Cosplayer Lutavia is right here with phrases of knowledge for future cosplayers – served with a aspect of spooky Bela Dimitrescu cosplay!
We’ve been protecting the cosplays from Houston’s Comicpalooza for years, and this yr we’re again once more. The present at all times comes exhausting for cosplay, with a variety of genres and fandoms represented. Their cosplay competitors is fierce, and this yr we’ve had an opportunity to interview a few of the judges and competitors winners. Today we’re sitting down with Lutavia cosplay!
Hi, I’m Lu, a Texan nonbinary cosplayer who not solely makes however educates! My cosplay profession has spanned from small scale workshops of lower than 20 to shows for over 100. I’ve curated and crafted photoshoots for customized merchandise and taught cosplayers all over the world how one can use cool instruments to make their crafting that a lot simpler. And I’ve made an enormous number of tasks starting from weathered, complicated armor to stunning draping materials. If you want a cosplayer in your occasion that does a bit of every part, try my press equipment!
-Lutavia
How did you get your begin in cosplay? How lengthy have you ever been creating your tasks? What conjures up you to work within the cosplay realm?
I began cosplaying after faculty, however I used to be very impressed lurking on the web as a preteen and discovering cosplay.com. I went to my first conference after I was round 13, and I immediately fell in love with costumes —however I actually wished to learn to make my very own. I’ve solely been making my very own stuff for round six years now (a lot of my buddies have been doing it for much longer, assume 10-15+), however the fixed problem and revolutionary methods to include new methods retains me going.
What are your favourite accomplished cosplays, or your hottest?
I believe my favourite accomplished cosplay is my most up-to-date one, a male Viera from Final Fantasy XIV. That one has been fairly well-liked because of a few of the methods I’ve used and being a bit rarer. But my Shieldmaiden Brigitte cosplay, from Overwatch, is by and much my hottest.
What conventions do you attend? Have you guested/spoken on panels/competed in contests?
I primarily have guested within the Texas circuit (Comicpalooza, Oni-Con, Delta H, Anime Frontier), however I’ve paneled at different cons together with Fan Expo Dallas and PAX South and PAX West. I panel a LOT — cosplay schooling is crucial factor to me, so it’s what I attempt to do at each con I go to!
What standards do you employ to guage cosplay competitions?
So, first, I strictly use regardless of the judging standards is from the conference — every con judges costumes in several methods. But in my private judgements and the way I add factors to scores, I search for cleanliness of the work, logical and considerate decision-making (from materials decisions to meeting), and somebody’s private tackle the costume and why it stands out. I additionally strongly recognize new approach exploration, however it is going to by no means weigh heavier than clear work!
What is most vital to contemplate as a decide?
As a decide, I want to contemplate each small a part of the costume, however I additionally must see the general image: what story is the cosplayer making an attempt to inform, and are they telling it successfully? I believe as a decide, you want to be considerate in that regard.
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What recommendation do you have got for cosplay judges?
I actually assume as a decide, you completely need to be well-rounded. Maybe you haven’t personally made a ballgown, however comply with individuals who do; ditto for sewists following armor makers. Expose your self to a variety of mediums and methods and familiarize your self with as a lot as you possibly can, since you by no means know what somebody will deliver to the judging room.
If you’re the solely particular person within the room to grasp how troublesome 3D modeling natural shapes is, for instance, or who understands the labor concerned in making a number of petticoats — even if you happen to haven’t accomplished it, it is possible for you to to guage somebody with these issues, and typically, you’ll be the one decide who truly KNOWS these issues, and you may educate your fellow judges. You might actually be the distinction between work going unnoticed and a high prize for somebody.
What class/division do you most get pleasure from judging?
I truly LOVE judging Novices/Beginner. It is by and much my favourite class since you by no means know what they’ll deliver to the desk. I’ve been completely floored, and I really feel like yearly, the bar will get even larger for folks’s “first costume”.
What has been probably the most thrilling cosplay you have got seen/judged in competitors?
Oooh, that is actually troublesome, truly — I really feel like each con has some costumes I take into consideration. But I have a tendency to consider my decide’s selection awards I give out probably the most, truly! My first one was a Shugo Chara group, all preteens, who made props out of Amazon bins and plastic bottles and it seemed like foam, since they didn’t have any cash — that was so spectacular.
The second one was a Sakura (from Naruto) who did historically-inspired samurai armor and wove her personal sneakers! Most just lately it was truly a Mipha from Legend of Zelda, who had all these stunning, story-appropriate particulars that weren’t within the authentic design — very considerate. I believe it’s at all times the people who find themselves a bit unorthodox, inventive, or who actually take into consideration what their character’s clothes inform a narrative about, visually, that stick out to me.
