Interviewer: We’ve recently observed a new social and artistic phenomenon – cosplay. I’ve asked Tessa, a talented cosplayer, to introduce us to the world of cosplay. Welcome to our programme. Let me ask you the first question: what is cosplay? 

Tessa: Hello. The word cosplay means just costume play. It’s a kind of performance art which originated in Japan. Unlike other Japanese art styles cosplay is quite a recent tradition. Its participants wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent characters from manga, comic books or video games. Lately, the popularity of cosplay has expanded to mainland Asia, then to America and Europe. Cosplayers usually present their costumes at conventions or local and international contests. That’s where the most impressive costumes are noticed and rewarded. For me, cosplay is just a new art form, exciting both to create and watch. 

Interviewer: What inspires people to dive into cosplay then? 

Tessa: People cosplay for numerous reasons. Some like making costumes and dressing up so the performance aspect matters most to them. Others want to make a tribute to the creators of fantasy books and games and think the best way to do that is with a cosplay. In my case it was the love of video games that really inspired me to dive into cosplay. I’ve always loved the heroes and creatures I played in video games. Just pretending to be them seemed like great fun to me. Once I actually went to a convention and tried cosplaying for the first time, I got fascinated with the entire process and all those people, ready to help the novices and share their knowledge with them. 

Interviewer: You’ve created a few costumes so far. What materials do you use to make them? 

Tessa: I’ve created six costumes for myself and three for other cosplayers. Now I’m in the process of making two more. When I make a new costume, I try to replicate a character’s costume as authentically as I can. I usually use thermoplastics – specifically Worbla. It’s the best material to make armour, props, costume accessories, basically anything that needs to be solid. The first cosplay I ever made is Midna from The Legend of Zelda. It’s still my favourite but I wish I had done some elements of her dress differently. If I have time, I’ll redesign it a bit. 

Interviewer: What advice would you give to those who want to cosplay? 

Tessa: First, trust your instincts, don’t hesitate – pick instantly the character you connect with and love most. It will be a lot more fun that way. Secondly, if you’re going to make your cosplay, be prepared for things to go wrong at the beginning. I know it can be very intimidating to start a cosplay, especially if you’ve never done it before, but don’t get discouraged. If you don’t know how to do something, find a proper tutorial that will teach you how to make things. There are many of them online. And remember, you are the only person who has to like your cosplay. A lot of people like to criticize others for their cosplay choices, but never let their negativity get you down. 

Interviewer: Thank you, Tessa