Sunday 25th May 2008: V for Vendetta

Sunday 25th May 2008

For my birthday this year, my mum and dad bought me a V for Vendetta mask. 

I didn't go all out on this costume so I just wore all black, my mask and a cape. When we got to EXPO there were 2 other Vs!

Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of myself which is a shame. I did end up getting lots of Sophie though!

Mike making fun of Roxana
drying her hair

Sophie and Roxana

Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Chibi Moon

Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter

Saturday 20th October 2007: Gothic Lolita Dress

Saturday 20th October 2007

This EXPO I dressed in my Gothic Lolita dress that I bought back at the May 2007 EXPO.

This was the first EXPO to be attended by my boyfriend Mike. At the time, we'd been going out for just over 2 months. While I'm writing this (28.8.2012) we've been together for 5 years now (and living together).

We were joined by Sophie again and a new addition to the crew in my friend Roxana. Roxana and I have been best friends for years. We went to infant, primary and secondary school together. We stopped talking for a few years in secondary school while we were in different classes, but we got back in touch and since this EXPO, we've gone to all our EXPOs together. 

Mike got to meet some Stormtroopers

Sophie dressed as Sailor Jupiter. She bought her costume on Ebay from a seller in China. It came out pretty good, I wish I could have got a Sailor Moon one!

We had a good EXPO this year. Mike got to meet some Stormtroopers, and I managed to get hold of some Sailor Moon merchandise! Which made me very happy! I got a hat and a plaque about Usagi and Sophie came away with a Sailor Jupiter keychain.

To top off our day we all got to meet Marina Sirtis! Mike got her signature and I got to geek out over the fact I'd seen Councillor Diana Troy from Star Trek NG! :D

Marina Sirtis signing Mike's photo

Mike drooling over his signature! 

Me with my Sailor Moon merchandise

Sophie with her Sailor Jupiter keychain

Me trying on Sophie's Sailor Jupiter headband

Sunday 27th May 2007 - Tuxedo Kamen from Sailor Moon

Sunday 27th May 2007

My very brief time on the EXPO stage!

My dad looking very bored

So for my second trip to EXPO, my parents agreed to come with us, although after the day they vowed never to go again! It's definitely not their thing! :P

This time Tasha didn't come with us, but Sophie caught the EXPO fever after the first time. We also had a new addition to our EXPO crew called Lauren who was Sophie's friend. 

I dressed up as Tuxedo Kamen from Sailor Moon. I had short hair at the time, so I thought I could get away with being a male character. I already had a cape and the gloves from other dress ups I'd done and I just wore my school uniform and bought a hat and mask. 

Me and Chibi Moon

While I was there I found a gothic lolita dress for £60. I couldn't try it on, and it was a lot of money but I just went for it! When I got home, I tried it on and it was the perfect fit! I was sooo happy :)

I went on the EXPO stage in my costume. I wasn't expecting to win or anything, but it was my first time on stage and it was a lot of fun. I got into some really great conversations behind the stage and saw some amazing costumes. It felt like I was on the stage for ages, and I was trying to take my time. It turns out all that was in my head and I was on and off stage within 12 seconds. I know this because we filmed it and I shot on and off stage so quick! At least I learnt from that mistake!

I don't remember much from the day. I do remember finding someone who was dressed up as Sailor Chibi Moon. She ran up to me and called me 'daddy', which has become a good EXPO story to tell.

Me, Lauren and Sophie

My mum on the Simpson's couch

Sophie getting 'intimate' with a Fantastic Four poster on
the train journey home!

Saturday 27th October 2006: Freya from Chobits

Saturday 27th October 2006

I was 14 when I first found out about the London EXPO. I was talking to a girl on YouTube whose anime AMVS I used to watch. I really wanted to go, but my mum said there was no way I was going to London on my own at that age. She couldn't go with me and I can't remember why, but she said if I went with friends and their parent(s) came along too then I would be allowed to go.

So I asked around all my friends, but there was no one really who was into anime, conventions or dressing up. Eventually my friends Sophie and Tasha decided to come with me and Tasha's dad took us in his car.

The day was great and for years after it was still always considered the best EXPO we'd been to. The atmosphere of that first EXPO has always stuck with me, and that's why I continue to go!

So from this first EXPO my love of cosplay was born. I'd always liked dressing up but now I had a real reason to design, make, buy and create costumes to wear for an event with like-minded people.

The character I decided to dress up as for my first EXPO was called Freya from the anime Chobits. I had just got back into anime a few months before EXPO. I used to watch the English dubs on Sailor Moon and Digimon when I was a kid. When I was in my art class at school in 2006, the teacher wanted us to practice cartoon style and manga artwork. She showed us a selection of pictures, one of which was Princess Jupiter from Sailor Moon. It brought back memories from when I watched it as a child, so when I got home that night, I went straight to YouTube and started watching Sailor Moon again, but this time in Japanese. So after that day, anime was added to the things I loved.

After watching Sailor Moon I started watching Chobits, and then after discovering EXPO, I decided to dress up like Freya.

I bought a dress from Ebay. I bought a headband and gloves from Claire's Accessories and baby socks from Mothercare which I sewed onto the headband and then I coloured in with felt tips. To finish off the outfit I bought knee high boots from Tescos. Looking back, the outfit was maybe a bit risque for a 14 year old to wear, but I looked good and it was fun. I did end up getting a lot of looks from men while I was at EXPO, which was fun, but at the same time kind of creepy! 

Unfortunately, I didn't get any photographs of myself from the day. I didn't have a camera at the time, and Tasha had her dad's so she took a few, but I believe she lost the card or the camera broke or something like that a few weeks after we'd gone. I wish I had at least one photo from that day as I'm not sure if I'm remembering the details of the outfit much anymore.

So if anyone by any chance reads this post and took a photo of a Freya at the London MCM EXPO on Saturday 28th October 2006, I would be so happy if you could send it my way!