Cosplayers just starting out, are on a budget, or who have experienced con crunch gathered for an open Q&A session at the Hilton 302-305 on Sunday at 5:30PM. Attendees asked their questions to cosplay improvisers Eternal Zan, Nike Conte, Paige Gardener, Jennifer Gilley, and Daisy Viktoria in “Cosplay Improv: Working With What You Have.”
The panel opened up with the panelists introducing themselves and speaking about some of their creations and experiences. All of the panelists mentioned getting their start in finding work-arounds for expensive cosplays out of budgetary necessity and emphasized that creating beautiful pieces doesn’t require spending a ton of money.
There is a myriad of places to find materials to use in your cosplays that won’t break the bank. The panelists repeatedly mentioned Dollar Tree, thrift stores, and dumpster diving to find your base materials. Attendees got on the mic to recommend yard/estate sales and “old lady quilt shops” where you can quite often find materials that owners are willing to part with for free or next to nothing. Other notable places to look for your materials are tool libraries (check your local library), Facebook Marketplace, a maker place, or a cosplay swap meet. Dragon Con hosted a cosplay yard sale the week before Con, so be on the lookout for future yard sales or similar events for other cons. Huge pro-tip: go to Spirit Halloween the day after Halloween—everything is 50% off and you can find amazing wigs, base costumes, accessories and more.
The panelists also highlighted the pure awesomeness that is using unconventional materials (see: Project Runway’s Unconventional Materials challenges for inspo). Conte and Viktoria have both used fun Christmas tree ornaments in their cosplays. Yoga mats and car floor mats are excellent sources for foam pieces like armor or headwear. Bed sheets are incredibly useful base materials that you can glue items onto and drape. Gardener loves to use lampshades to build elaborate headpieces with.
One attendee asked for advice about what to do when they only have a corset they bought at the vendor hall but want to create a cosplay with the regular clothes they have in their hotel room. The panel encouraged them not to be afraid to aggressively mismatch. Find your own style based on what’s in your closet (or how you can drape your bedsheets). Viktoria showed her ensemble where she built her corset and then draped a “bunch of rectangles” to make a flowy dress.
Attendees left the panel with three big takeaways: 1) Don’t be afraid to try new things. 2) Your first attempt at something will not be great. 3) As stated by Conte, “it takes trial and error, lots and lots of error.” Play with what you have and you might be shocked at the amazing creation you come up with.
