We’re so excited to be running the Cosplay Masquerades at MegaCon Live Birmingham in just a few short weeks’! Now our entrants have submitted their applications, it’s time to announce our judges for the weekend. We’ll be introducing one judge a day and you can meet all of them right here.
Announcing our first judge for the Sunday Cosplay Masquerade: The Starlight Fairy.
The Starlight Fairy has been cosplaying for, in her words, “a really long time!” Her very first cosplay was Freya from Chobits. “I wore a dress I owned, and my friends quickly made a headset for me! After that, my mum helped a lot to make my second costume, Link from Legend of Zelda, since I’d never sewn a garment before.” Since then, collaboration has been an important part of cosplay for her. “Everyone has their own strengths and ways of doing things, and by sharing that we can all learn so much from each other. My cosplay friends and I are always sharing advice, swapping techniques, and bouncing ideas off each other.”
Her most recent cosplay is the beloved Barbie, but her favourite is Jester from Critical Role, which marked her first foray into face paint. “Taking my time with each part, from choosing the fabrics and trims to trying new things was so rewarding, and I feel great each time I wear her. I absolutely love the moment when I first put on the whole cosplay – make-up, wig, everything – and see myself as that character. I’m like “Woah, I made this? This is me?” Seeing everything together is always so rewarding – even if I forget I’m blue and scare myself in the mirror!”
Ever since starting to take part in competitions, Starlight has been searching for new techniques to elevate her work to the next level. She finds that each competition teaches her new things and helps her stay inspired and ambitious.
“I still get nervous before going on stage to this day, but hearing the audience cheering fights away those butterflies! I love talking to other entrants backstage and seeing all their amazing costumes up close. One of my favourite cosplay memories is being backstage at the European Cosplay Gathering (now the Extreme Cosplay Gathering), and everyone cheering their hearts out for one another as we all returned to the dressing room. The atmosphere in that room was full of love and admiration for one another; we all wanted everyone to give their best and have a great time on that stage.”
The best piece of advice Starlight can give to new cosplayers is con crunch is banned! “There’ll always be another time to wear a costume,” she says. “It’s not worth rushing something and getting stressed over it. You may not like the end result, and you’ll be super tired all con – I speak from experience!” It’s always tempting to rush out a costume, but she suggests that you take as much time on your work as you can. “Watch tutorial videos, get fabric samples, and practice techniques that work for you. You’ll end up with something you can be really proud of, and want to wear again and again.”
Her second best piece of advice? “Put pockets in your cosplay! It’s practical, and when people say they like your costume, they’ll like it even more when they find out it has pockets!”
