Cosplay Interview
Is anyone else having Star Wars Fever? We can't wait until The Last Jedi premieres, so we've been checking out some Star Wars Cosplay. We spoke with Detenten Cosplay about Star Wars and costumes:
What sparked your love of costuming?
My mother was the first one to put me in costumes. We always went all out for Halloween at our house. My mom was a great wardrobe director;I've been in costumes since before I could walk! My mom always made my costumes for me for Halloween. As I got older, I got more involved in the process.
What was your first costume?
Apparently, my first Halloween costume was "bag lady," and it made me cry when I saw it in the mirror!
I'd say my first cosplay outfit was a Jawa. It was back when I was still short enough to be one! It was a very popular Halloween hit, with the light-up eyes and all! My first cosplay as an adult was Leeloo, and I went on a long journey upgrading her over the course of several years. She is still one of my favorite cosplays to wear!
What is your process when you are making a costume?
The first step is obsession. If I'm not extremely excited about a costume, I'll never see it to completion! I have lots of half-finished props and costume pieces strewn around my studio, mostly because I was only interested in one aspect of a costume. After I pick a character, I use Google A LOT and gather as many reference images as I can for inspiration. After that I start to form ideas on how I can break down the costume into projects-- bracers, body suit, jewelry, weapon, etc. Then I will pick the first costume part I want to begin creating. I usually try to find if someone else has made this costume before, and I will look to see how they approached the more difficult aspects. I will refer to places such as the RPF (http://www.therpf.com), Facebook pages, Facebook affinity groups, and The Rebel Legion Forums (even though I'm not a member!). I will get a good plan drawn out on how I'm going to approach making the costume., Then I will start ordering supplies from ReynoldsAM, Amazon, eBay, etc. get Once packages start to arrive, I will begin working.
What is your favorite Disney costume you have made?
I have not made any specific Disney costumes other than Elsa, and she is a mashup with Huttslayer Leia! If Star Wars counts, I would have to say my metal bikini is by far my favorite costume. It is recognizable, iconic, and was extremely difficult to make, so I am particularly proud of it.
What has been your best experience at a cosplay event?
My best experience was attending my first DragonCon painted green as Oola. I was so flattered at how much people loved my costume! Oola is on screen for so little time, yet there were so many people who recognized her, and really appreciated that someone would costume such an obscure character! That said, I'm friends with two other gals who were also Oolas that year! You tend to bond with people who are willing to put up with that much green bod ypaint.
What advice would you give new cos-players who may be shy or nervous about starting?
Just GET STARTED. We all started somewhere. I love to share my early photos of Leeloo--she is the costume I would honestly call my first "cosplay," since I made her well after I'd left home and wasn't trick-or-treating in it. I've since upgraded every single part of that costume. I never would have gotten there if I hadn't just made version 1.0!
What costume are you working on/thinking about currently?
I've fallen off the map for a little while, but I am wrapping up a Barbarella costume, and might work on Greeata or a pet project, the She-Wookiee, next!
