Cosplay Inspiration and Events
Last weekend was Anime North, an annual, fan-run convention in Toronto for anime, manga, gaming, Japanese and other Asian culture, as well as pop culture. I have been a loyal attendee since 2001, and most years, I cosplay. That is, I attend in a costume based on a character from a game, a book, a movie, or a television show. One of our guest bloggers, author Amanda Sun wrote an excellent post for us last summer on what cosplay is, so I'll skip over that here.
Normally, I make a costume based on one of my favourite anime – such as Black Butler (also a manga!) – or a video game, but this year I decided to do something different. This year I decided to make a steampunk costume. Rather than recreating a specific character's costume, I was working from my imagination, and I was paralyzed by choice. Gears, goggles, and gadgets, oh my!
So I turned to the many books on steampunk costumes and accessories available from the library. Here are a couple of my favourites…
The anatomy of steampunk : the fashion of Victorian futurism
1000 steampunk creations : neo-Victorian fashion, gear & art
Both are full of gorgeous pictures of fantastical costumes and creations, done with a level of skill and an eye for detail that I can only dream of one day achieving! But since I was looking for inspiration, I got some excellent ideas for pieces with elements that I wanted to incorporate into my own costume.
For some great ideas that are less daunting, I recommend…
Steampunk your wardrobe : easy projects to add victorian flair to
everyday fashions
Steampunk gear, gadgets, and gizmos : a maker's guide to creating modern artifacts
Not only are these ideas that anyone can achieve, they include the instructions! I particularly like the Taylor book for recommendations of steampunk elements into a daily wardrobe, not just extravagent costume ideas.
Our own Library Thomas recommends 1000 Incredible Costume & Cosplay Ideas by Yaya Han, which includes many different types of costumes – not just steampunk. As his review suggests, it's really more for inspiration, and doesn't include a how-to!
If you’re looking for more costume inspiration, you could always take a look at books on Japanese fashion, including Gothic Lolita and how to make your own kimono, watch some anime via Hoopla, or read an eBook on drawing manga?
For instruction, why not look at books for crafting metal jewelry, or eBooks on sewing?
Anime North will be back next May, but if you’re looking for somewhere else to wear your costumes this summer, here are some opportunities!
- Steam on Queen (Saturday, June 21 – and it’s free!)
- Atomic Lollipop at the Ontario Science Centre (Friday July 11-Sunday July 13)
- Cosplay Fashion Show at Sanderson branch (Thursday, August 14, 6pm – free! Please call the branch, 416-393-7653, to enter for prizes; all spectators are welcome!)
and, of course…
- FanExpo Canda (Thursday, August 28-Sunday, August 31)
Where else do you plan to cosplay this summer? And what do you use for inspiration?
Edit: Added the link for the Sanderson Cosplay Fashion Show.
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