Cosplayers are already a colourful mainstay at conventions around the world, and the costumes range from the regular and expected, to super-sexy and in some cases, just plain over the top.
Pixie-faced Alodia Gosiengfiao is considered one of the best cosplayers in the region and she is also known as "Cosplay Queen" back in the Philippines. Alodia was here in Red Dot Island last Sunday as a special guest of International Cosplay Day Singapore (ICDS) 2013, and Red Dot Diva managed to grab a few moments of her time for a chat.
When Red Dot Diva stepped into the conference room at SCAPE, the slim and fair Alodia was all decked-out in her maroon DOTA2 Lina Inverse costume. True to form, she looked almost ethereal. It was as if an actual elf had stepped out from a gamer's computer screen.
Upon her friendly greeting and first few exchange of words, Red Dot Diva began to understand why Alodia is a superstar in her own right. The aura she naturally exudes was quite invigorating. Well... they don't call it the X-factor for nothing.
Here's what went down with the girly talk between Diva and the Cosplay Queen:
Red Dot Diva: You have been involved in the realm of cosplay for many years. How do you think the scene has changed in recent years?
Alodia: When I started, it was a very small community and I used to know almost everyone who joined the events. But now, the scene is so huge. The community is growing and more people seem to appreciate it, and that's good!
Alodia: For me, it's not just about dressing, it can be someone's personality that is sexy. Or it could be your style. I think sexy can be mean almost anything.
Red Dot Diva: What would be at the top of your sexy list?
Alodia: My cosplay because I look absolutely plain on a normal day like I will be in jeans and rubber shoes, and a t-shirt.
Red Dot Diva: What kind of cosplay characters do you find difficult to portray?
Alodia: For me, I find it more challenging to do monsters because you have to completely transform yourself. You have to alter the shape of your eyes, and even in your facial expressions you have to distort it a little to look like a monster. But it's fun!
Red Dot Diva: Do you practise your poses in front of a mirror?
Alodia: Yes I do. I also practise with make up and costume, like a full-dress rehearsal.
Red Dot Diva: Which costume are you most proud of?
Alodia: Probably this one. (Referring to the one she was currently wearing, i.e. Lina Inverse) I really love it because it represents a lot of things I like. For example, I like video games, I like red, I like magical stuff and I love elves. Also, I made everything in this costume myself.
Red Dot Diva: Is there a new skill you have acquired recently, to add on to your cosplay and costuming?
Alodia: Not that recent but I have learned not too long ago how to airbrush for my costumes. I want to learn more about fibreglass because I want to try to work with other materials. And I also learned how to do LEDs. When I did Witchblade back in AFA, that was when we started putting LEDs in our costumes.
Red Dot Diva: Recently, there has been a social movement called "Cosplay is Not Consent". Have you ever been in a similar uncomfortable position and how did you deal with it?
Alodia: When I started cosplay and I was competing back then, I remember at one convention where we were taking photos as per normal. There was this guy taking a photo of me, and his friend was at the back, taking a low shot because I was wearing a mini skirt (even though I was actually wearing shorts underneath). But it was, you know, a bad angle. And one of my friends saw the guy and we had him delete the picture. So, basically, I usually have friends as a support group to help look out for my safety.
Red Dot Diva: Stripped off of all the costume and all of the makeup, how would you describe Alodia Gosiengfiao?
Alodia: Alodia is silly. (laughs) She loves video games, cats and to indulge in food after a photoshoot. She's easy to talk to and not a mean person. And she loves supporting people who have other talents and who are passionate about their skills and interests.
 |
| Pic from Twitter by @AnfieldAkiba |
Later that day, Alodia had a meet and greet with her fans and also performed a medley of 4 songs from "Final Fantasy" on her keyboard. It was a pity Red Dot Diva had other engagements and couldn't stay to watch her performance, but from what she heard, fans who already love Alodia had even more reasons to love her more.
Did fans who attended this year's ICDS have their own epic moments with Alodia?
Feel free to share them on the comments section below or at the Red Dot Diva Facebook page! :)
----------------
Thanks to Red Dot Dude aka Andre Chee for helping to take photos during the interview!
And special thanks to The Neo Tokyo Project for the media opportunity!
----------------
Follow Alodia Gosiengfiao on her social network:
Website: http://www.AlodiaGosiengfiao.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlodiaGosiengfiao
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlodiaAlmira
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com.sg/user/Alodia9
Instagram: http://instagram.com/AlodiaAlmira
Deviantart: http://www.alodia.co/
No comments:
Post a Comment