In May 2017 I was fortunate to meet Grace at London Comic Con. She was cosplaying Targaryen from Game of Thrones and it was awesome and I don’t even watch the show. The next day she cosplayed Selina Kyle aka Catwoman and really capture the character. I went on to see a photo of her cosplaying Nebula from Guardians of the Galaxy that same weekend but was unfortunate miss photographing that cosplay. Grace puts a lot of effort into her cosplay and is great at capturing the characters she cosplays and for that reason she is my Cosplay Spotlight for February. Keep reading to discover why she cosplays and how long it typically takes her to create her cosplays.
What got you into cosplaying?
I’d just gotten into Marvel and Star Wars and saw that there was going to be a convention in Glasgow in a few months. I thought this would be fun and I knew that people dressed up for these events so me and my friend spent weeks making our very first costumes, which were fem Thor and Loki. Looking back at them they weren’t the best but at the time we thought we looked awesome!
How long have you been cosplaying?
Since 2014 when I was 16 although as a kid I’d always been really into dressing up and Halloween has always been my favorite holiday.
Do you make your own cosplays or do you commission them?
It varies. Sometimes I’ll make most of my costume from scratch, such as my Daenerys Targaryen and Nebula cosplay. Other times I’ll buy the main part of the outfit like the Black Widow and Catwoman catsuits. I usually by the accessories such as shoes and jewelry and customize them.
How do you feel when people tell you they love your cosplay or when kids see you as a hero?
One of my favorite things about cosplay is when kids come up to you in complete awe and ask for a picture. One of my favorite moments was when I still had pink and blue in my hair from cosplaying Harley and a little girl approached me while I was shopping out of cosplay to ask me if I was the real Harley Quinn!
What is your favorite cosplay?
I’d say my Suicide Squad Harley Quinn is my favorite cosplay. I love the makeup and tattoos for the cosplay plus it’s also pretty comfy!
Do you have a cosplay pet peeve?
One of my biggest pet peeves is sniper photographers that creep up on you and another photographer while you’re shooting and take pictures without asking. Also when they take pictures of you while you’re not posing and off guard.
What are some of the places cosplay has taken you?
Late last year cosplay gave me the opportunity to travel down to Leicester to be a part of a Harley Quinn music video that was directed by The 86th Floor. We filmed in an old abandoned prison and I had the chance to work with 5 other amazing cosplayers to create something truly amazing.
If you could go anywhere in the world how to cosplay where would it be?
I’ve always said I’d love to go to SDCC. The skill level seen in the cosplay there is just jaw dropping and they always have amazing guests and panels.
How was your 1st convention?
Ha ha, well… It was MCM Scotland in 2014. I’d left finishing my cosplay so late (and by late I mean that I was sewing in the car on the way to the convention), that by the time we got there we must’ve only been in the building for about 2 hours. However I had so much fun and thought it was the best thing ever!
How have you improved since then?
I still leave everything until the last minute but my sewing and crafting skills have definitely improved.
What is the best part of cosplaying? (Designing, building or the actual con?)
My favorite thing about cosplay is meeting other people cosplaying characters from the same franchise at conventions and getting funny pictures together. I also like the process of getting ready in the morning and seeing the character come to life.
Do you think people should be familiar with the people they cosplay?
I think it definitely helps to know a little about your character and their background. It makes posing and photoshoots a lot easier when you can really gather the essence of the character.
How long does it typically take to make your cosplays?
I usually take about 4 months to complete a cosplay. I work quite slowly and usually end up cramming about half the work into the last month before the con.
When you cosplayed Targaryen you really captured the character blood and all. Is it important to you to study the character to get into the spirit of the character?
Ha ha thanks! Oh definitely! I watched that scene from Game of Thrones over and over again and did research into what they used on set to create the look of her eating a real heart. Turn out it was a gummy candy heart and I managed to find one online that I ordered and covered in fake blood.
What cosplays do you have planned for the future?
I don’t have any large scale projects currently planned as May MCM London is going to be my only convention this year but hopefully I’ll think of ideas soon!
From one black cat to another how excited are you for the Black Panther movie?
I am ridiculously excited for the Black Panther. He was fantastic in Civil War so I can’t wait to see more!
I was sooo mad I missed your Nebula cosplay, do you plan on doing that again in May? If not we are just gonna have to schedule a separate photo shoot.
I’m currently not planning on bringing Nebula to MCM (London temperatures in May and body paint don’t mix!) but hopefully I’ll bring something equally as awesome!
You can follow Grace at https://www.facebook.com/gracelesscosplay/ or on https://www.instagram.com/gracelesscosplay/
Here are some photos I have taken and other photographers of Graceless Cosplay.
The photographer for the Harley pic is Mark Rowe Photography, and the photographer for the Nebula photo is Simba Visuals.
