Interview: Cosplay Ireland with Amy and Fiona
‘…to create something where cosplayers from all over Ireland could connect outside of conventions…’
With the community growing every day and the Irish convention scene attracting attention on an international level, Cosplay has become a huge part of geek culture here in Ireland but what do cosplayers do when there are no Cons running? Well one group have an answer and I’m lucky enough to get a chance to sit down with the people behind it, Amy and Fiona from Cosplay Ireland…
First of all tell me about yourselves.
A: My name is Amy, I’m from Dublin. I come from a family of six and own a lovely dog named Moe. I have been running cosplay events for seven years firstly with Eirtakon then in 2010 I became involved with the Experience Japan Festival. Due to my large involvement with Anime and Japanese cultural events I decided to do a postgraduate Diploma in Cultural Event Management in IADT and I recently graduated in November 2012.
F: My name is Fiona, I’m 26, I’ve been cosplaying for 7 years! I’ve been on the Eirtakon committee as Cosplay Coordinator and Events Manager for 4 years and I also help out at other conventions. I love anime, manga, gaming, cats and tattoos!
What were your goals when you set up Cosplay Ireland?
A: The goal of CI is to connect all facets of cosplay; cosplayers, dress makers, prop makers, make up artists, photographers and give them a place to contact each other. CI is also there to provide cosplay events, nights outs, photoshoots etc. in between conventions and to keep enriching the cosplay scene in Ireland!
What got you interested in cosplay?
A: I was always into fancy dress and playing or acting out as different characters. It was just natural to me! Then I experienced my first anime/manga convention being Eirtakon in 2005. I loved seeing the people in costume and it looked fun. It wasn’t until when I looked up on the internet what cosplay was all about and browsing cosplay.com I knew this was an interest I wanted to get into. To me cosplay was fancy dress taken to a whole new level!
When did you first realise that you wanted to cosplay?
A: It was after experiencing cosplay at Eirtakon 2005 a year later I was going to Tomodaichi an old convention in Co.Derry with a group of friends and we all decided to go in a Hellsing group. I was very excited!
F: The idea of dressing up and being your favourite character from an anime was amazing, I knew I just had to do it. Up until then, I’d only ever dressed up for Halloween and even then as just something generic. To have an opportunity to dress as a specific character from something I loved and to be able to do it at a time other than Halloween was a chance not to pass.
What was your first cosplay and its inspiration?
A: My first cosplay was Rip Van Wrinkle from the Hellsing Manga and OVA. I was getting more into anime and manga comics and at the time I was reading Hellsing. I really liked Rip Van as she is a vampire and crazy. My features resembled her and I had long dark hair the same as hers and I only needed a business suit and glasses which wouldn’t have been hard to get for my first cosplay.
How long did it take you to be comfortable in cosplay?
F: When I tried my cosplays on at home, I always felt great admiring myself in the mirror!! I thought it was so cool bringing your favourite characters off the page and bringing them to life. That first time at Eirtakon, after I got changed into my cosplay, I was quite nervous to leave the toilet cubicle! I was worried about what others would think of me. But as I said, with everyone asking for photos and complementing my cosplay, I felt comfortable straight away. The con goer scene in Ireland are very friendly and open to all cosplays so they play a big part in making cosplayers feel accepted
- Fiona ‘Bad Girl’ – Photo by Stephen Hedley
Who are you favourite cosplayers and why?
A: I find there are a lot of diverse cosplayers and a variety that suits different people. My favourite cosplayers would be; The Spiral Cats from Korea, they are very inspiring and are excellent at what they do. Maridah who is well known for her Saber cosplays from Fate Stay Night and the Yurisans who do excellent Evangelion and many other cosplays. I like Maridah and the Yurisans as they are not just excellent costume makers but really play their characters and come across like actresses and have very creative photos.
I do take my inspirations not only from cosplayers but from many different areas be it fashion and music! There is one extremely creative individual in the Irish con scene and that is Anna Nic Ghiolla. She comes up with her own costumes and I am really inspired by her she is very creative and is extremely talented.
F: On the Irish scene, Kathryn Lambe, Jessica Freeney and Ariana Vallee are definitely stand out and of course, Cian O’Sioran, Eirtakon’s Euro Cosplay representative this year and the best Iron Man out there but at every convention, you can see the Irish cosplayers are getting better and better, the standard is really rising.
As for famous cosplayers, Yaya Han is amazing. She has created a living out of cosplay which is every cosplayers dream! I also love Riddle, Kipi and Alodia. They’re incredibly talented.
What part of the cosplay do you enjoy the most?
F: I love cosplaying characters with cool hair, I get a kick out of wearing wigs!! Also, there’s always that rush you get when someone tells you they love your cosplay and ask for a picture, it makes you feel good. Oh! And the number one best thing is getting to take off your uncomfortable shoes at the end of the day, haha!! I always seem to pick characters with ridiculous high heels, the pain…..
Last but not least, do you have anything to say to both new and experienced cosplayers??
A: Over time when you cosplay more you feel you will get a lot of people appreciating your cosplays and may get a following. Don’t let it get to your head, sadly many cosplayers can get competitive especially with the online competitions and forget the true meaning and the fun element.
F: Don’t be afraid to try anything!! If you’re thinking that you won’t be able to make a certain prop, style a wig a certain way etc. TRY IT! There’s no harm in seeing if you can do it or not! Cosplay is all about pushing your boundaries and trying new and exciting things. As you grow, your cosplays will grow too.
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To find out more about Cosplay Ireland you can click the links below:
Cosplay Ireland Official Website
