Secret Identities: VintageAerith
Scoop: First off, please introduce yourself!
VintageAerith: Hi there! My name is Lauren, otherwise known as VintageAerith online. I’m a 25 year-old woman from the Philadelphia area, and currently live in Maryland. I’m a graphic designer and illustrator for a digital media company, and I create a lot of pharmaceutical interactive apps and do medical illustrations! I have been a gamer and a nerd since I was a toddler – no, really, I have a picture of me at age three playing an MS-DOS computer game with my dad – and I have been cosplaying since 2008.
Scoop: What was your introduction cosplay, and what was it about cosplay that made you want to participate?
VintageAerith: When I was 14, I was very into the Lord of the Rings films. When bouncing around fan-run websites, I discovered there was a whole subculture where people used the same techniques they saw in the behind-the-scenes documentaries to create their own latex Hobbit ears, sew and distress their own clothes and cloaks, metal-cast their props, etc. I thought it was fascinating, because as a drama club member and an art-oriented person, I loved the creative and “theatrical” aspect of the whole thing. It took me until I was 19 to find the time and resources to finally try it myself, but it was definitely the throwback to getting to portray a character the same way you might onstage, that really attracted me to cosplay.
Scoop: What is your personal approach to your costumes? How do you choose what character to emulate? Do you tend to make your own outfits, or do you receive help?
VintageAerith: I make all my own costumes! A dear friend in college taught me how to use a sewing machine and helped me cover the basics of pattern-making when I was 19, and since then I have pursued it myself. I actually think hand-making costumes lends itself to some awesome social opportunities. I love having sewing parties with my friends! Everyone tends to “specialize” in something different: wigs, props, textile sewing, patterning, makeup, and so on, so it becomes a great co-learning experience. Even someone who’s been sewing for five years can learn something new from someone who has been sewing for only one!
When I first began cosplaying, it was almost as if I was in a mad dash to cover as many of my favorite games and animes as I could. I would often do about six costumes per convention, which, given how long it takes to become proficient at sewing when you’re self-taught, resulted in rather haphazard and sometimes fragile costume construction, and some seriously hectic convention schedules! However, I can say confidently that they were all characters I genuinely loved and wanted to represent, and the best part was that they often fit into big groups with my friends who liked the same series. These days, I have calmed down considerably and only make a few costumes per year, and I really strive to make them very crisp and well-constructed all around. I can be proud of what I’ve created, and I get the added bonus of getting to re-wear the costume as many times as I want, because it can withstand it! Plus, by making fewer costumes per year, I save some money, and I find room in my schedule for things I’m really excited about at the moment. Getting to cosplay from a game less than a month after beating it is a luxury I never afforded myself until now!
Scoop: What is one of your best and most memorable experiences in cosplay?
VintageAerith: Every experience I get to have with my friends, in cosplay, counts as memorable. I believe this wholeheartedly. On top of that, I’ve been very lucky to fulfill many “bucket list” opportunities during my experience cosplaying.
One year, I was asked to help perform in an exhibition skit at New York Comic Con in front of a huge audience–I always loved watching cosplay skits on YouTube, so getting to participate in one was so much fun. Another year, I was asked to wear one of my more widely-recognized costumes and act as my character on an “ask the cast” panel. The audience would raise their hands and could ask a question from any character sitting up front, and it was up to us to answer them in-character, as if the actual series had come to life, which was a great nostalgia bomb to my theatre days. This past year, I fulfilled a very small and silly cosplay dream by cosplaying a Disney Princess (Anna, from Frozen) to a convention, and a three-year-old girl came running at me from across the way to wrap me in the tightest hug – this kind of thing makes it all worth it, man!
Scoop: What is one of your worst?
VintageAerith: Cosplay, inherently, comes with drama. I think this is sort of inevitable, given that there’s a “competitive” aspect to it, and that feelings can be easily hurt when planning “group cosplays.” There was an incident one year, where, due to a combination of unfortunate circumstances, a friend of mine felt excluded from a cosplay get-together and I needed to do a lot of patching-up with them after the fact. Other than that, I’ve been very lucky to not be involved in a whole lot of “cosplay drama.” I think the most important thing that cosplayers need to remember is that friends will endure even after the costumes are off and the photos are posted, and to make sure you value them and appreciate them. A friend is more important than a hobby!
Scoop: What challenges or issues do you think cosplayers face most?
