Dec 31 2008
The Phantom of the Opera Was There, Inside Her Mind
Before I dive into this interview, I wonder if any of you have heard that Phantom of the Opera’s composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, has been stricken by George Lucas Syndrome? Sadly, he has decided to produce a Broadway sequel to Phantom of the Opera. Yeah, I don’t get it either. Andrew and George both need to drop drinking that Kool-aid. Did Indiana Jones IV teach them nothing? Although, perhaps even more disturbing is that “George Lucas Syndrome” is actually an entry in the Urban Dictionary (check it out).
Anyway…the interview…
Sometimes a costume comes along that leaves you without anything to say except “wow.” That is how I felt when I saw Carolann’s Red Death Phantom of the Opera costume. It looks like it walked right off a Broadway stage. And it’s no wonder! Carolann has won numerous awards for her work. If you were lucky, you might have seen this costume in person at Dragon*con 2006, or FX Show 2006.
I had a chance to talk to Carolann, who runs Athena’s Cosplay, about her Red Death costume, as well as the Christine Daaé costume she has also created.
Carolann, what was your first convention, and how old were you?
Carolann: Jacon 2001 and I was 18. I had been into anime and manga since I was 15, but I had rather strict parents and I wasn’t allowed to attend a convention till I was 18.
How did you get into costuming?
Carolann: At my second convention, AFO 2001, I threw together a closet Ranma costume…. it was pretty bad but I had a ton of fun and decided to start making costumes. I went home from the con and within a week I had started making my costume for the next con.
Tell us about the Christine costume, and how it was constructed.
Carolann: I actually made two Christine costumes, the first I made when the movie was still in theaters and I drafted my own pattern. After I had made the costume, I ended up losing 40 lbs in the [span] of 6 months and I had promised to wear the costume with a friend at Dragon*con, so I remade it in a smaller size. This time I cheaped out and used the Simplicity pattern. It was a pretty good pattern but I’d recommended using more tulle in the bustle than what it calls for.
The dress was pretty easy. I think the hardest parts were finding the right lace to use and adding all the flowers to back of the bustle. The first time, I made the mistake of sewing them all down by hand. The second time I glued the flowers to pin backs and then pinned them in place, this worked so much better. For my hair I used a curly brown wig and glued tinny flowers to bobby pins and stuck them in the wig to get the scattered flower effect.
How about the Red Death costume?
Carolann: I don’t even know where to start with the Red Death. That project was a solid 2 months of my life. I used a historical pattern for the top and heavily modified it, splitting pattern pieces to do the fabric blocking that I wanted. I had to draft the sleeves myself… though it was more of making it up as I went because [the character] has such odd sleeves.
I drafted the pattern for the pants, though the hardest part of the pants was spending hours cutting and sewing the stripes and trying to get them to all line up. The hat is made with a base of foamies and wire and then covered in fabric. The cape is 10 yards of fabric and weighed a freaking ton.
The most time consuming part was the circles of gold embroidery and beading that cover the entire front of the costume. I spent hours and hours embroidering all of that. I was embroidering in class, at club meetings parties with friends - every spare moment that I had. The mask I cheaped out and bought (though it looks perfect and only cost me $15!). It’s one of those costumes that you finish, look back at it and go… “I made that?” It’s a pretty awesome feeling.
What advice would you give to someone who is just getting into costuming?
Carolann: Have fun with it. It’s a great creative outlet but it can take over your life if you let it. There are a lot of people who try to ruin the hobby by making it more about popularity, it’s not, it’s about being creative and having fun. There’s no harm in wanting to be good at your hobby and trying to challenge yourself, for me that’s half the fun, but if you get too obsessed with who’s better than who all the fun gets drained out of it. Make what you want to make and enjoy it!
What is the most rewarding thing about costuming, for you personally?
Carolann: The most rewarding thing is all the friends I’ve made. I’ve met all my closest friends from cons and cosplay and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. My family is always surprised by how many friends I have all over the country thanks to this hobby. From the costumes themselves, I do like the sense of accomplishment I feel when I’ve finished a particularly challenging costume, it’s a great feeling looking at a costume and being like “Wow, I really made that.”
Carolann actually has many more costumes on her website, and she does take commissions! Definitely take a moment to stop by the site and see her amazing work!
