Cosplay

For quite some time I have been visiting Fantasy fairs and conventions. And through the years much has changed, the events have gotten bigger and more and more people have gotten interested in them. You see the interest for Science Fiction and Fantasy grow and more and more people are no longer ashamed to say they are geeks and passionate about the things they love.
If you take events like Castlefest, London Film and Comic con or Animecon, being dressed in a t-shirt and jeans even might make you feel a little under-dressed. As every year more visitors show up in amazing costumes and represent their love and affection for their crafts and fandoms. From Steampunk to Videogames and from Vikings to Anime, you are sure to see a wide variety of costumes on events. With the majority of them being created and made by the people wearing them

I have to say that cosplay is one of the highlights for me at these events. I love to see the creativity, the love and the way people portray their love and appreciation for the fandom or genre of their choice. And throughout the years I have seen the cosplay scene become bigger and more inclusive. The quality of materials has gotten better and there is a wealth of resources available on the internet.
Still some people are a bit hesitant about it. And that is a shame as this is to me is what being a fan is about. I mean we don’t give funny looks to people decked out in their team colours? I see this as no different than showing what you love.
But see for yourself just how amazing it is, here are some of my favourite cosplayers.

cosplay
Yayahan.com // Aicosu.com // Kamuicosplay.com


Yaya Han

She was one of the first cosplayers I followed on the internet. Cosplay was for many rather new and it still wasn’t the big thing it is now. But Yaya already made a name for herself in the early 2000’s and showed off amazing cool costumes. And in recent years her fame and skills only increased her fame further.
Her costumes of Chun Li,  the Baroness and Banshee Queen Enira are very well known even outside of most geek/ cosplay circles. And it is little wonder why, as the costumes, the props and the entire looks have been created with care and really embody the portrayed character.

Yaya is well known for her elaborate and detailed costumes which show off the use of high quality materials and a lot of craftsmanship. She also worked hard to get more acceptance for the art of cosplay. While it was first seen as a little niche for die hard fans it has since evolved to an important part of geek cultures.

You can find Yaya Han on the following social media pages
Site // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

yayahancosplay
The Baroness // Heartseeker Ashe // Queen Chrysalis

Kamui Cosplay
One of my favourite cosplay artist is without a doubt Kamui. I got to know about her cosplay when she entered the 2009 Blizzard European cosplay competition and won with her druid costume. She has made many beautiful costumes since and her work with specials light effects in them is just awesome.
Kamui is known to many for her highly detailed costumes based on videogame characters of popular franchises like Diablo, Warcraft, Overwatch and Aion. But she also makes a lot of highly detailed weapons and props which has gained a huge following.

Sadly I missed her at the Dutch Animecon in 2014 and at Gamescom 2015 as I would love to see her cosplay. She brought out a series of books that tell you a lot about how to make cosplay costumes, props and more.

You can find Kamui Cosplay on the following social media pages
Site // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

kamuicosplay
Daedric Armor // Druid Tier 8 armor // Symmetra – Overwatch

 


Aicosu
I came across this couple only a few months ago after Dragon Age inquisition was released. A friend of mine is a huge fan of Solas and of cosplay and linked me their page after seeing their work on a Solas/Mage Inquisitor costume. Aicosu is a couple/team that consist of Sylar and Sheila who create epic cosplay together and seem to have a lot of fun while working as a team.
What makes me like their work is that they really seem to create cosplay in such a way that they strengthen each others designs and the overall look. You see couples more often cosplaying together but the results are not always as amazing as they are here. So if you are looking for ideas or inspiration on how to cosplay with your friend, partner, or teammate? They will show you how awesome it can look.

You can find Aicosu on the following social media pages
Site // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

aicosucosplay
Lutece Twins // Star lord & Gamora by York in a Box // Mage!Lavellan & Solas

 


Hiding Cosplay
This is one of my other current favourites. Hiding Cosplay is doing an amazing job at making really elaborate costumes and giving some existing designs an unique twist.
And let’s be fair her version of Brave’s Merida as a dwarf is just too epic and was an instant favourite of mine.
I love how she also made a dwarf version of Anna from Frozen, and how she managed to make Garrosh actually epic. And let’s not forget her version of Cydea, a monstrous being from Diablo 3. You can’t help but to really like that costume and be amazed by how that even came to be.

There is just something about her cosplay that make them not only look really cool, but also a very fun thing to do. Her work keeps getting better and I am looking forward to more of her cosplays.

You can find Hiding on the following social media pages
DeviantArt // Facebook // Twitter

hidingcosplay
Dwarf Anna by Harui // Cydea by Buntes Geknipse // Female Garrosh by Elos/ Andi

Own Cosplay
I always loved to see Cosplay and be amazed and inspired by the work of others. But I will be honest and admit that I have always refused to cosplay. Much of it was because I have seen the not so nice side of it as well, where people were horrible to cosplayers. Sometimes it was even by cosplayers themselves. So I just happily supported my friends and just stuck with dressing up for larps.

But lately I have been more and more drawn to actually trying it out. I have long found 23821 reason why not to do it (age, looks, height, body, skills) but like my friends said, to hell with that. It wasn’t until recently at the Sony E3 presentation it clicked. I saw Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn and instantly knew that if I was to ever try and cosplay, I would love to try and make a costume like hers.

So if my plans go well and my first attempts are successful I will be trying to make my first cosplay for the summer of 2016.  And I am pretty excited on doing research for it. Sadly my skills in cosplay are non existing so it will be a lot of trial and error in the coming months.

owncosplay
Not sure yet if I can pull it off, but I will try my best. Aloy VS my Selfie

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