VintageAerith: I think the biggest challenge that cosplayers face, ultimately, is striking a healthy balance with the hobby. This means many things: prioritizing your health, maintaining your relationships with your friends, and keeping an eye on your finances and your real life priorities. It’s very easy for a cosplayer to fall into a mindset that their cosplay plans are all that matter, and disappointment and hurt feelings tend to follow. I see a lot of cosplayers run themselves into the ground, whether it’s because their skills don’t match their vision of how they wanted their costume to look, or because a friend suddenly dropped out of a complete group of a cast of characters, or because they can’t afford to do everything that would make them happy – or, worse, they spend the money on the costume instead of, say, their rent. When you take a step back and remember that you’re doing this for fun, it becomes a lot easier to deal with.
Scoop: What do you think cosplay adds to the overall convention experience?
VintageAerith: From the very first convention I attended, cosplaying has been, by far, the easiest way to make new friends. I think members of the nerd community sometimes have a hard time finding other people who like the same things, so when you see someone wearing a costume of your favorite character (or even better, a costume from the same series you’re dressed as), why not say hello? At my very first convention, I ended up spending most of my Saturday with a gaggle of ten strangers who were my friends by the end of the afternoon, just because we all were wearing costumes from Final Fantasy VII.
Scoop: Do you have any major costume or convention plans lined up in the near future?
VintageAerith: Next year, I’m planning to do a ton of cosplay from Kingdom Hearts with some of my closest friends. We’ve all loved the game series for more than a decade, and we decided it’s time to pay homage to the games we grew up with, as well as learn some new crafting skills. I’m also excited to get to make costumes from some other favorite game series, such as Ace Attorney, Journey, and Final Fantasy. I usually attend MAGFest, Katsucon, and AnimeUSA in Washington D.C. each year, but I also get equally excited about spending weekends doing photoshoots with friends at gorgeous locations!
Scoop: Anything else you’d like to add?
VintageAerith: Cosplay for yourself, and for good times with friends! There’s nothing better than putting on a costume you’re proud of, from a series you adore, and nothing beats that rush of excitement you get when you put it on–even if you’re just in front of your bedroom mirror before anybody else sees it. Cosplay to make yourself happy, and you will attract other like-minded people and this hobby will give you some of the best memories you’ll ever have.
You can find me on Facebook, American Cosplay Paradise, or on Tumblr.
Previous articles in this series:
Popular Topics
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Secret Identities: VintageAerith
Scoop: First off, please introduce yourself!
VintageAerith: Hi there! My name is Lauren, otherwise known as VintageAerith online. I’m a 25 year-old woman from the Philadelphia area, and currently live in Maryland. I’m a graphic designer and illustrator for a digital media company, and I create a lot of pharmaceutical interactive apps and do medical illustrations! I have been a gamer and a nerd since I was a toddler – no, really, I have a picture of me at age three playing an MS-DOS computer game with my dad – and I have been cosplaying since 2008.
Scoop: What was your introduction cosplay, and what was it about cosplay that made you want to participate?
VintageAerith: When I was 14, I was very into the Lord of the Rings films. When bouncing around fan-run websites, I discovered there was a whole subculture where people used the same techniques they saw in the behind-the-scenes documentaries to create their own latex Hobbit ears, sew and distress their own clothes and cloaks, metal-cast their props, etc. I thought it was fascinating, because as a drama club member and an art-oriented person, I loved the creative and “theatrical” aspect of the whole thing. It took me until I was 19 to find the time and resources to finally try it myself, but it was definitely the throwback to getting to portray a character the same way you might onstage, that really attracted me to cosplay.
Scoop: What is your personal approach to your costumes? How do you choose what character to emulate? Do you tend to make your own outfits, or do you receive help?
VintageAerith: I make all my own costumes! A dear friend in college taught me how to use a sewing machine and helped me cover the basics of pattern-making when I was 19, and since then I have pursued it myself. I actually think hand-making costumes lends itself to some awesome social opportunities. I love having sewing parties with my friends! Everyone tends to “specialize” in something different: wigs, props, textile sewing, patterning, makeup, and so on, so it becomes a great co-learning experience. Even someone who’s been sewing for five years can learn something new from someone who has been sewing for only one!
When I first began cosplaying, it was almost as if I was in a mad dash to cover as many of my favorite games and animes as I could. I would often do about six costumes per convention, which, given how long it takes to become proficient at sewing when you’re self-taught, resulted in rather haphazard and sometimes fragile costume construction, and some seriously hectic convention schedules! However, I can say confidently that they were all characters I genuinely loved and wanted to represent, and the best part was that they often fit into big groups with my friends who liked the same series. These days, I have calmed down considerably and only make a few costumes per year, and I really strive to make them very crisp and well-constructed all around. I can be proud of what I’ve created, and I get the added bonus of getting to re-wear the costume as many times as I want, because it can withstand it! Plus, by making fewer costumes per year, I save some money, and I find room in my schedule for things I’m really excited about at the moment. Getting to cosplay from a game less than a month after beating it is a luxury I never afforded myself until now!
