Lisa
Nelson goes back to the early days of anime convention cosplay, while Tristen
Citrine is a relative newcomer. Together they've made some memorably extravagant
outfits, such as the dress, described by Citrine as a "crack maid in orange"
that she made for Anime Expo in 2002. But not every great costume is expensive;
there's a much imagination and work involved. From the 2002 Anime Expo, there
was an award-winning mentions a combat boomer from the original Bubble Gum
Crisis series which was made from "found objects" that cost $50.
Citrine's
Orihime costume, which greatly impressed Sakura Taisen actor Maya Okamoto,
was made because Citrine loves the "totally insane" character. "I decided
two years ago when I started watching the Sakura Taisen musicals that I would
start making this dress," she said. The dream needed the right kind of fabrics,
and Citrine had trouble locating the right stuff. The dream became a reality
when Citrine visited the field of dreams for cosplayers, the Maple Street
garment district in Los Angeles. "What do, I do I trip over a bolt of fabric
- it was like when the angels sing," she said.
If you need something that doesn't include fabric,
where to go? Nelson recommends big hardware stores such as Home Depot and
Lowe's. "They think of things that we don't think of," she said. Then there's
the ultimate American store, Wal-Mart, which is great for cosplayers who
desperately need something at three in the morning. Back to fabric: Nelson
said "The biggest blessing and curse to cosplayers was satin," which can
look great if you find the right grade of that fabric. The cosplayers feel
the same way about spandex, saying that fabric can make great costumes.
Lisa
Nelson goes back to the early days of anime convention cosplay, while Tristen
Citrine is a relative newcomer. Together they've made some memorably extravagant
outfits, such as the dress, described by Citrine as a "crack maid in orange"
that she made for Anime Expo in 2002. But not every great costume is expensive;
there's a much imagination and work involved. From the 2002 Anime Expo, there
was an award-winning mentions a combat boomer from the original Bubble Gum
Crisis series which was made from "found objects" that cost $50.
Citrine's
Orihime costume, which greatly impressed Sakura Taisen actor Maya Okamoto,
was made because Citrine loves the "totally insane" character. "I decided
two years ago when I started watching the Sakura Taisen musicals that I would
start making this dress," she said. The dream needed the right kind of fabrics,
and Citrine had trouble locating the right stuff. The dream became a reality
when Citrine visited the field of dreams for cosplayers, the Maple Street
garment district in Los Angeles. "What do, I do I trip over a bolt of fabric
- it was like when the angels sing," she said.
If you need something that doesn't include fabric,
where to go? Nelson recommends big hardware stores such as Home Depot and
Lowe's. "They think of things that we don't think of," she said. Then there's
the ultimate American store, Wal-Mart, which is great for cosplayers who
desperately need something at three in the morning. Back to fabric: Nelson
said "The biggest blessing and curse to cosplayers was satin," which can
look great if you find the right grade of that fabric. The cosplayers feel
the same way about spandex, saying that fabric can make great costumes.
