Q & A Answer Blog Sept - Oct 2017

Hello Kitten Feathers.

Sorry about the dely on this blog, I wanted to make sure that I gave you my best answers! 

Zatsune Miku - By Raito Photography

From Sandy Lee

How do you come up with such amazing concepts?

My inspiration comes from many places and it’s a little hard to explain where exactly all my ideas come from… So here we go…  Well, for cosplay my ideas come from what I love. I cosplay characters from shows that I love to watch. As for my other ideas, they come from a lot of places; I have a great love for alternative fashions, mythology and fantasy, so end up drawing a lot of inspiration from them.

From Alyssa C Rye

What are some recommendations for alternative fashion such as pastel goth/fairy kei, etc? I'm kind of Plus-Plus as I call it (waist over 40in and I struggle)

This was one of my biggest struggles when I first wanted to start dressing alternatively. What I found worked was finding some basic items of clothing that I loved and fit well, nothing from any one style, just dresses, skirts, jeans and tops I felt comfortable in, although these weren’t in the style I most wanted, they gave me confidence. From there to style myself in the fashions I liked, such as Pastel Goth and pin-up I used makeup, wigs and accessories. You’ll find that many of the Japanese Kei styles (among others) are in fact heavily based on accessories rather than the clothes themselves. 

So, my big recommendations are:

·         find clothes that fit well and you love to wear.

·         invest in accessories in the styles you love and use them.

·         learn so fun and unique makeup techniques (you can customise this too).

·         find some wigs that change your look to more suit the style pastels for Fairy Kei and Pastel Goth, red and black for goth and so on.

From Toryanni Tiffany Eldridge

What has been the hardest cosplay to get just right?

The hardest cosplay to get just right for me was Lulu from Final Fantasy X. OMG that skirt was crazy hard! Getting the look of all the belts drove me crazy for weeks, too many real belts made the skirt too heavy, too few made it look incomplete! So, after weeks of running around in circles I found some fabric and other materials that I could make belt-like straps out of. This got me the look I wanted and a skirt that wasn’t so cumbersome I couldn’t wear it. In the end I loved the cosplay, but knowing the techniques I do now, I think it would be fun to go back and do this costume again!

As a plus size what products do have the most difficulty finding?

I find it especially difficult to find sheer, basic, ordinary, normal old stockings. I don’t know if it’s the sizing in Australia or the fact that I am tall as well as plus size but this is a real chore. Footless tights are a little easier, but I think the sizing is a little different or they can stretch a little further. XD. I have been very lucky to find a store I can buy knee-high and thigh-high stockings that fit well and stay up.  But, on that note I do love my kne- high socks a lot more and they I am fine with… So I’m not completely down about the stockings. :D

What cosplay do you have the most fun in?

Ooooo… This one is a hard choice but it’ll definitely be between My Kimono Eternal Sailor Moon and Pirate Stocking Anarchy.

I really loved doing my Sailor Moon cosplay! It was an extremely fun cosplay to shoot. Working with the amazing Prince Photography and turning out some magical photographs. Also getting to rework the outfit into a different look and wearing it to a Neko Nation was really fun!!

As for Pirate Stocking this was just a lot of crazy derpy fun with Dakumeow and Winston Photos of Art. I love having fun with cosplay as it can be a sometimes stressful hobby but getting to do a shoot that makes you feel amazing and that you have fun with your friends makes it all worthwhile.  

Batman or Superman?

Batman. No explanation really, I just like him more than Superman. XD

From Michael VDW

Do you use contact lenses in your cosplay costumes to change the colour of your eyes?

Yes! Yes, I do use contacts when I need too. I have a habit of cosplaying characters with green eyes. So luckily a lot of the time I can use make techniques to brighten up or match the character and colour better. But with characters like Sailor Moon or Zatsune Miku where their eye colour is very different from mine I do use contacts. As a side note to this, I always make sure to buy contacts that have an expiry date that works with the cosplay plans I have, keep my contact care products up to date and if I think they are no longer wearable I do not wear them. When using contacts it’s always best to be cautious, you do not want to risk damaging your eyes!

Do you find it difficult to find time to work on Cosplay projects when working full time?

Working full time can be very difficult, but it can be done. I try and plan my time between getting to work on my projects, spending time with my loved ones and resting. The key to make sure I don’t overload myself, unfortunately this means limiting my projects, but it means I still get time for everything I love… In saying that I’m not ashamed to say I’ve purchased costumes. I know there is a huge debate about this in the community, but really, I think buying costumes is fine; it can be a time saver, be helpful when you don’t have the skills to make them or allow you to do more cosplays as you can make and buy them. J

When choosing a cosplay is it important to choose a character who is recognisable in the main stream?

No I don’t think it is. I think choosing a character you love is more important. I’ve always chosen to cosplay characters I like, or feel a connection with. This really comes down to personal preference in the end. You should cosplay what you want; it’s as simple as that, even if you cosplay a character that isn’t hugely popular in the mainstream there will still be people a cons and events that recognise who you are!

Which Disney character would you most like to cosplay?
Hmmmm…. Why make me choose! I love a lot of the Disney characters, but because I am indecisive I will give you my top 5 (this doesn’t include any Marvel hero’s I have my eyes on! XD)

1)      Peasant Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

2)      Sally (The Nightmare before Christmas)

3)      Ariel Blue Dress (The Little Mermaid)

4)      Esmerelda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

5)      Honey Lemon (Big Hero 6)

If you could own a large cat species what would it be?

It would be a snow leopard! They check all my boxes; cute, fluffy, like the cold, start out shy but are also playful… Yep, I’d defiantly own a snow leopard. Or be one. Meow.

From Dakumeow_nekopalace

What is your ultimate dream cosplay?

I have a few, but most are under lock-and-key as they are my secret projects…. But, one I’ve always wanted to do is Sailor Cosmos from Sailor Moon. I love her story in the Stars arc of the manga; she is one of the characters that made me come back and keep reading it over and over. Now watching the Crystal anime to see if she gets some screen time! This cosplay would be a huge, ultimate deal for me; I’d love to do it with light-up props and everything! :D 

Stay tuned for more

Lots of Love

Miss Nightfeathers