Scoop: What is one of your best and most memorable experiences in cosplay?
VintageAerith: Every experience I get to have with my friends, in cosplay, counts as memorable. I believe this wholeheartedly. On top of that, I’ve been very lucky to fulfill many “bucket list” opportunities during my experience cosplaying.
One year, I was asked to help perform in an exhibition skit at New York Comic Con in front of a huge audience–I always loved watching cosplay skits on YouTube, so getting to participate in one was so much fun. Another year, I was asked to wear one of my more widely-recognized costumes and act as my character on an “ask the cast” panel. The audience would raise their hands and could ask a question from any character sitting up front, and it was up to us to answer them in-character, as if the actual series had come to life, which was a great nostalgia bomb to my theatre days. This past year, I fulfilled a very small and silly cosplay dream by cosplaying a Disney Princess (Anna, from Frozen) to a convention, and a three-year-old girl came running at me from across the way to wrap me in the tightest hug – this kind of thing makes it all worth it, man!
Scoop: What is one of your worst?
VintageAerith: Cosplay, inherently, comes with drama. I think this is sort of inevitable, given that there’s a “competitive” aspect to it, and that feelings can be easily hurt when planning “group cosplays.” There was an incident one year, where, due to a combination of unfortunate circumstances, a friend of mine felt excluded from a cosplay get-together and I needed to do a lot of patching-up with them after the fact. Other than that, I’ve been very lucky to not be involved in a whole lot of “cosplay drama.” I think the most important thing that cosplayers need to remember is that friends will endure even after the costumes are off and the photos are posted, and to make sure you value them and appreciate them. A friend is more important than a hobby!
Scoop: What challenges or issues do you think cosplayers face most?
VintageAerith: I think the biggest challenge that cosplayers face, ultimately, is striking a healthy balance with the hobby. This means many things: prioritizing your health, maintaining your relationships with your friends, and keeping an eye on your finances and your real life priorities. It’s very easy for a cosplayer to fall into a mindset that their cosplay plans are all that matter, and disappointment and hurt feelings tend to follow. I see a lot of cosplayers run themselves into the ground, whether it’s because their skills don’t match their vision of how they wanted their costume to look, or because a friend suddenly dropped out of a complete group of a cast of characters, or because they can’t afford to do everything that would make them happy – or, worse, they spend the money on the costume instead of, say, their rent. When you take a step back and remember that you’re doing this for fun, it becomes a lot easier to deal with.
Scoop: What do you think cosplay adds to the overall convention experience?
VintageAerith: From the very first convention I attended, cosplaying has been, by far, the easiest way to make new friends. I think members of the nerd community sometimes have a hard time finding other people who like the same things, so when you see someone wearing a costume of your favorite character (or even better, a costume from the same series you’re dressed as), why not say hello? At my very first convention, I ended up spending most of my Saturday with a gaggle of ten strangers who were my friends by the end of the afternoon, just because we all were wearing costumes from Final Fantasy VII.
Scoop: Do you have any major costume or convention plans lined up in the near future?
VintageAerith: Next year, I’m planning to do a ton of cosplay from Kingdom Hearts with some of my closest friends. We’ve all loved the game series for more than a decade, and we decided it’s time to pay homage to the games we grew up with, as well as learn some new crafting skills. I’m also excited to get to make costumes from some other favorite game series, such as Ace Attorney, Journey, and Final Fantasy. I usually attend MAGFest, Katsucon, and AnimeUSA in Washington D.C. each year, but I also get equally excited about spending weekends doing photoshoots with friends at gorgeous locations!
Scoop: Anything else you’d like to add?
VintageAerith: Cosplay for yourself, and for good times with friends! There’s nothing better than putting on a costume you’re proud of, from a series you adore, and nothing beats that rush of excitement you get when you put it on–even if you’re just in front of your bedroom mirror before anybody else sees it. Cosplay to make yourself happy, and you will attract other like-minded people and this hobby will give you some of the best memories you’ll ever have.
You can find me on Facebook, American Cosplay Paradise, or on Tumblr.
Previous articles in this series:
Popular Topics
Overstreet Access Quick Links
