Q&A with a local costume designer

 

I have three at the moment, and one isn’t complete yet. My Dark Moon gown was challenging to me because of my love of the show—I tend to be super picky about details and supplies. It took me longer to get the materials than to make it, but the form itself was different

from what I normally wear. With it being low-cut and very form-fitting, it was a challenge to make sure I was going to be comfortable and not have to worry about showing more than I wanted to. Once I had all the materials, it only took me about a month to complete. The second [most challenging] one was Cowslip’s Gyarados from Pokemon. It was a bit of a challenge since I gave up on finding material that had the pattern of flowers on it. I ended up using my newly purchased embroidery machine to hoop a fireworks pattern over all of my material. It took about two weeks just to keep rehooping a 4-inch square. Then making the tail actually look like scales as it forms the tail was a lot of hand sewing, pinning and tucking. The final one I’m still working on [is] Serenity from “Sailor Moon” done by an artist named NoFlutter. It took me about three months to get everything ready for the convention where I debuted it, but there are a lot more details and things that I need to adjust to make it more comfortable. I think the hardest thing about any costume is being able to determine that it is done and not nitpick every little thing. Artists tend to see more of the flaws in their own work than others, and that makes it really to say that it’s truly finished.

 

Comparing pictures from my first Sailor Moon [Eternal Sailor Moon from 2010] and my newest one, I can tell I’ve definitely improved. I’ve started using a sewing machine, my technique has improved, and I’ve almost taught others what I’ve learned. And it doesn’t take me as long to work on projects as it did before. But I think the biggest improvement I’ve made is that I’m more willing to take the skills that I’m learning and apply them to show more of my creative side. It’s really hard for any artist to have to confidence in themselves and to be able to show more of what they can do. Does everyone have self doubt? Yes, even I do at times. But when you can see how far you’ve come, you can feel good about it and tell yourself, “I’m not done yet.” Everyone has to start somewhere.

 

One of my favorite inspirations is “Sailor Moon.” Who would have guessed, right? Not only is the artwork amazing, but the storyline is about a girl who might not be perfect or smart, but she does the best she can and can still save the world. I can relate to that because nobody’s perfect; we all have our faults. However, if we can admit our faults and move past them, we might not save the world like a superhero, but it can feel like it sometimes.

My favorite costume so far … I think I have two. The first is my classic Sailor Moon: it’s easy to wear, I don’t have to be super careful about drinks or food, and I can be as silly as I want. The second is my fleece White Mage from Final Fantasy XII—again super comfy and easy to wear. So easy I end up wearing it at home when I’m gaming.

 

This year my costume is going to be Tsukino Usagi from “Sailor Moon.” I’m going to be at an anime convention, and my family and I are going to be preforming in the Masquerade. But I’m also going to be Amaterasu from the video game “Okami” if all goes well.