In this super relatable interview, a cosplayer talks about diving into the world of cosplay, driven by a love for fashion and character design in games and anime. They share their journey from feeling unsure about their first Asuka cosplay to setting goals like sewing from scratch and experimenting with latex, all while juggling uni life and learning to just have fun with it. If you’re into cosplay or thinking about starting, this is a must-read for some real talk and inspiration!
OG Nerd: What motivated you to start cosplaying, and how did you begin your journey?
Blaise: I’ve always been really interested in fashion, so when I started getting into games and anime about 5 or 6 years ago, I was so fascinated by so many cool character designs that it really inspired me. I think character design is like its own form of fashion design in a way because it doesn’t just represent a style of clothing, it also represents who the character is and their story. It was difficult for me to transition this interest into actually cosplaying, but one of my good friends Gisele (@3v3nus) had a really big online presence as a cosplayer, and she helped me out a lot when I first started cosplaying. I’m really grateful to her.
OG Nerd: As a newcomer, what have you found most surprising about the cosplay community?
Blaise: Definitely how connected everyone is! In the Melbourne community, it feels like everyone knows everyone. It’s one of the things I look forward to most at conventions, walking around and chatting with all the friends I’ve made and seeing their cosplays for the event. All the people I’ve met have made me love cosplay even more and I’m even more motivated now seeing their amazing projects
OG Nerd: What was your first cosplay experience like, and what did you learn from it?
Blaise: My first cosplay was actually a birthday present from a friend of mine. She knew that I had really wanted to start cosplay for a while but was hesitant to bite the bullet, so she bought the costume for me! It was Asuka from Neon Genesis Evangelion. Looking back on it now, it was not my best as I didn’t really know how to do makeup or style wigs, but I’m sure that’s how everyone feels about their first ever cosplay. I would say I definitely learned that cosplay is something that you’re constantly improving. I remember after I put on the cosplay at home and took photos, I was so unsatisfied with how it looked compared to other people online. But I understand now that if you feel that way, there’s really nothing you can do except try to see how you can improve it next time until you’re happy. It was definitely a learning experience for me 🥰
OG Nerd: How do you choose which characters to cosplay, especially as someone new to this art?
Blaise: The first criteria is definitely the character design. It’s just instinct as a cosplayer to see a character in a show that looks cool and just imagine how amazing it would feel to cosplay them!! Then I have to think about the actual logistics of it. Like for example, if the character has wings, or a gravity defying hairstyle or an outfit that seems unexplainable by the laws of physics, sometimes I have to scrap the idea. While those kinds of challenges can be fun, I have to toss up if the effort expended will be worth the outcome, and see if I can actually pull off the creation process as someone who is still a beginner in a lot of cosplay and craft skills. Lastly, I think my friends are one of the biggest factors in choosing my cosplays. We love to do cosplay groups together, so if they really want to match, I don’t mind putting in the effort together! Cosplaying with friends is the most fun for me
OG Nerd: What challenges have you faced as a beginner, and how are you addressing them?
Blaise: The biggest challenge for me was easily cosplay posing. I was so afraid of having any proper photos taken of me in cosplay for the longest time because I just didn’t know what to do with my face or how to pose and was totally uncomfortable in front of the camera. Overcoming this was a very long process that I’m still addressing today, but I think it’s really a matter of being confident in yourself! As someone who never really liked how they looked, cosplaying sort of forced me to face that fear which might sound scary but I’m really grateful that now I can look at my cosplay photos and be proud of myself. I also think practicing poses and such is really important if you feel shy. It sounds silly but sitting in front of the mirror and practicing your facial expressions and such for photos actually really helps over time.
OG Nerd: Can you describe your process of creating a costume, from planning to completion?
Blaise: After deciding on a cosplay I want to do, my planning process usually involves a lot of list making in my notes app, as silly as that sounds. Particularly when I have a deadline for the cosplay, I find it helpful to plan out all the stuff I have to buy or make, where I’ll buy the pieces from, when I’ll need to buy them and a budget for myself. The biggest part of this planning stage is probably deciding whether it would be better to buy a pre-made cosplay or accessory or if I need to make it. While there are lots of really great cosplay sale websites out there, sometimes if I have a specific vision for the outfit, it can be better to collect different pieces and put them together myself. After the planning stage, I usually focus on putting the cosplay together and styling the wig.
Wig styling in particular is tricky for me, as I’m still learning, so I definitely have to set aside time for that, even if it’s a fairly simple hairstyle. Sometimes if the cosplay is a little different from things I’ve done before, I’ll do a test where I try on the cosplay with all the makeup and the wig at home to see if there’s anything I want to change about the look before I wear it to a convention or shoot. This might involve tweaking the wig or makeup style, or even altering the costume so it fits me better.
OG Nerd: What resources or communities have you found helpful as you navigate the world of cosplay?
Blaise: I would say social media is definitely the most helpful to me. I find tutorials and tips from other young cosplayers online like me more helpful than any articles or YouTube tutorials because they’re much more relatable to me. Things like Instagram and Tik Tok are really useful for finding cosplayers with similar struggles to you, who are trying to achieve the same goals and can help you out with any tips they’ve learned.
OG Nerd: How do you balance your cosplay activities with other commitments?
Blaise: The primary difficulty I face is definitely balancing cosplaying and university. Even though my course is not that strenuous, I have the most awful time management so I really struggle to put aside time for assignments and the like so I then have free time for cosplay projects. Usually, I prioritise my schoolwork over cosplay, which has resulted in a lot of stressful nights before conventions trying to finish a cosplay accessory or something. One of my goals this year is to improve my time management so I can enjoy the cosplay process and start bigger projects while completing all my schoolwork simultaneously.
OG Nerd: What are your goals within the cosplay community, and how do you plan to achieve them?
Blaise: My goals for cosplay this year would be to start executing the styles of cosplay that I’ve always been most inspired by. Specifically, to improve my sewing skills so I can make my own cosplays from scratch! It was always something I envisioned before I started cosplaying, to sew an entire cosplay from scratch and I have such deep admiration for other cosplayers who do so. For a character I really love, I think it would be such a special feeling to wear a cosplay that you’ve dedicated so much time and effort into. I also really want to continue with latex cosplays! Latex has also been a big fascination of mine and after my first latex cosplay this year being Cammy from Street Fighter, I fell in love. There’s something about wearing that kind of unique fitted material that makes you feel really powerful and cool. I really hope to incorporate latex into more cosplays this year.
OG Nerd: What advice would you give to others who are just starting out in cosplay?
Blaise: The number one advice I would give is to just do it! The key struggle I faced, before I started cosplaying, was being unsure about where to get cosplays, how to style wigs and how to do makeup. I didn’t know any cosplayers who could give me advice on how to get into these things. But I think if you’re considering cosplaying, you shouldn’t worry about being perfect on the first try. It seems scary, but if you have an idea for a cosplay that you’d love to do, just follow your instincts and take the first step. Everyone has to start somewhere! Cosplaying is a journey wherein you have the opportunity to learn a lot about yourself and improve at a lot of different skills. So instead of being afraid of not meeting an impossible standard, you should focus on the learning experience of cosplaying and just having fun. If you’re having fun and you’re proud of how you look, who cares about what anyone else thinks
