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| Cospolers Beck and Kat, with guest Cospoler, Casey Get their dresses here. |
Okay, so I'm a little biased. I see Living Dead Clothing and I see Sailor Moon and I go gaga. But there's more to it than that. Before all the crappy illnesses that landed me in the sick bay, I was a dancer. I learned ballet and jazz from age five, and only gave up when I left Sydney to move to the Gold Coast. I've always had a deep respect for dancers because, while they make their craft look easy, it can take its toll on your body.
I knew I had to find out more about these amazing ladies, so I went to their Facebook page. Turns out Beck (23), Kat (26) and Caitlin (22) are all cosplayers. I went from interested to seriously interested very quickly.
The three began practicing pole fitness just over twelve months ago. As self confessed nerds, it wasn't long before they decided to combine their love of aerial arts with their other love, cosplay.
Full time illustrator, Kat, began cosplaying in 2011, but has always loved dressing up and having fun.
"When I moved to Melbourne, I realised that conventions existed and I could stop wishing Halloween was a big deal in Australia," she says.
"I was in a Steampunk Sailor Moon group at Manifest and we got completely swarmed for the three days. It took us two hours to walk back to our car - which was only about ten metres away from the entrance - because we were stopping for so many photos."
It's an amazing and addictive feeling that myself and my fellow cosplayers will relate to. Seeing people enjoy the work that you've put into a cosplay is incredibly rewarding.
Fellow Cospoler, Beck, had just been introduced to Anime, when she learned that people dressed up at conventions. She loved Mio Akiyama (from K-ON!) so much, that she decided to give cosplay a go.
"As soon as I walked through the gates of the Melbourne Showgrounds, a guy ran up to me and hugged me, screaming, 'Oh my God, Mio!' - I haven't looked back since," she says.
While all three ladies love cosplay, they are also very open and honest about some of the more negative aspects of the increasingly popular hobby.
I always ask my Featured Cosplayers if they are okay with store bought costumes, or if they prefer to make everything themselves. I was surprised, but also impressed with Beck's answer.
"I feel this question is hard on those who are newer to the cosplay world. I mainly buy and adapt pieces to create costumes, as I do not currently possess the skills to make my own. I am working on these skills and to have people criticise me for buying my costume is unfair and exclusive," she says.
"I dislike the whole view that you're not a real cosplayer if you buy your costume. If I waited until I could sew well enough to make the lycra suit for Kitty Pryde, I'd never be able to cosplay her."
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| Beck as Kitty Pryde with Lockheed |
The girls agree that cosplay is for everyone, no matter who you you are, what you're into, or even your body type.
"It's so upsetting when a cosplayer - man or woman - is simply trying to enjoy themselves by bringing a character they love to life, only to have a handful of people criticise them because they're not buff enough or not skinny enough to play the character," Caitlin says.
"People are allowed to cosplay who they want, how they want, even if their body doesn't fit your view of the character," Kat says.
"I also really dislike the attitude towards female cosplayers. Slut-shaming and saying 'she's a fake geek girl' just because she's attractive is completely disgusting."
Those of you who read my blog regularly will remember my early post about my first experience with cosplay. When you immerse yourself so completely in a subculture, it's easy to get caught up in the elitism of it all, especially if you have self esteem issues. You see a cosplay that isn't quite as good as your own, or you see a girl in what could be considered 'sexy cosplay' and the claws come out. I'm certainly guilty of convention bitchiness, and I'm sure I will probably be guilty in the future. But it doesn't really make you feel better. It doesn't fix your own insecurities. Since I began this blog, I've learned so much about my fellow cosplayers and I find myself questioning my own behaviour at times. "Oh look, she didn't sew her own skirt, she must be a terrible cosplayer." Or, she could be time poor. This might be her first cosplay. Maybe she is still learning to sew. Do you really need to make that bitchy comment? No, you don't.
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| Kat as Tank Girl |
While I enjoy tackling some of the more serious issues that affect cosplayers, it's also nice to focus on the positives. You may not agree with me, but I consider cosplay an art form. As such, like any other art form, the sense of accomplishment that comes with completing a cosplay is one of the best feelings you can experience.
"The satisfaction of actually completing a costume is a great feeling for me, since I'm prone to procrastination," Caitlin says.
"Having the chance to temporarily become a character at a convention or photo shoot, that's just the icing on the cake."
We all face obstacles as cosplayers, but these ladies have the added challenge of incorporating their costumes into their aerial routines.
"I like the challenge of coming up with a trick appropriate for the character, then actually doing the trick in costume," Kat says.
"Sometimes you realise the costume doesn't allow for a really awesome trick and it's a shame. It's a bit of a balancing act between costume and trick."
I'd love to tell you what the girls have planned for the near future, but I received the same answer from all three of them:
Needless to say, I'll be keeping a close eye on them.
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