Cosplay is the popular term used to describe “costume play” nowadays. It’s considered a performance art where individuals dress up as a specific character. Cosplayers’ favorite sources usually include anime, comic books, video games, cartoons and live-action films. You’ll typically see cosplayers at special conventions where numerous attendants will come dressed up in costumes. One particular cosplayer that has made a name for herself is Alyson Tabbitha. She’s mastered the art of sewing, producing, and makeup to become one of the most skillful cosplayers. In many of her cosplay photos, she looks like she’s literally jumped out of the TV screen or comic book. Don’t believe us? Take a look at some of her best costumes below.Alyson Tabbitha is so skilled in her cosplaying abilities that we believe there is no character that she can’t transform into. The makeup, the hair and the costume — Alyson has it down.
Alyson had an early start due to her mom being a professional character performer. Ever since she was a baby, her mother would create and dress her up in Halloween costumes.
It’s not a surprise that Alyson eventually began making her own costumes. It wasn’t until 2014 that she committed to cosplay professionally. Ever since, she’s made costumes that have been memorable at several conventions she attended.
Her cosplay is not limited to any category. She can transform herself into fictional movie characters like Edward Scissorhands or animated characters like those from Final Fantasy.
“I love dressing up any chance I get,” says Alyson. “So when I discovered conventions and other cosplayers that dress up as their favorite characters, I knew it was something I had to get into and right away! I’ve been crafting costumes for years now.”
Alyson has several cosplayers that she looks up to. Most of them are either her own personal friends or people who also share her passion for cosplaying and push to improve their costume-making skills.
When she’s in costume, she always feels like she’s cooler than she actually is. “But I’m still my normal awkward self just fangirling over all the other costumes.”
When asked to give advice to other costume-makers, Alyson said to never give up on a current project, no matter how difficult it may be to finish it. “It is so worth it in the end to finish the costume and be proud of it, and you learn what works and what doesn’t for the next one.”
Alyson’s very first costume was Captain Jack Sparrow from “Pirates of the Caribbean.” When she first watched the movie, she immediately became obsessed with the character.
Next to Captain Sparrow, Alyson’s favorite costume is her Lightning – Dark Knight armor, “as far as looks go.”
Alyson has improved her crafting skills greatly since her first costume. With all the experience she has now, she can assume what will and won’t work ahead of time, especially for more detailed cosplays.
The most difficult costume she ever made was her “Lightning Returns Equilibrium” garb. Because it was her first time making armor, it was completely out of her comfort zone. It took her over a month to finish it.
The biggest issue she’s ever encountered with making her costumes is figuring out how to put it all together while maintaining mobility.
Alyson usually cosplays with her friends and family but mostly her sister Madi. It’s easiest to cosplay with her sister because they like a lot of the same things. “I don’t think I’d spend my time making a costume of someone I wasn’t a huge fan of.”
Alyson’s favorite movies are “Howl’s Moving Castle,” “Harry Potter,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Hunger Games,” and “Lord of the Rings.” Her all time favorite movie is “Labyrinth.” In addition to the movies, her favorite anime is Attack on Titan.
Alyson has created a very big online presence along with a large following. She’s not only made a name for herself in cosplaying, but also generally on the Internet. On Instagram, alone, she has over 211,000 followers.
When Alyson looks through other cosplayers’ social media, she doesn’t care for how many followers they have or how long they’ve been cosplaying. “All I really care about is how passionate they are, and how much work and love they put into their creations. Many cosplayers are such amazing artists and I can’t believe some of the things I see them create!”
When asked what advice she would give to aspiring cosplayers, Alyson put in simple terms: “First off, cosplay is fun, and if you’re having fun there’s not much more to aspire to.”
If you’re a fan of hers, you can easily catch Alyson at any of the popular cosplay conventions. She’ll most likely be the one surrounded by fans asking for selfies.
