PATCHWORK DABI

THE COSPLAY ZINE: ISSUE 23

THE COSPLAY: Dabi was a cosplay that I wanted to make because he is so aesthetically pleasing; his blue flames, his duster, and his emo boy demeanor. Dabi offered an opportunity for me to incorporate my signature patchwork style, not only to his costume, but to his skin grafts, as well.

The coat took the longest to craft. It’s made entirely of scraps that I sculpted around my mannequin. I started with the blue inner lining as homage to his blue flames. Next, I pieced the outside of the coat, which was all hand-stitched. Afterwards, I added spikes to the coat because I thought it would read more punk.

The end result of this cosplay is definitely one of my favorites. Overall, I feel the moodiness of the character really comes through.

BIO: I have a unique take on cosplay. I enjoy taking a character’s design and tweaking it to make it my own. I find that most character designs have a slightly boring feel to them when they are translated to the physical world; they tend to lose their charm and magic. I strive to make the costumes more interesting to the eye by adding more color in various ways. For instance, I may change the colors, add embellishments, or add accessories to change the mood of the costume to align it with my artistic sensibilities. I’m trying to establish a recognizable signature, as all artists do.

The patchwork style of my costumes is a representation of my thought process. When I was younger, I would go to craft shows with my mom and her friend where there would be quilting competitions. The quilts fascinated me, especially the way that some people could piece fabric together so that it looked like a painting. I would hear the phrase, “paint with fabric” all the time and it stuck with me. I seek to emulate this process in my costumes.

COSPLAY AND WORDS BY @PATCHWORK_COSPLAY
PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN BY BRIAN NISHIMOTO