Sweden 🇸🇪
Will Dreamer (solo): Hello! I´m Will Dreamer and will soon be 30 years old. I´m a Dressmaker Tailor and work in theatre costuming. I´ve been cosplaying since 2013 and it is still my favorite creative outlet. Even though I´m quite shy, I love to share this hobby with others and I look forward to make many new friends in Spain <3
Amenoo (duo): Hejsan! I am Amenoo and I am 31 years old! I started cosplaying back in 2010 (so long ago!!) and have been caught up in this hobby ever since! For my daytime job, I work as a tailor for theatre, which I started because of cosplay.
I have represented Sweden several time in international competitions before, and I am ready to do my community proud in Spain ❤️
Grimalkin (duo): And I am Elvina, also going by Grimalkin, and going strong with 30 years on my life counter! I also started cosplaying in 2010, which have been such a fantastic journey seeing cosplay evolve into what it is today. During the day I work as a retail manager for a boardgame store, where I get to indulge in nerdy hobbies as well! This is my first time ever in the ICL and I am so excited to grace the stage with so many amazing cosplayers and creators and hope to leave a smile on your face with what we do <3
How did you discover cosplay and what made you start in this hobby? How long ago?
Will Dreamer (solo): I always loved dressing up as a kid so when a new friend group introduced me to Cosplay I was immediately hooked! I didn´t own a sewing machine at the time, so I sewed my first cosplay completely by hand. And the crazy part is, that sometimes I miss the slow pace crafting and still do.
Amenoo (duo): I was very into Lolita fashion as a young teenager, and went to my first real small convention at the age of 14, wearing a Lolita dress my mom had made for me. There I saw J-fashion enthusiasts and cosplayers, and it sparked my interest. Together with my mom, we put together my first ever costume which I debuted at my next con. I’ve been cosplaying ever since.
Grimalkin (duo): I have always been very fascinated with dressing up, always trying to come up with new fun costume ideas, so I discovered cosplay specifically through a manga book club I attended as a teen, and as we were traveling to our very first anime convention, we were introduced by the leader to the amazing world of cosplay and that it was very encouraged to show up as our favourite characters to the event. A few weeks later, a lot of frustration and sewing, I attended my first event in cosplay and have never regretted a moment of the shared joy that I felt when in costume!
What does cosplay mean for you? And what is your favorite part of the hobby?
Will Dreamer (solo): Hmm, I could go on forever about how much I love textile crafts, but the most important thing Cosplay has taught me is self confidence. Dressing yourself up for the world to see was not easy for me in the beginning, but the supportive cosplay community has helped me grow beyond that fear. Oh, and I love textile crafts and textile crafts and…
Amenoo (duo): I always say that, for me, cosplaying is the ultimate hobby. As someone who has always been a creative person who loves to learn new stuff, making cosplays just ticked off all those boxes. It’s a hobby that always pushes you to think outside the box and forces yourself to try new ways of creating, as well as sharing that knowledge with the community. That is what I love most about cosplay!
Grimalkin (duo): For me it’s so much about connection. Whether it might be meeting or just seeing others cosplaying from the same series and knowing you share a fandom, to crafting and sharing techniques and ideas to make impossible costume designs come to life. Cosplay invites creativity in all forms, shapes, ages and abilities and I never stop to be amazed of what cosplay can achieve.
What changes do you see in the cosplay community in your country compared to when you started?
Will Dreamer (solo): It could be just me getting older, but I noticed there are more families attending conventions these days. It’s really heartwarming to see parents make the effort to cosplay with their kids.
Amenoo (duo): When I started, the community was still very small. As it has grown over the years, it has not only become more normalized, it’s also gotten a more positive reputation. Now we see cosplay shows on television, museums host cosplay exhibitions as more and more people have heard about and know about the hobby. I am happy to see the community expand every year.
Grimalkin (duo): When I started out, there were very few tutorials online, or even materials that could be referenced when creating something. Getting your hands on wigs was like summoning a mythical beast, and let’s not even talk about finding fabrics! But the community in Sweden has pretty much always been very centered around the joy of cosplaying and sharing and learning together. Today it’s so fun to see branches of cosplay, where some are more focused on creating music videos, idol performances, intricate stage performances, in character panels and of course for crafting competitions!
Why did you choose that project for the ICL national selection? Have you already decided on your finals project for Madrid? Can you give us a hint?
Will Dreamer (solo): I was cosplaying Coco from Witch Hat Ateljér. To be completely honest, I didn´t choose this cosplay for ICL. I just made it and liked the result enough to try my luck and entered the qualifier. Glad I did!
Haha, you think I have time to make something new before the final? I´m a slow crafter.