What are your favourite fandoms? Favorite characters?
I’m truly actually into video video games, comics, anime, and manga. Some of my favourite stuff is darker media — Berserk, Monster, and so on. — however I actually love JRPGs like Final Fantasy and ways video games, like Tactics Ogre. I believe if the characters are robust, I’m naturally fairly inclined to get into it! Some of my favourite characters are undoubtedly those I cosplay, haha — I did Asuka from Neon Genesis Evangelion for instance, in addition to Dimitri from Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
What sort of video games do you play? Videogames? Tabletop? Wargames?
I tremendous love video video games — RPGs, JRPGs, motion/journey sort stuff — however I additionally performed loads of board video games and nonetheless do typically. Tabletop additionally holds an expensive place in my coronary heart, particularly TTRPGs — I’ve performed Dungeons & Dragons since 3.5e, and I’ve additionally performed Shadowrun, Pathfinder, and a few indie video games like Monsterhearts.
Who are your cosplay inspirations? Whose work do you admire or aspire to?
Wow, this can be a powerful one! So, my very own shut buddies are my inspirations, truthfully, however I’ve a couple of I look as much as, all I’m so lucky to know — Cowbutt Crunchies is a giant one, their work has influenced mine in so, so some ways — however I additionally actually love BambiLashes, DecemberWynn, Sarcasm-Hime, Spookystitches, all from a craftsmanship-inspired perspective. Their costumes are very “lush” and affect my decisions loads, I believe!
But I believe from like, an schooling standpoint, folks like Kinpatsu Cosplay, LightningCosplay, and Pretzl Cosplay encourage me much more, as in addition they focus loads on cosplay schooling, which I’m extraordinarily enthusiastic about!
What message do you have got for folks wanting to interrupt into cosplay? What have you ever realized in your time working in Cosplay?
I actually simply advocate you don’t ask the query, “who should I cosplay? Who do I look like?” Because that doesn’t matter! I’m a 5’3” blob who cosplays big, emo 6’2” males — don’t let that cease you in any respect! Cosplay what you are feeling comfy studying how one can make (or purchase!), based mostly in your way of life, timeline, and finances. I believe that’s crucial factor I realized: there might be different cons, so take your time, be purposeful in what costumes you choose, and chill out and be sort to your self!
Anything vital we’ve overlooked that you just wish to share?
To me, this passion has been an enormous a part of my life in friendships, private progress, discovering who I’m, even actually superior work alternatives, so I actually encourage you to provide it a shot and cosplay your method, it doesn’t matter what it’s! Buy, make, alter and be pleased with it — put on one thing and go have some enjoyable, since cosplay actually means “costume play”, and that’s what it’s about!
What are your social media/web site hyperlinks? Where can we discover you?
I’m @LutaviaCosplay totally on Twitter (construct threads! WIPs! Random ideas!) and really weakly on Instagram, however I even have my web site, LutaviaCosplay.com, the place I even have my press equipment and construct guides and panels and all that enjoyable stuff!
~Join us subsequent week for extra Cosplay Coverage~
Have a Cosplay query you prefer to Mayhem’s Muse to reply? Know a Cosplayer you’d wish to see featured? Send an electronic mail right here!
Jennifer aka “Mayhem’s Muse” is the Cosplay Editor for BoLS and manages Ad Sales and Communications. Her cosplay awards embody the RTX Judge’s Choice Award and Dragon’s Lair Austin’s Cosplay Symposium.
Jennifer has been a Cosplay Guest Judge at RTX, Tacticon and Genghis Con in Colorado. She commonly attends conventions to cowl cosplay for BoLS. Her cosplay work has been featured in publications reminiscent of Girls Who Love Monsters, Geek Fuel, and Renaissance Magazine. Jennifer has modeled within the Her Universe Fashion Show, Precision Camera’s yearly Precision Camera University, and has taught a number of workshops for photographers about partnering with cosplayers and inventive muses/fashions.
Jennifer is a lifelong fanatic of retro video video games and loves Dungeons & Dragons, city fantasy, tabletop video games, VR expertise, and historic archery. She has set National Records by means of USA Archery’s Traditional Division for Asiatic Bows and earned 4th Place within the World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan in 2018 for Women’s Korean Archery. Jennifer is presently learning for her Masters’s Degree in Organizational Leadership.
