It’s time once more for another cosplayer interview! This next one, shared from Cosplay Blog with a Brain, is an interview with Aloria! She’s a wonderful gal from Washington, who likes seeing characters brought to life through cosplay!

Aloria out of costume

What’s your cosplay alias and why did you choose it?
Aloria, because I couldn’t figure a name out. I had a friend say why not take the first letters of you favorite anime characters and than make a name out of that.

How many years have you been cosplaying and what got you started?
I have being cosplaying for six years and I started when I first went to my first anime convention, which was Sakura Con 2006.

Aloria as Hinata from Naruto, photo by Cheryl

What has been some of your favorite things to work with when constructing costumes and why?
I like looking at characters I like and think would work for me, though I also like when others help me decide which anime character would be the best. I love working with other people who can sew and being there through the construction to the end. I love watching my cosplay come to life in the way I want it to and then wearing it to con.

What are you excited to be working with in the future and why?
I would like to continue working with other cosplayers and learning new tips on how to make costumes.

What are some of the traits you like to see in other costumes and who do you think does well in them?
I would like people making the costume they’re acting out to come alive like they are the real character. I have seen a lot of different characters and different people doing the same characters. I have seen two people, who do Link characters, one being Time Link by Loz Link, and the other being Gold Link by Erik. There’s one other who has done a lot of different characters, which I can name them all. These people bring out the real characters’ personality and act like them.

What is your view of the “cosplay scene”?
I think the cosplay scene is a great time to see the different cosplays that people made and I think it is a way to open up and show your true self. I think at times they are some bad things that have come from cosplay, but overall I think it does great things for people to hang out with others who understand and love the same things as they do. I think some people can be mean to others because they think they’re bad because they made something wrong.

What are some of the things you want to see change in the scene?
I would like people to be nice at anime conventions when they see someone in a cosplay that they made, but doesn’t look as good as other cosplayers’ outfits. I would also like to see others not being rude to other people by calling them bad names or gross names.

Aloria as Tomoyo from Tsubasa, photo by Shawn Murphy

What is some advice you could give people starting to get into cosplay?
I would to see new cosplayers look into how hard you want to work on a cosplay outfit, plus make a budget on how much you want to spend on it. I would tell them to find other people who are already cosplayers and to have them help you figure out how to make your costume and act it out.

What are some of your favorite conventions you’ve attended and why?
I have only gone to three conventions and my favorite one is Sakura Con, which is the biggest convention here in Seattle, WA. I have met a lot of different people at this convention than the other two and I have been a staff member twice, and I will be a staff member next year. I have going to this one since 2006 and I have only missed it twice, which was 2009 and this year because of problems with other things going on at the same time. I like the guests they have, the bands, the artist alley and the dealer’s room are great, plus they have a lot of different activities for all different people. I have gone to Aki Con since it started in 2008 when it was in Everett, WA for the first two years and the last 3 years it has been at Bellevue, WA. I went to Kumoricon only in 2008 and I had four other people go with me to Portland, OR. This one was different than the other ones I have gone to because it was smaller than even Aki Con but I still had a good time.

Give a random fact about one of your costumes that you’re proud of!
My favorite cosplay I am proud of is my Revolutionary Girl Utena in her Rose Bride because it’s my first cosplay that I had made by Loz Link’s sister who did a great job on it. I had never seen the series, but I love the outfit so I had to have it made, which this was the only one that I have gotten a professional photographer take a picture of me. It has a military look on the sleeves.

Aloria as Rose Bride Utena from Shoujo Kakumei Utena, photo by Cosplay Photos

Thanks for the interview, Aloria! Hope to see you at a convention soon!

Koi

A cosplayer for over a decade now, Yunie is a giant nerd who still pretends she’s cool. She runs several sites on her own, including Engi no Shouzoku! Cosplay, Cosplay Blog with a Brain, and her store, Yunie’s Designs. An avid fan of fellow nerds, Yunie loves attending conventions and dorking around in costumes with all types. Oh, and if there’s shenanigans, even better!

More Posts - Website

Follow Me: