Our latest SMC Interview features Canadian cosplayer / cat lover Lossien. Read all about her cosplaying adventures from when she got started in the community, to who which cosplayers she really admires and what tips she has for cosplayers who are just starting out in the community. Enjoy!

Location: Toronto
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Interview:

SMC: Why did you start cosplaying?
Lossien: When I was in high school, I was in an Anime Club. We decided to take a trip to a local-ish convention (this was when conventions were few and far between!), and once I found out that people dressed up, I couldn’t resist! I cut my hair, (wigs weren’t a thing either at the time), bought some clothes from a second hand store, and dressed as Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service. I had an absolute blast, and I realized that I really like the challenge of taking a character to real life from their different medias.

SMC: What was the first convention you attended in cosplay?
Lossien: Anime North 2003 was when I started cosplaying on my own. Technically, I was a Klingon at Toronto Trek 1992 (or there abouts), but that was because my parents dressed myself and my sisters up and took us to a convention. It made it much easier to convince them to let me go!

SMC: What has been your most memorable convention moment?
Lossien: I have met so many of my good friends through conventions and cosplay, but the best moment was at a cosplay event, more than a decade ago, when I met my husband.
My sister and I arranged a large get together for everyone in different anime clubs in the city to dress up (if they wished), and see the Death Note movie. I crossplayed as L, and was talking to my sister about this person we were supposed to meet (as his friends from out of town told us he was coming) when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned, said hi, then turned immediately back to my sister to ask when this guy was showing up, not knowing it was he who had tapped me on the shoulder!
We became friends, started dating a year later, and now we’ve been married for 7 years. So that is probably the best memory I’ll ever have of cosplaying, followed closely by the couple cosplays we have done together (Wicked Lady and Tuxedo Mask, Earthworm Jim and Princess What’s Her Name, etc.).

SMC: What is your favorite thing about cosplaying at a convention?
Lossien: No lie, I like attention, ahaha. I like showing off all of my hard work, and I love talking with other cosplayers about how they did something, and how I did it, and comparing and learning from each other. There are so many different ways to do things, and a lot of people think up things that I would never have even guessed at.

SMC: Where can fans expect to see you next? (2018/19 Schedule?)
Lossien: I’m heading to Fan Expo in Toronto, Aug 30-Sept 2. Most of my summer conventions are done.

SMC: What cosplayers inspire you?
Lossien: PureLight Cosplay (Instagram) – my best friend and hands down one of the best people I know. She is amazingly talented, amazingly nice, and constantly pushes herself. She works in almost any medium – she’s done spandex, armour, ball gowns, and extreme tailoring and detailing. We have a lot in common, and working on cosplays with her is probably when I do my most inspired work. She keeps me going, and I wouldn’t be the same without her support and love.
Vickybunnyangel cosplay (Instagram) – A wonderful and nice cosplayer. She knows everything – or, at least, that’s what I feel like. She’d probably be the first to say she doesn’t, as she’s constantly trying new things and pushing herself. Watching her work with new materials is very inspiring.
Kamui Cosplay (Instagram) – Her armour is just insane! I have her cosplay books, and they’ve helped me feel more confident in my prop making. She takes the time to explore different ways to create, and share that knowledge with others. She also just seems like a really cool person. Her dogs definitely help, haha.

SMC: Which is your favorite cosplay you’ve created?
Lossien: This is the hardest one, so I’ll have to pick my top 3! 1st is my Arkham City Harley Quinn. I made it out of real leather, and spent so much time on it and tweaking it. I am so happy with the design, and it’s one of the only costumes that I wouldn’t change anything about. The second would be SpiderGwen. She was a LOT of work (over 250 fabric pieces in the hood alone), and the most complicated spandex suit I have ever made. And third? Wonder Woman or Elsa. Getting to be a Super Hero or Disney Princess, and seeing kid’s reactions is one of the best feelings in the world, and I love how the costumes turned out. (Oops, I guess that was 4…)

SMC: What cosplay are you best known for?
Lossien: I’m never quite sure on that! I would think either Harley Quinn or D.Va, but I know quite a few people who would say Jessica Rabbit or Scarlet Witch.

SMC: If money was no object what would be your dream cosplay creation?
Lossien: Asuka’s plugsuit, in both PVC and Latex. Latex is a fabric that I don’t have a lot of experience with, so it would take a lot of trial and error, but it’s my dream costume, and has been for over a decade.

SMC: Do you have any new cosplays currently in the works?
Lossien: Always! I’m working on completing a few D.Va costumes (Black Cat, Police, and Original), as well as Poison Ivy, Marvel’s Black Cat, Sheik, and Yoko Littner. There’s a bunch more on my list, but it depends on how I can balance it with work.

SMC: What are your cosplay strengths? (Tailoring, fabric painting, worbla armor, in-character performance etc.)
Lossien: 100% sewing. I’m pushing myself and trying more elaborate wigs, and I hope to take on an armour costume soon, but my wheelhouse is sewing. Specifically spandex and PVC, with a focus on tailoring.

SMC: What’s one thing you wish you knew about cosplaying before you got started?
Lossien: The characters really don’t need to be 100% accurate to enjoy yourself and have a good time at events. When I started, I stressed constantly about creating the most accurate, and then getting frustrated when my skills weren’t there. Now, I enjoy it, and have the skills to challenge myself on balancing accuracy and real world limitations. I love seeing how people take characters to real life (especially ones I’m scared to attempt!).

SMC: Any advice for people interested in cosplaying for the first time?
Lossien: TAKE YOUR TIME! Breathe. Give yourself 500% more time than you think it will take – I still run into that issue. Keep breathing. At the end of the day, the skills will come with practice. The main thing is let yourself have fun.

SMC: What do you do in the real world for a job? (Be specific as you like)
Lossien: I work in television and film, in the costume department. I was recently working on The Handmaid’s Tale, as the Back Ground Costume Coordinator. That basically means that I was responsible for dressing everyone who was an extra (not cast, didn’t speak, and not stunts). It was an amazing experience, and I was fortunate enough to work with the amazing designer Ane Crabtree. She was absolutely inspiring to work with, and I find myself taking things I learned from her into every aspect of my life, including cosplay.

SMC: What is something your fans may not know about you? Other hobbies?
Lossien: Something fans may not know is… I played Rugby in high school. I also played soccer for a bit. It’s hard to imagine now, as I am insanely accident prone and breakable, but there was a time before! I don’t have much time for hobbies, between work and cosplay and trying to keep my life in balance as well. Also maybe that I’m left handed?

SMC: What part of “geekdom” is you favorite avenue of entertainment (i.e. comics, movies, video games, anime, etc?).
Lossien: It… is cosplay, haha. I actually pick a lot of my characters based on the costume and character design, and then get into the source (anime, game, etc) because of the character designs.

SMC: Any favorite TV shows, movies or cartoons?
Lossien: I always get into whichever show I’m currently working on, but between contracts I try to catch up on popular things. I’m really into Boku No Hero Academia, Card Captor Sakrua: The Clear Card, and Brooklyn 99 right now. Miraculous Ladybug is definitely also on that list~!

SMC: What is your gaming system of choice?
Lossien: PC, though it used to be Nintendo. I still love the Mario Party games for parties!

SMC: What are you currently playing / upcoming video game releases?
Lossien: I’m still playing (and loving) Overwatch! The only other game I really play is Stardew Valley, though I’m a little late to that party, and occasionally I’ll play Age of Empires or Civilization with friends.

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