FASHIONING PLAY:
Cosplay, Costume & Recreation

Most scholarship on cosplay starts with a definition of the word (costume+play) and how it was coined by Nobu Takahasi in the 1980s, followed by a question as to whether or not the hobby is something Japanese, something made in America, or a little bit of both. It will focus on the cosplay practitioners, asking what they are seeking to escape from in their everyday lives, before adding a few noxious comparisons to Lolita and other Japanese street fashions.

One glaring absence though, is a discussion of the costumes made and worn by costume practitioners at anime and popular cultural events, meet ups, online chatrooms, and photoshoots.

Unlike costumes worn on stage and screen, a successful cosplay costume needs to be able to convey character and accuracy at first glance. The didactic character information and backstory revealed through words and pictures, must be done so through fabric and embellishment choices. These are then are displayed on a body that might be bound, tucked, plucked, and padded; an altered body for an altered reality.

This exhibition presents costumes made from 2007-2017 by one Australian cosplayer, who, after various twists and turns, has also become an MC, event organiser, cosplay judge, Australian national cosplay champion (MNCC 2016), and publishing academic.