Cosplay literally means ‘costume play’. Cosplayers don costumes that they’ve either made themselves or bought and model them or act like their character.
Ultimately, because it’s fun! Cosplays are made for all sorts of reasons; to be entered in competitions, to be worn as part of a group of people cosplaying from the same series or just for the sheer creative fun!
No matter! Cosplays can range from simple to elaborate so it’s all about what you choose to do. You could cosplay someone as simple as Haruhi Suzumiya, which can be made largely of pre-bought clothes, or someone more elaborate such as a Gundam!
Most people wear their cosplays at conventions or expos but you will also see a lot of people walking around in London especially wearing parts of their cosplays such as a wig or jacket.
The Anime and Manga society runs day trips to the MCM expos which take place every couple of months in London and Telford. This is a good opportunity to cosplay and most other expo-goers do the same.
If you want to be more hardcore and go to a convention so you have the chance to wear lots of cosplays over the weekend, you may want to register a place at an upcoming anime and manga convention. The big names include Amecon, Ayacon, Minamicon and Kitacon but there are always more added to the list every year!
If you want to learn how to go about making cosplay, you can come along to the cosplay workshops run by Sophie (AmethystEyes) and Sarah (SaziSquarePeg). It doesn’t matter if you’ve never picked up a needle and thread before, though it would help to bring some fabrics beforehand so you can actually make the cosplay!
Check the schedule for the upcoming workshop dates!
Cosplay workshops on hold as currently there is nobody to run them.
There are many places in Coventry, Leamington Spa and Birmingham where you can buy fabric by the meter and any other costuming bits and bobs. For your convenience, here is a nice list of the main places:
If you want any more information, you can contact Sophie on the forums or find her during the weekly showings.