​Introduce yourself. 

Hello! My name is Lara and I'm a cosplayer from Belgium! I'm currently a student in Computer Graphics, nice to meet you :) 

How and when did you start cosplaying?

I've always been a creative person, at the beginning ( 2014-2015 ) I was into Steampunk but I rapidly figured out it wasn't for me at all I was more into colourful, video games related costumes ... yeah it's pretty much cosplay, right ? So I quickly became addict! I then wore my first cosplay, Jinx, at the Made in Asia in Brussels. (2016) 

What was you first cosplay? Why did you choose that character?

My first cosplay was Jinx! I choose this character because, first I completely love her, it was my first main ever in lol. I love her personality because it really suits mine too (except that I don't kill people lol) end her design is bomb! And second, my figure is almost the same as her, I'm really pale and thin so I was told many many times for both reasons that I needed to do her and it was a pleasure to do so!  

​Are you currently working on some costume? 
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I am working on multiple cosplays! Two Disney cosplays, three Kingdom Hearts ones and three Halloween costumes! Gotta keep myself busy.
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Which one is more important: the costume itself or how it’s presented?

The costume itself is most important, for myself anyways. I like working with tiny details and adding my own twist on things when I can!

How do you balance between your life as a cosplayer and your everyday routine?

Cosplay is my main job so it is a little hard to separate it since I work where I live and do not leave the house much due to this but I try to give myself weekends off and to stop working once it gets late at night.

Can you name an anime/movie/game that has influenced you in real life?

It may be silly but Lilo and Stitch is a movie that greatly changed me, it showed that being weird isn't something to be ashamed off, that not everyone is going to like you for whatever reasons but so long as you like yourself then that is okay, how a family doesn't have to be just your blood relatives and they can just be a group of close friends. I could talk about this movie for days and days. Along with this Tangled and Kingdom Hearts greatly affected me as well.

Tell us about the conventions and cosplay society in your country.

Conventions here a very welcoming and lots of fun! The artist alley is definitely my favorite part of cons due to just getting to support and meet all these amazing artists. The cosplay community it just like any community, there can be drama but the people I have surrounded myself with are anything but that, they have shown me so much love and support and I can never thank them enough for how much love is shown to me, I truly am grateful to them.

Can you give us some basic wig styling tips?

The biggest thing to know about wig styling is how to use heat to your advantage, a little hairspray and a hairdryer can go a long way! You can make spikes, keep unruly parts of your wig in place and so much more.

Send a short message to our readers.

Never lose your individuality and always remember that when it comes to cosplay, there will be those who may try and put you down. At the end of the day though, if you like your work and are happy with what you have created then that is all that should matter. Move at your own pace and grow when you are ready to take that next step on your journey. Keep learning and keep moving forward.

​Introduce yourself. 

My real name is Dominique. I´m a cosplayer from Germany and 27 years old.
I work fulltime in an office and I use cosplay as my colorful hobby next to this grey work.

How and when did you start cosplaying?

I started my education in Frankfurt am Main and so I met a really good friend. Her name is Nadine and she was since a long time in the Cosplayscene and so we wanted to visit the Frankfurt Bookfair together. I wore a selfdesigned Gothic Lolita and a normal school uniform. But at this weekend I saw so many different and colorful costumes – I wanted to do this, too!
After this we wanted to see the Leipzig Bookfair in 2010. There are so many more cosplayers. And here I wore my first selfmade cosplay: “Cait Sith” from “Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus”. It was difficult to put it on, because Nadine had to sew me into it.

What's the best part of cosplay for you? 

The best part is to find a new character you wanted to cosplay. Every time I´m so excited to start a new cosplay, but this euphoria is followed by the search for material and after that I'm always short on time for the con. 
Normaly I need much time till I start a cosplay, because of this „oh it´s enough time till the date“, but when I  finally started, I really love the progress and bringing all parts together. Painting is the best part for me. 
After a whole day of work you see what you have done and that´s so cool!
Wearing the costume for the first time is so amazing – everytime I feel so cool XD

Do you think it's important to be "in character"? 

Yes, but for me only if I do pictures or photoshootings. I don´t have to be in character while walking at a convention or talking to people.

Is cosplay a hobby you could see yourself doing in 10 years?
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Yes, but maybe not so much like now. I have no idea – what the next ten years will be.

​How do you find balance between your everyday routine (work, school, family etc.) and your life as a cosplayer?

There is not really a balance. I don´t work everyday at a cosplay for 2 or 3 hours (I know this would be much better than my way). It´s more like If I´m not working on a cosplay (there is no convention or photoshooting) I have the time for family, friends and housework but If I´m in the cosplay-stress-mode I don´t have time for sleep, eat, family or something other. I only go to work and work on the cosplay till it´s finished.

How much time a month do you spend on cosplay? (average)

I´m not sure, there are months with much conventions/photoshootings and some with normally no convention I visit. If there is a convention I work around two weeks on a cosplay (maximum), but normaly I put the whole armor in 9 or 10 days or do other cosplay within 4 days. So I think it´s okay to say 10 days.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.

I hate packing my suitcase so much – really I hate it.
My favorite food is roulade and dumplings. 
I cut the ass-hair of my Norwegian Forestcat „Camillo“.
If I was younger I had a crush on Vegeta and Kaiba.
I´m a really bad looser in a game. If I loose I hate my opposide or my team member.

Send a short message to our readers.

Thank you for reading the interview!
If you wanted to start with cosplay – just do it! It´s learning by doing. 
Or just – be your hero!
If you have questions – ask me – I will try to answer all of them.
If you are interested in the scene – check out the conventions in your area and talk with the cosplayers – we are a really friendly community.

​Introduce yourself. 

I'm Peekaboo! I'm a Canadian cosplayer, you can find me at conventions around southern Ontario and Quebec. When I'm not spending far too much time building costumes, I'm studying. I've just finished a degree and am starting a specialization program in my field this fall. 

How and when did you start cosplaying?

I developed some health issues in 2013 and had to take time off from school. I needed something to keep my hands busy, Ottawa Comic Con was 4 months away, and I had a 1982 Pfaff at my disposal. My mum taught me the basics of choosing fabrics, using a sewing machine, and reading patterns. Everything else I've learned through friends in my local cosplay community and online! Facebook groups are also super helpful for troubleshooting. 

Why do you cosplay?

I've always been a creative soul. Throughout my childhood I went through phases of wanting to be a hair stylist, graphic designer, makeup artist, painter, seamstress - and I get to be all of those things with cosplay. 

While some people choose their costumes by their love of the characters, I choose by design. I pick a particularly challenging piece that I want to try and work around that - a pair of antlers, wings, a ballgown, a breastplate, etc. I enjoy creating original designs and characters more than replicating characters. 

What's the most important part of cosplay for you? 

The community. As much as I love the craftsmanship, there wouldn't be much point if I had no one to share it with. There are a few events local to me that I would like to get involved with, and I'm specifically designing a family-friendly character to volunteer at these events - she will still be a badass, powerful lady, but with pants. 

Is cosplay a hobby you could see yourself doing in 10 years?

I would absolutely like to still be taking the time to create in the next decade, but I expect my focus may be more limited. I'm becoming more interested in making individual pieces than entire costumes. 

Which costume took most effort to make? 

Each one had its unique challenges. Glinda may still be the most labor intensive, because of the size and volume of fabric. Xerxes was the most emotionally draining, because it was next to impossible to source the materials and I had to compromise on every aspect of the design. My current project involves my first real corset, which is absolutely the most technically challenging. 

​Which one is harder: the part where you make the costume or the one where you try to act like the character?

I'm a terrible actress so the performance aspect has always been terrifying. I've never worried about being in character on the convention floor, but it's an expectation of costume contests. I put my headphones in and listen to my track on repeat in the greenroom to get into the mood, and shake like a leaf before I go on stage. 

You’ve won many prizes, which one is the most memorable for you?

My first Best in Show certificate is framed in my workroom, but winning Best in Show with Jessica Harkonnen as Young Ursula and the Mermaid was the most memorable. Jessica has an entire blog post on the experience on her website. 

Give us a short tutorial on how to make a corset.

I'm still learning, so I may not be the best source for information. I have learned a lot from Lucy's Corsetry on YouTube, Farthingales corset supplies, and Corsets by Caroline on Etsy. 

The key features of a corset are the strength fabric and boning. The strength fabric can be used on its own, or a base layer to support a 'fashion fabric'. Coutil is ideal. Boning may be steel or plastic. Spiral steel is more flexible around curves than plastic. Straight steel should be used at the center back, where the corset is laced, and center front for tummy support if a busk is not used. A busk is steel with hooks to open and close the corset at the front. Fitting a corset is uniquely challenging because you're not simply fitting to the shape of your natural body. In order to reduce the circumference of your waist, your panels must curve in from your natural bustline to your desired waist measurement, and curve out to your natural hips. Doing this without wrinkles, pain, or an uneven gap in the back is not easy. I'm still at the stage where a professionally drafted pattern is the safest place to start, and I alter from there. You should always do a mock up (with the appropriate strength fabric and boning) when using a new pattern, before attempting your final piece. 

A fashion corset is not intended for tightlacing to reduce the circumference of the waist, but has the same appearance of a corset. I've used the Cosplay McCalls Yaya Han pattern three times for my costumes. It uses four different layers of fabric, including interfacing, so it has enough structure in itself to avoid wrinkles and look cleanly finished, even if it's not perfectly fitted to my body. It was very forgiving with my mistakes and the instructions were very helpful in learning the how to handle so many different panels. 

5 things you love and 5 you hate?

Love: glitter, Shameless, disco, autumn, red lipstick

Hate: chiffon, every DC movie from the last 5 years with the exception of Wonder Woman, mornings, traffic, the patriarchy 

Send a short message to our readers.

Thank you so much for reading! If you'd like to see more of my work, you can find me on Facebook and Instagram @peekaboocosplay

Kuromaru is a cosplayer from the Czech Republic and has been in the society since 2012.
He's here to tell us all about the conventions in his country, including one that lasts for 10 whole days! In our playful interview you can also learn all about his love for wolves, the FF games and many others, as well as his cosplay buddies and planned photoshoots!

Enjoy ~

Nebulaluben is a lovely cosplayer, based in Madrid, Spain and she's got a lot to show and share with you. She makes wonderful props and her costumes are absolutely unique!
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To make her interview even better we present you the new design of "The Cosplay Corner". We've got a brand new intro, voice over and the background music is simply badass.

Make sure to check the video out and leave a like on her page!

In this episode of our vlog we got the chance to interview a multi-talented cosplayer from Greece!
The beautiful Irene Astral has a lot of interesting stories to share with us and we are sure she will inspire you with her words and amazing singing!

Enjoy ~

With the new season of our radio show we decided to also launch the very first full episode of The Cosplay Corner! 
Here's the interview we made with our favorite Serbian cosplayer - Ferasha Cosplay!

She is quite well-known for her tendency to cosplay villains and bravely transform into male characters! How does she manage to do it so well? Watch the video to hear her detailed answer and advices!