Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/759126
Fall 2016 The Costume Designer 21 about our work than traditional entertainment media, and some cosplayers have gone on to join our ranks. Another effect impacting Costume Design is the recogni- tion that catering to the cosplay community is a potentially lucrative endeavor. Hot Topic aside, many of these vendors have also realized that the professional costume community can add valuable insight to their production model and are paying for that knowledge. Kelly Cercone, a member of 705's made-to-order branch, recently partnered with McCall's on their cosplay line of patterns. Cercone, both a professional stitcher/draper and an active cosplayer, created two sets of corset patterns, that, while in line with "modern" corsetry, are influenced by late-Victorian and Edwardian silhouettes. Conventions are likely the venue where Costume Designers have the closest interaction with cosplayers. The Costume Designers Guild panels at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con boasted at-capacity audiences, with quite a few audience members dressed in replicas of the panel- ists' work, and lively Q&A sessions. Both CDG panelists and President emeritus Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis, chair of the UCLA's David C. Copley Center for the Study of Costume Design, served as celebrity judges at the annual Masquerade Ball. CDG members have also been invited to act as judges at other "Cons," including C2E2 in Chicago, Stan Lee's Los Angeles Comic- Con, and Comic-Con Paris, France. CDs Ann Foley (a judge at C2E2) and Giovanna Ottobre-Melton (Comic-Con Paris) agree that cosplayers' passion for the characters and cos- tumes are a huge payoff for making the trip. "I love to hear about the process that the cosplayer took to construct their costumes. There is so much passion and joy to what they created. It's an honor to all the films and TV show characters that the cosplayers emulate. Also, I pay much respect to the cosplayers for all the incredible time, research, dedication, and investment to cre- ate these costumes," says Melton. Two cosplay- ers in Chicago particularly stood out to Foley: the White Witch of Narnia, who "spent four years hand looping her own chain mail for the skirt, which was also gored!" and a gentleman cosplaying a Transformer, who had not only rigged lights and smoke, but added his own twist by basing the costume on his vintage blue Chevy, rather than one of the canonical characters/cars. Something that repeatedly comes up is that the deep connection cosplayers feel with the characters is what moves them to put so much into creating their costumes. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, designed by Foley and Melton, respectively, have both resonated with young women in particular by showing strong-but-flawed women characters overcoming both fantastical and mundane challenges. Foley has heard from many fans that they feel empowered by the Civilian Resources: A useful byproduct of cosplay's boom in popularity is the renewed and expanded avail- ability of goods useful to professional costume design- ers in brick-and-mortar stores across the country: The JoAnn Cosplay Collection by Yaya Han includes, among other things, unexpected weaves in natural fibers, and four-way spandex, and pleathers in several weights. The aforementioned Cosplay by McCall's line includes many of their previously discontinued historical patterns choice to not sexualize the characters. Melton's audience echoes similar sentiments, with Peggy Carter's line "I know my value" becoming a feminist arc phrase, and her red hat from the pilot episode quickly became iconic to the fanbase. In many ways, cosplayers' work process is the opposite of the film industry. "Very frequently, they have more time than we do on a project, but less resources. I've learned some great things by reading their research and make-it-work process," says Cercone. Foley has also seen some amazing results from cosplayers hand sculpting Worbla and foam to re-create pieces that were originally 3D-printed. Having spent inordinate amounts of time sourcing and reverse engineering the garments worn by beloved characters, their understanding of the thought and craftsmanship that goes into Costume Design is unparalleled in the civilian world, and you will be hard pressed to find a group who better knows our names and our resumés. We couldn't ask for bet- ter fans than the cosplay community. CDs Christopher Lawrence and Terry Dresbach and ACD Christine Cover Ferro present the CDG award to cosplayer José Dávalos as Lumière from Beauty and the Beast at the San Diego Comic-Con Masquerade Ball.