October 10, 2012

This photo was taken in the heart of downtown Dallas, TX, during Anime Fest 2012. We stumbled upon the Dallas Bar Association Mansion, and realized it would fit perfectly for the Elegant Gothic Lolita style of the outfit.

I made the dress, neck ruffle and thigh-high ruffles out of an irridescent taffeta I found on clearance. I was dead-set on using irridescent taffeta for the nice shimmer and two-tone effect. The dress was a mish-mash of a princess seamed bodice, puff sleeves and a circle skirt, with all the ruffles gathered and sewn on. I painted the shoes to match with floral spray paint.

The most difficult part of the costume was getting the bodice to fit correctly. I ended up having to take in the seams and modify the fit 3 times. It was challenging since the taffeta didn't have any stretch or give whatsoever, so the fit heavily relied on shaping the seams just right to my measurements.

One of the reasons why I wanted to make this costume was because Asuka is such a bold, brazen character. She's so different from the characters I normally cosplay, and the complete opposite of my own personality. I really wanted the challenge of portraying such a feisty character. Asuka's backstory really got under my skin, too.

I've only worn this costume to one convention so far, that being Anime Fest 2012, a convention local to me in Dallas, TX. I'm not sure how many people actually realized I was cosplaying Asuka (since this outfit is only from an illustration and figure), but I got a lot of compliments on the outfit itself.

I've been cosplaying and making costumes since 2004. Anime Festival Orlando (AFO) was my first convention, and cosplaying took off like wildfire from there on out. I knew I wanted to get into cosplay as soon as I started getting into Anime and Manga, since the characters' personalities and designs really appealed to me, and I wanted to dress up as my favorites. I have won awards, ranging from honorable mentions/judges awards to Best Character Likeness, Best Craftsmanship, and Best in Show.

Cosplayer: Melfina

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