically pushed his teenage son right at me for a photo op. People obviously tend to stare and i’ve seen some awesome manuvering in crowds for double-takes. Although my favorite memory came from Anime Expo in 2006. My husband and I were outside catching a breath of fresh air when a large group of Japanese guests (older, and in full head to toe authentic traditional kimono dress- very intimidating to say the least), stopped before walking by us. The head man came to us, felt my kimono sleeve and simply replied ‘very nice work’ with a slight head bow. I couldnt have been more humbled or recieved such a compliment! I still blush thinking about it ^.^
How did you get started cosplaying and what got you interested ?
I started cosplaying around 1996. I’ve always loved costumes and halloween since i was a child, it was always my favorite time of the year. I started to get real serious about details and construction (originally with Star Wars costumes).Then around 2001 my interest in anime started to come back from when i was a kid by watching toonami on cartoon network in the afternoon with Gundam Wing and Tenchi Muyo. I decided to rewatch Star Blazers since i hadn’t seen it since i was 5 or so (i’ll always have a special place in my heart for the old school anime!), this only fueled the fire! Since then i can’t seem to get enough. Its become an absolute addiction and obsession. I make anywhere from 7-12 costumes a year and hit every con I am able to!
What are the con did you first attended and what’s your favorite conthat you’ve attended so far and why ?
My first real con was Dragoncon 2000. Choosing a favorite con is hard for me. I love Dragoncon because of the variety but i love Anime Weekend for the aura and fun. Dragoncon has reached a point where its starting to get overwhelming. Theres no possible way to do everything you want to do! But the variety of the costumes and geekdom is awesome. I love immersing myself in geek culture, and i really feel like im with 50,000 of my best friends and family! I love Anime weekend because i can relax, eat Japanese candy,costume and see totally awesome panels. Theres a vibrancy to the crowd and i love that. Everyone is so excited to be there.
What does cosplay mean to you ?
Its really become my form of expression. Im a very shy person in everyday life, but when i put on a costume it brings something out in me. Also, i’ve always been into art since i was a little girl, and to me this is just another form of it. I majored in fabric design at The University of Georgia and was really able to delve into fabrics and construction and create costumes as art. I love intermixing the two. When you spend 2-3 years hand embroidering something, its hard not to think of it as an art!
If you had unlimited funds/technology/time, what is your dream cosplay ?
wow… what wouldn’t i do is probably the question!!! The one thing i have wanted for over 10 years was the false Maria suit from the 1927 Fritz Lang production Metropolis. She has to be possibly the most beautiful thing to me (i love Art Deco!) Anime wise, i think i would have to say a fully functional and working Bubblegum Crisis Linna suit (with working knuckle bombers!!!)