It’s time once more for another cosplayer interview! This next one, shared from Cosplay Blog with a Brain, is an interview with Faerie Fingers! She’s a talented cosplayer from Washington, who also owns her own costuming business!

Faerie Fingers out of costume

What’s your cosplay alias and why did you choose it?
I don’t have an alias per se. During college, my anime club friends called me “Meldandy” because I like Ah! My Goddess so much. These days, some people recognize me by my business name, Faerie Fingers.

How many years have you been cosplaying and what got you started?
I started cosplaying in 1995, but I was making hall costumes for SciFi cons a couple years prior to that. My first anime costume was the result of a dare. My club dared me to make a Belldandy.

Faerie Fingers as Belldandy from Ah! My Goddess

What has been some of your favorite things to work with when constructing costumes and why?
I prefer working with higher quality fabrics, whenever possible. Such fabrics respond more predictably in the construction process, and wear better in the long term. I don’t like to build disposable costumes.

What are you excited to be working with in the future and why?
I look forward to exploring some of the thermal plastics and casting materials. I have avoided them in the past because of their expense, but they are becoming more readily available.

What are some of the traits you like to see in other costumes and who do you think does well in them?
Because I’m a professional clothing designer, I truly appreciate a costume that is well fitted and cleanly executed. It breaks my heart to see a rushed and sloppily made costume that doesn’t make the wearer look like a million bucks.

What is your view of the “cosplay scene”?
From what I can see on the internet and in magazines, cosplay is flourishing and the ingenuity and overall quality is climbing.

Faerie Fingers as Belldandy from Ah! My Goddess

What are some of the things you want to see change in the scene?
Admittedly, I’ve been a bit distant from the “scene” lately, but I hear stories of cosplayers being snobbish and negative to other cosplayers. I also hear tales about bad fan manners (unwanted glomping, rude comments, objectification, etc.) While some of that is to be expected, I would like to see folks be more supportive and positive. We could all stand to brush up on our social skills and remember Thumper’s rule: If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all!

What is some advice you could give people starting to get into cosplay?
Start out with a simpler costume for your first time out, something that fits your skills, your figure, and your personality. Plan carefully and remember to build in functionality (pockets, eating/drinking, restroom breaks).

What are some of your favorite conventions you’ve attended and why?
I’ve been to some anime conventions but my focus lately has been the SciFi cons, with their broader spectrum of subject matter. I enjoyed Anime Expo and the earlier Sakuracons. I attend Norwescon every year, where I’m regularly challenged and invigorated by professional costumers in the film and theatrical industries.

Give a random fact about one of your costumes that you’re proud of!
It’s a little known fact that my first professional costume, my Deedlit, won top honors at Anime Expo and forced them to change their rules.

Unknown as Deedlit from Record of Lodoss Wars, made by FaerieFingers

Thanks for the interview, Faerie Fingers! You can see more of her work at her website!

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!

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