Halloween and the Texas Renaissance Festival are just around the corner so we sat down with two of our members here at the Lab to ask them about some costumes they recently worked on.
Is this your first costume? How did you get into cosplay?
Zach: I started doing costumes for costume balls and that sort of thing, I enjoy making masks and outfits that are my own design. This is my first shot at replicating a video game outfit.
Summer: I’ve always enjoyed dressing up and when I was little my cousins and I would play in my grandmothers sewing scraps creating “beautiful runway pieces”, but my first real costume design was in 2011 for Blizzcon. I designed a blood elf costume from the game World of Warcraft made from a thermoplastic called Sintra.
What materials did you use to develop your costume?
Zach: Leather, Cloth, and anodized aluminum rings and scales, and a variety of hardware.
Summer: Leather, Leather and more leather. But seriously, the majority of the costume is made from vegitable tanned leather and even the cape was made entirely of deer skin. The silver emblems were 3D printed using Steel Filament which I LOVE!
What has been the most challenging part of the build?
Zach: Fitting the costume to my shoulders, which are substantially different from the character model's. The costume has had to move and distort to look right on my body.
Summer: Most of it was just putting in the time really. I don’t feel like I was really stumped on any part but I certainly enjoyed getting to learn more about equipment, materials, and techniques that I don’t normally work with. The majority of the work I do is in leather so working more with 3D printing, and getting to use our industrial sewing machine was fun!
How long has it taken you to make?
Zach: It’s a labor of love, so I haven’t kept track buuuuuut... probably 40 hours.
Summer: Yeah same as Zach, I didn’t keep up by my guess was probably about 60 hours.
Where do you plan to wear your costume?
Zach: Conventions, Halloween, Ren Faire, A wedding.
Summer: First place I wore it was Houston’s Comicpalooza where I won 2nd Runner up in the Advanced category and won best prop for my sword. I also plan to wear it to the Texas Renaissance Festival if it’s not too hot!
Any costumes planned for the future?
Zach: I really want to succeed at making a rigid outfit, there are a variety of armors I think I will be better equipped to tackle after this.
Summer: I think it would be a lot of fun to make a mech type suit. I really want to win next years Comicpalooza and you know what they say, “Go BIG or go home!”