Amenoo (duo): MaoMao was the first cosplay I made after getting severely burnt out a couple of years ago. She was the costume that brought back my love and joy for crafting cosplays, and is therefore exceptionally dear to me. When Grimalkin agreed to be the Jinshi to my MaoMao and apply to this competition, I was over the moon. While we both have competed internationally before, we have never done it together before, so it was definitely time for us to finally do an amazing duo. And what could be better than characters that we both hold so dear?
Grimalkin (duo): When Amenoo asked me to be her Jinshi from The Apothecary Diaries, I was so excited as we have been friends and known each other for several years, but we have not cosplayed from the same series much at all! Amenoo always has great performance ideas, and I was so happy to challenge myself with a stage performance as I studied theatre when I was younger and had sorely missed it. The Apothecary Diaries is also an anime I find so beautiful, so to be able to create the designs from the series was very exciting. It is not my first international cosplay competition, but it is the first since I took a break from competitions a few years ago after getting diagnosed with a sleeping disorder that made me need to prioritise how I crafted and planned around new costumes. But now I am back in full and so excited to create such wonderful memories with Amenoo at ICL <3
Is this your first time competing in an international cosplay competition? What advice would you give to someone who wants to start cosplaying or join competitions?
Will Dreamer (solo): Yes, this will be my first experience in an international competition.
Amenoo (duo): I have been competing for a many many years now, and have represented Sweden in competitions such as NCC, PGEC, ECG and now the ICL. My best advice is to JUST DO IT. Cosplaying and competing in cosplay are both things that you need experience to get better in. The only way to learn is by doing. If you want to start competing internationally, the rule is always, that the best shot you have is to attend. Start gathering that experience!
Grimalkin (duo): I have competed in the WCS previously, so the ICL is my second international competition and I am so lucky to have a partner like Amenoo who have more experience that I can learn from. When it comes to everything cosplay, my biggest advice would probably be to choose something that you really feel passionate about. You will spend a lot of money and time on this, and choosing something you yourself want to do is so important.
What has been your most memorable cosplay experience so far?
Amenoo (duo): Competing in the ECG (twice) has been the highlights of my cosplay “career”. The first year I was selected as the first swedish solo competitor ever, and not only did I represent my community, I also placed! The next time I attended the ECG was as a duo right after the covid pandemic. That competition holds such a special place for me as I got to meet so many friends, and it was a competition where everybody were just SO EXCITED to be back after all the lockdowns.
Grimalkin (duo): Attending the WCS in Nagoya, Japan, where we for almost 10 days attended public events, visited museums and interacted with other cosplayers from all over the world. Feeling so seen and connected with people of different ages and cultures, was such a fantastic experience and I have no doubt that ICL will give me the same feeling.
What inspires your work the most—series, characters, craftsmanship, other artists…?
Amenoo (duo): My friends mostly. I have so many amazing friends that crafts the most beautiful things. I get inspired when I see their joy in their craft, and the pride they have in their finished costumes.
Grimalkin (duo): For me, the inspiration from people around me, but also movies and stage costumes. I have always appreciated costumes in film and TV, and taking a 2D media and bringing it to real life is such a wonderful feeling.
What are your expectations for your visit to Spain? Is it your first time in the country?
Will Dreamer (solo): This will be my second time in Spain, but first in Madrid. I´m super excited and expecting to have a good time. Hopefully I won’t melt in the warm weather!
Amenoo (duo): I have been to Spain many times growing up, and it’s one of my absolute favorite countries to visit. I even have family traveling to see me at the finals!
I am just so excited to meet everyone, and form new friendships with some amazing crafters from all over the world
Grimalkin (duo): I have been to Spain once as a child, but I have met so many fantastic people over the years at international anime conventions and events that were from Spain, that left such deep impressions on me so I know without a doubt that I will have the time of my life and hope to try a lot of amazing food in such fantastic company!
Describe the cosplay community in your country using five words.
Will Dreamer (solo): Supportive, talented, over-achiever, friendly and just the best.
Amenoo (duo): Resourceful, Creative, Openminded, LGBTQ-friendly, Safe-Space
Grimalkin (duo): Inspirational, creative, kind, supporting, proud
Link to your Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter (add other social media if relevant):
Will Dreamer (solo): https://www.instagram.com/will_dreamer
Amenoo (duo): https://www.instagram.com/amenooatelier/
https://www.threads.com/@amenooatelier
https://bsky.app/profile/amenoo.bsky.social
Grimalkin (duo): https://www.instagram.com/grimalkincos/
https://www.tiktok.com/@grimalkincos?lang=en
Will Dreamer, Amenoo and Grimalkin were selected at Comic Con Nordics.
