Kouru from Star Wars Visions : thegirlwithagreatsmile
What initially inspired me about Kouru’s character from Star Wars Visions Episode 1, was her skill with the lightsaber umbrella. I’ve never seen anything like it before! It was both amazing and ridiculous that I immediately sat up on my bed and said to myself, “I have to make that. I have to be her!” I kept watching that first episode and I started seeing the multi-cultural elements in her design. It’s primarily Asian like the main pieces are based on Samurai armor, which I started looking up online that night. That armor had a single “kusazuri” in front and the “do” redesigned as a corset type with a little pillow “nishiki” from a traditional kimono. And I always love tough looking female characters in heels. It’s definitely not practical for battle and fighting, but it adds that extra wow.
I think it’s normal for cosplayers to obsess about cosplay right at the moment of inspiration, so that’s what I did. I thought about it a lot that night, what fabric, fastest way to make the outfit, and then the umbrella itself. My process is usually thinking a lot about how to make something, sketching it in my head, usually thinking more about the prop than the clothes or armor. I sketched how to make the umbrella lightsaber different ways, from how to make the mechanics of an umbrella from scratch to using a rice paper umbrella and deciding on repurposing an old large umbrella. I knew it had to be lightweight and I wasn’t going to figure out actual lighting. My focus was to get it made and show it at a con. The clothing and armor was easy. I knew the pants had to keep a certain shape so the fabric had to be stiff and the armor parts also have to be light and thin so it’ll be easy to wear and I won’t overheat. The most difficult thing was making the “lightsabers”. It turned out that the best way was the simplest way, which is to use foam board, popsicle sticks, reflective tape and hot glue.
SDCC and LACC were the perfect place to premiere that cosplay because there were a lot of industry people and Star Wars fans. It was very well received. The fandom recognized it right away and there were literal gasps and some were speechless. I know it’s because it’s so amazing and different and whimsical that people couldn’t help but go “wow”. Also, I made the wig using upholstery foam with a technique I learned from another cosplayer. It has a flowing look that suggests how Kouru’s hair was bouncing and flowing in the episode but it had a familiar look like that from Dragonball. I did have to tell people taking pictures to use a flash to get the full effect and once they look at the picture they took then the “wow” got louder. It was great to see people’s faces light up and their jaws literally drop. The cosplay is unexpected and they loved it.
One of the standout moments happened after SDCC when the executive producer of that episode messaged me and complemented my work. Sometime after the author of the book accompanying that episode shared my cosplay picture on social media.It feels great to bring other peoples art and visions to life.
I didn’t know I was already cosplaying when I used to work at nightclubs in West Hollywood and we had to wear different costumes on certain nights, like superheroes and villains. I took some fashion design classes after college and experimented with different garment constructing techniques, learned about fabrics, and bringing ideas to reality. I also made costumes and gowns for pageants that I competed in, so I already knew how to make stuff. Technically, I officially started cosplay in 2016 when I intentionally made and wore costumes for a local comic convention. My niece told me about cosplay in 2014 and realized that I already do that but it wasn’t until I went to that convention that I consider myself becoming official.
Costume making has always been a hobby, usually for pageants and halloween. Back then it was mainly for fun, competition and to show off. Cosplay has become my art therapy after my husband passed away in 2017. The process of designing to making to wearing what I make helps me with focus, calms me down, allows me to express myself, and explore other sides of me. The most rewarding thing is when kids see my cosplay in person and they have these great smiles and eyes widen with amazement. It’s also always rewarding when the “big kids”, the adults who still have their inner child, when their faces light up and go “ooh” and “wow” and just become speechless.
I think because cosplay has become so popular and mainstream, a lot of cosplayers get caught up with becoming popular especially on social media. I still struggle with it but I always remind myself that cosplay is costume and play. If I don’t play, if I don’t have fun, then I’m just wearing a costume. That’s why conventions are a big part of cosplay, the in person connection people make with others who share the same fandom is incomparable. Social media has been helpful especially these past couple of years. It has kept cosplayers and fandoms connected but it also got to a lot of people’s heads. I hope cosplayers always remember to have fun in their costumes regardless if the made the threads themselves or bought the costume already made. Keep the play in cosplay.
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