Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tessa Crownster. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Tessa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
During September of last year, my friends and I envisioned a photoshoot which would bring together cosplayers and photographers for common goal. The focus of the meetup was to create photos and videos that highlight a series of custom made special latex suits created by the Russian artist Andromeda Latex. These suits are the most accurate and realistic versions of the main character’s plugsuits from “Neon Genesis Evangelion”. This series heavily features the concept of characters having cloned versions of themselves, which meant we could all pose together and it would fit the show’s narrative. Many of the participants were internet friends who had yet to meet up in real life. Together, we came to form the “Reipocalypse” event, named after the main character “Rei” and the fact that we were in the midst of an “Apocalypse”.
We pooled our funds to rent out a house which would hold our equipment and act as a staging ground for the three day duration. Day one was planning out our schedules and the kind of photos we would take (and sharing gifts!). Day two saw us traveling to a studio in downtown LA which had previously hosted famous musicians. We arrived at the studio to find that the paint was still drying on the backdrop, causing a delay of several hours and complicating the shoot. In the end, we took hours of video and hundreds of photographs that we are still releasing to this day. Day three was a free day where people who had never visited LA could fulfill their touristic needs. We all discussed future projects, conventions, and even went shopping! We also visited one last studio for a few hours, capturing personal projects and sharing cosplay advice with one another.
Normally, cosplayers gather at massive conventions where we can socialize and show our latest work. This was a memorable event to me because no one has ever coordinated such a large meetup of Andromeda Latex suits. These suits are exactly identical to those in the source material, and each one takes hundreds of hours of skilled labor to create. Each one is custom tailored to a person’s measurement, so seeing 7 of them in one place all united in one cause was a memory I won’t soon forget.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am Tessa Crownster, an international cosplayer and costume designer. Although I was born in San Diego, I’ve lived in Europe most of my life. I started cosplaying in France at the age of 14, eventually moving to Italy and continuing to attend conventions and make connections around the world. Cosplay has always been a part of my life because I have always enjoyed scrapbooking, bead art, sculpting and painting. However, none of them felt very fulfilling. Cosplay allows me to combine all of my interests in a way that gives meaning and allows me to explore the application of other creative means. Every time I challenge myself with a new costume/character, I try to integrate a new technique into the process. Some of my favorite techniques include sewing, armor fabrication, Worbla and foam shaping, and more recently 3D printing. I am most proud of the fact that isn’t just limited to creative expression: It also is the reason I have been able to travel to so many places, meet amazing people, and learn about cultures all over the world.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I’ve encountered people that have told me they didn’t understand why I do what I do, and have told me that I should stop. There’s this perception that if you don’t have plans laid out to make money from your passion that you shouldn’t be doing it. I agree that making an income is important, but there’s so many parts of the creative process that grant valuable life experience and immaterial gains. The things that I get from cosplay can have far more value than cold hard cash ever could. Even though my main job isn’t cosplay, it’s still a major part of my life and who I am. Because of cosplay, I’ve actually been able to acquire skills that allow me to specialize in certain careers. My deep knowledge of culture and fluency in multiple languages (gained from traveling abroad for conventions) has led directly to my current job as a tutor of foreign language.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Since I have a passion for sewing and costume making I naturally pursued an education in fashion. However, I found myself very unhappy, like I didn’t fit in that environment. At first I couldn’t tell why I was so lost. I realized that the values and goals held by the aspiring fashion designers I was surrounded by did not align with my own. Looking around, all I could see was an emphasis on brand names and how people can market themselves for mass appeal. My own creative efforts were overshadowed by an urge to find ways to profit off of our designs. It felt like so much of the instruction and education focused on an aspect of fashion that I simply could not relate to. I even tried to pivot away from learning the commercial side and bury myself in the technical and fabrication side of things. Even still, I found there was no room to explore my ideas as I felt constrained by the standards held in that creative environment.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessa_crownster/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TessaTricksterCOSPLAY
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TessaCrownster
Image Credits
@samu.snap @adorables @bludreamsphoto @andromedalatex