France 🇫🇷
Your nickname and age:
Galuren: Hi ! I’m Galuren from France and I’m 25 forever for a few years now :p
Wild: I’m Wild, I’m 30 years old.
Nerya: Hi ! I am Nerya Cosplay and I am 25 years old.
How did you discover cosplay and what made you start this hobby? How long ago?
G: I discovered cosplay during my first convention, Japan Expo 8th impact 2007. I went there to meet with a friend and watch the movie Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa. It is the end of the first FMA anime and the premiere for France was at Japan Expo. I didn’t knew what cosplay was at the time but I saw all those people in costume and this caught my attention. A year later I eventually met new friends who were cosplayer themselves. In 2009 they created a cosplay association called Atomic Bamboos and I joined them in 2010. We created costumes and costumed events for cities, authors or stores. That’s how I got into cosplay!
W: I discover cosplay with geek conventions many years ago and really start to do costumes in 2013.
N: I already knew about conventions and cosplay since I was a teenager and really appreciated it, but I really started cosplaying two years ago when I found people to cosplay with !
What was the reason behind your costume choice for the ICL preselection? Is this your first time joining an international cosplay competition?
G: Ana was my latest costume at the time of the preselection. I am happy with the results : I made all the patterns for the clothes from scratch, dyed the lining of the coat by hand and I improved my paint job. I don’t do much cosplay contests but as ICL is very costume-oriented for solos I wanted to give it a try. I found a skit for the preselections in France, compiled a folder for presenting my WIPs and I entered the contest. It’s my first time joining an international cosplay competition.
W: It’s a very big project made one year ago with my friend Nerya. We decided to do ICL selections only two weeks before the con and this costumes were a evidence for us.
N: Actually, the ICL preselection was my first time ever joining a cosplay competition, and Kida was my first armor cosplay (so many first times…^^). We decided to join the competition with Wild for fun and really didn’t expect to win anything, so it was a really nice surprise !
What does cosplay mean for you? And what is your favourite part of the hobby?
G: It’s a very important part of my life. I met a huge part of the people I know today because of cosplay. I need regular activities where I can be creative, as opposed to my studies and my job : I had Art classes when I was young, then I discovered makeup when I couldn’t follow my Art classes anymore, and then I went into cosplay. I also like to do things with my hands so cosplay was a perfect fit for me. It’s my biggest hobby with video games. I love to learn new techniques and try new ways of doing things. The best part is when you start to do things right with a technique you didn’t know about a year ago !
W: For me cosplay means creativity and ingenuity. I love choosing a costume, analyzing every part to find the materials and solutions to create it.
N: For me, cosplay is a way to express yourself by creating, and to have fun with others. My favorite part of the hobby is crafting, learning new techniques and improving myself every day! This is really satisfying when you manage to create a costume, especially when you see all the pieces getting together, even if sometimes you struggle and have to redo something multiple times.
What do you expect from your visit to Spain? Is your first time visiting the country?
G: I only went to visit small towns close to the French border in the spanish Basque Country. I want to go to a typical café and order one of the numerous kind of coffee that we don’t have in France like the coffee bonbon !
W: It’s not my first time visiting the country but it’s the first time in Madrid to me. I’m very excited (and a little bit afraid *shy mode*) to met all this cosplayers from all around the world! When I start cosplay I can’t imagine that few years later I could get the chance to participate in this tyle of event.
N: It’s not my first time in Spain, but my first time in Madrid so I’m really excited to come here, meet all the other contestants, enjoy the con and the final show together ! I really hope to have fun and do my very best on stage !
Have you decided your project for the finals in Madrid? Can you give us a clue?
G: Yes I am working on it as I write ! As my biggest interest beside cosplay is video games, you won’t be surprized if I tell you my next project is from a video game :p
W: It’s a witchy project 🙂
N: Yes, we are preparing a new duo for the finals with Wild, and for the clue, let’s say : Magic !
Describe the cosplay community in your country using five words.
G: Friendship, talent, discoveries, contest, community.
W & N: Fun, passionate, skilled, proud but sometimes frustrating.
Where can we find your works?
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