Making my other me: The craft and construction of a costume for cosplay

This dissertation discusses the rise in popularity of the practice of Cosplay and the community of people who participate. Cosplay is fan art and involves recreating the costume of a character from a popular piece of pop culture, usually comic books, and attending a convention in costume. At these conventions, thousands of Cosplayers gather each year and conventions are now a global event. While attending the conventions, Cosplayers get the chance to meet fellow players and display their finished pieces. But the practice goes beyond merely dressing up as the attendees perform on the open floors as well as on stage, inhabiting their characters completely. This dissertation looks at the Cosplayer as a creator and their relationship with the practice of a costume designer. It also looks at the process of making and the methods involved, paying particular attention to one Cosplayer, as well as the finished piece, how the Cosplayer performs and why they partake in the indulgence of becoming.