Today we’d like to introduce you to Rowan.
Hi Rowan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I first got interested in anime conventions and cosplay (costume + play – dressing as characters from anime, games, books, and more) in the 2000s, when I was in high school. I went to A-Kon and Realms Con, wearing costumes I’d made by thrifting and getting my boyfriend at the time to sew for me. It was an amazing experience, but life took me other directions for a while.
Cut forward a decade, and I’m back to going to conventions after graduating college with my spouse (different person than above), dragging them into cosplay with me. I started making my own costumes first by modifying things I bought, then slowly teaching myself how to sew and make costume props. Over the years, we also started competing in cosplay contests and currently compete at the intermediate level.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not! Teaching yourself any skill is difficult, so it gets even trickier when you’re teaching yourself several skills simultaneously. A single costume might require new sewing techniques or fabrics I’ve never worked with, materials or techniques for props I’ve never used, and often there’s a deadline looming over all of this. There have been meltdowns and scrapped ideas or even entire props – shout out to the scythe I had to leave out at the dumpster because it didn’t fit in my car, but I forgot to check that until I finished making it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a cosplayer – someone who makes or wears costumes based on existing media. Propmaking is what I love most, it’s a fun puzzle deciding how a particular item can be recreated in the real world, with weapons being my favorite within that. I don’t know if I’m known for anything in particular, but I try to make sure my costumes feel lived-in, that everything is scaled to the right proportions. I also enjoy sharing what I’ve learned, and teaching others, so I hope eventually I can be someone that people consider a resource for some topics in cosplay crafting.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
What keeps me going as a cosplayer is the excitement – of learning something new, of a gamble going right, of a costume coming together, and someone recognizing it at a convention. It’s so important to remember that excitement when things aren’t going right and the gamble doesn’t pay off and you have to start over on something, or you sew a sleeve in backwards and upside down *again*.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firespunalchemy/
