Introduction - What is it like being a Cosplayer?

Hi, I'm Denise and my best friend's name is Krista. Together we are Alyss Says, cosplaying duo and boutique. Ever since we were younger we would always play dress up. We would play dress up pretty much every day and we would get so excited for Halloween that we would count down the days leading up to it. Eventually when middle school began and our dress up clothes were put away, we got into fashion styles like Gothic, Punk, Lolita, and Steam Punk. A few years later when we started high school, we learned about anime and anime conventions. At that point, our costumes came out once again and we slowly but surely began to create new ones. Cosplaying became one of the ways we expressed ourselves and by being out there, we gained friends who also loved to cosplay. After our first convention we were hooked. Cosplaying became an adventure. It's an expressive and emotional adventure filled with fabric, mistakes, lessons learned, and extreme happiness when a costume came out as planned. We got hooked and we'll pretty much keep cosplaying till we die... or until our cosplay budget runs out.

What are your next goals?

Our biggest goal is opening up a Cosplay Boutique and Lounge. It would be a club/store where people can cosplay, buy cosplay/nerdy culture goods and hang out. Conventions can get pricey and we want to make a place that anyone can come to. Our goals currently are a Fluttershy Costume for Halloween, Two Steam Punk dresses for Her Royal Majesty's Steampunk Symposium in January, and finally a photo-shoot because most of our photos are taken from cons.

Cosplay Characters

We've made a lot over the past few years so I'll begin with our most recent cosplays. These were all created from scratch by us, minus the shoes and wigs of course. Genderbend Joker and Harley Quinn from Batman the Anime Series Natsu, Lucy, and Happy from Fairy Tail Sailor Moon, Moon Light Knight, and Sailor Mars from Sailor Moon Satyr which was a custom costume design Codex from The Guild for our sister Ben 10 shirt for our friend Our past cosplays were not make completely from scratch. We would buy clothes that looked similar and then alter them into what we wanted. Vanellope Von Schweetz from Wreck it Ralph Poison Ivy from Batman the Anime Series Sasuke and Naruto from Naruto Punk-ish interpretation of Itachi and Deidara from Naruto

What does Cosplay mean to you?

Cosplay is about having fun. We wouldn't waste time making costumes and going to conventions if we didn't enjoy the process of creating our costumes and dressing up. We have fun planning, sewing, and placing final touches on our costumes but the most exciting part is getting to dress up and walk around as our character. Not only do we get to play pretend, we also get to meet new people who have similar interests.

Who have been your biggest influences/role models/mentors?

Technically speaking, the internet would be our biggest influence because we are on it constantly looking for inspiration for new cosplays and fashion. Realistically though, we influence each other a lot. We both have different interests in fashion and shows but through these differences we're able to inspire one another to try something new. Along with each other, our parents are really supportive of us as well. Every time we make a costume we pretty much take over our parents' living room and they're completely fine with it so long as there are no pins on the floor. We think our parents' logic is "If they're spending all their money on fabric, then they can't afford drugs." Also, one time we met Yaya Han and she called us cute so we're pretty much obsessed with her now.

Do you have any advice or suggestions for upcoming Cosplayers?

BUDGET!!! Budget, Budget, Budget. Costumes can get expensive so before you even start to buy fabric, thread, or even a wig, price out everything. Wig, make up, shoes, hair pins, wig cap, fabric, sewing needles, thread, etc etc. The list can do nothing but grow. Nothing in the cosplay world is sadder than starting a costume only to figure out part way through that you can't afford to finish. Also, costume before props and make sure you can move comfortably in your costume before heading to a convention.

What is the most negative experience you've dealt with while cosplaying, and how did you handle it?

Oddly enough, we're the most negative with each other. As a group, we're trying our best to improve our craft and make the move to becoming more professional with our cosplays, so at times we'll become critical with ourselves. Sometimes I'll fret over a seam that doesn't look correct and I think it's the end of the world. But then Krista will get really close to look at the seam and say "If someone is THIS close to you, you should be more worried about yourself, than a less-than-perfect seam.” We deal with our own criticism by working harder to improve. People in the cosplaying community are generally really nice and if they're pointing out something wrong in your costume they're mostly trying to help. For example, when we wore our Joker and Harley costume a girl asked us where we got our makeup and suggested a better brand. She could have told us our makeup sucked, because it kind of did, but she was really nice about it. If someone is not nice to you, then stay away from them. Don't let them ruin your day and your awesome costume.

Any final remarks or shout-outs?

We're months away from our next convention but we can't wait to keep practicing and improving on our cosplays and skills. If you liked what you saw please check out our Facebook page! Along with cosplays, we post other creations and progress on there. Thank you and good luck with your cosplay adventure!