Cosplayers Around the World Feature : Dearttolife from Singapore
4. What is your most memorable cosplay and why?
Spirited Away. It was during one of the most busy periods for me, when I decided to cosplay Chihiro/Sen, and to debut it in less than 3 weeks later at a local event. I only had less than a week, from finding references, shopping for materials to sewing and styling. It was also my first time sewing a costume from scratch, and dealing with a long wig.
5. What is your next cosplay project?
Macross Frontier! I’ve been wanting to do it since two years ago, when I first watched the anime. I’m very worried about how much time I can afford to do up costume, accessories and the details, as well as my portrayal. I’ll be debuting Ranka Lee at Malaysia’s Comic Fiesta in December. It’s going to be my first non-local event, and I’m so exciting to meet my Malaysian friends, and to make new ones too!
6. Tell us about some memorable experiences in your costume or prop making.
I made the star wand for my first cosplay, Cardcaptor Sakura, with the help of a friend. At that time, I didn’t know a lot of people from the scene, so I was entirely clueless on how to make a prop, like where to get materials etc. My friend suggested wood and I spent many days sawing and sanding the wood. It was a disaster although it appeared quite nice on event photos, and it failed to survive till the photoshoot. I had to do the photoshoot without it.
As mentioned before, my first time sewing an entire costume is for my Chihiro cosplay. Before that, I’ve only done modifications of clothes and some simple wear like tanks tops, as seen in my Kaoru Hitachiin cosplay, so I have nearly zero knowledge on drafting. My Haku and I experimented with different lines and angles with references to basic patterns for two days, before doing the actual sewing for the next three days. But it turned out that our experiments failed, because our costumes were huge! I had to size-down my costume as I sewed, and that took another 1 day or so to complete. Thank goodness it looks reasonable in photos!
Dearttolife’s Cosplay Gallery
7. What are some advice you would like to give to cosplay newbies?
People tend to get excited when making future plans but cosplay is an expensive hobby so I hope all, not just new cosplayers, will think through carefully before committing to any plan. If it’s too expensive for you to afford, save up or postpone the plan till you can. It is not a good habit to borrow money from people and if you do borrow things/money from people, please make sure you return!
Take a chill pill when cosplaying. Cosplay is about fun. The experience is as important as the outcome, or perhaps even more. You learn new things, you make friends. No matter how long you continue to cosplay, never forget the fun factor in cosplay.
If you need any help, you can always approach other cosplayers but please be courteous. A simple “thank you” and a good attitude brings you a long way!
And last but not least…
Sorry for the long read! To have a better glimpse of my gallery and cosplay life, you can visit:
