It’s time once more for another cosplayer interview! This next one, shared from Cosplay Blog with a Brain, is an interview with Kasea V.P.! She’s a cosplayer currently in Hawaii, who has made it her duty to remind people geek girls are hot!

Kasea V.P. as Lilith from Darkstalkers, photo by Baron Karza

What’s your cosplay alias and why did you choose it?
My cosplay alias is Kasea Vp– there’s a pretty funny story behind the name, actually. I remember at the time my sister went by the alias of M-Z, well, I wanted a two letter nickname too. So, my sister and I began going through different letters that sounded good together–I know this sounds ridiculous, but it was actually quite entertaining. I added in my first name and I settled on V.P. and it’s been that way since we first started cosplaying in 2005. V.P. does stand for something, but that has to remain a secret, otherwise I’m going to be publicly humiliated.

How many years have you been cosplaying and what got you started?
Well, my sister and I actually used to go to a lot of renaissance faires and Lord of the Ring conventions, but there weren’t a ton of costumes to choose from. So one day, I come home from school and my sister had suggested we look into cosplaying more comic and anime characters and I thought it was an amazing idea. We both grew up on comics, videogames, and we always loved to dress up– the passion was definitely there. Our first real convention was DragonCon in 2005, so I’ve been cosplaying for almost 6 years now.

Kasea V.P. as Fang from Final Fantasy XIII, photo by Eurobeat King

What has been some of your favorite things to work with when constructing costumes and why?
Something I always use, my hot glue gun, I seriously could not live without it. It’s easy to use, but it also gets things done quickly and efficiently. Also, I love my mannequin; I really couldn’t do most of my work without it.

What are you excited to be working with in the future and why?
I’m very excited to work on more wings. I’m making my first pair at this time and they’re absolutely HUGE. They’re almost as tall as me (5’0ft. tall)! I’d also enjoy learning more about making corsets, it looks pretty tricky, but everyone says it’s easy. We’ll just have to see about that!

What are some of the traits you like to see in other costumes and who do you think does well in them?
When I look at other costumes, I don’t necessarily just look at the accuracy, but I look at the person cosplaying, and ask are they comfortable in their outfit? Are they confident in what they’re wearing? To me, that’s far more important. If they’re happy, smiling and feel like they’re on top of the world, more power to them, I really respect that. As for who does it well, there are so many cosplayers I admire that I can’t just pin-point it on one person.

What is your view of the “cosplay scene”?
The “cosplay scene” has grown so much, even in just the six years I’ve been cosplaying. It’s a huge and positive deal and I’m so proud to be a part of it. There are a lot of awesome fellow cosplayers, photographers and videographers within the cosplay world. Cosplay overall, has opened a lot of doors for me.

What are some of the things you want to see change in the scene?
Well, from my own experience…a lot less trolling and photo stealing. That would be so awesome, hahaha!

Kasea V.P. as Domino from X-Men, photo by Darkain

What is some advice you could give people starting to get into cosplay?
When you do start cosplaying, just don’t be afraid to try something new and different. It’s completely fine to add your own style to each cosplay, that’s what makes it so special and unique.

What are some of your favorite conventions you’ve attended and why?
Some of my favorite conventions… hands down my favorite is DragonCon. It literally has everything you look for in a con, as there are game rooms, celebrities, tons of cosplayers, different panels and lots of parties to attend. It’s not really a “family” convention, but if you’re 21+, go for it! I also really enjoy SakuraCon, since it is a very family-friendly convention and a great time to catch up with friends. The atmosphere is very relaxing and the convention center is absolutely gorgeous; great for taking cosplay photos and such. My last favorite convention is San Diego Comic Con, as last year (2010) I was able to work at a booth and it was such a blast. It’s very crowded, yes, but it is an awesome convention. There are lots of people who come from all over the world, like actors/actresses, writers, artists, cosplay celebrities and the big wigs in the gaming industry. There’s a lot to see and do; there was never a dull moment!

Give a random fact about one of your costumes that you’re proud of!
Hehehe, I’m still very proud of all my cosplays, but I gotta say– I’m very proud of my Dirty Pair cosplay; I was Yuri. Absolutely everything was hand sewn, mind you this was two layers of stretch vinyl. Sure the outfit may look small, but it was a lot of work! I put a lot of blood and tears into the outfit!

Kasea V.P. as Yuri from Dirty Pair, photo by Eurobeat King

Thanks for the interview, Kasea V.P.!

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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