Jun 10 2009
An Interview with Adorable Cosplaying Couple Livvy and Adam
I just love it when I find couples that cosplay together - especially if they are cosplaying as a pair of connected characters. A few months ago I discovered a cosplayer named “Livvy”, who operates livvylove.com. Livvy and her significant other, Adam, have some absolutely adorable cosplay costumes! I had a chance to talk to them, and find out more about their couples costumes, and how they balance costume construction responsibilities between the two of them.
Livvy & Adam, what were your first conventions? How old were you, and which cons were they?
L. & A.: AWA 10 was our first convention and we were 21 years old.
How long have you each been cosplaying?
L. & A.: After AWA 10 we decided to start cosplaying so it’s been about 5 years.
How did you decide to start cosplaying as a couple?
L. & A.: Well we cosplayed as Wolfwood and Chii and it just wasn’t as much fun cosplaying from separate series as it was when we cosplayed together. After that we decided to stick to couples cosplay.
Who does the majority of the costume construction?
L. & A.: It’s 50/50 now. I do more of the sewing but he does the sewing grunt work and props. We both try to help each other out as much as we can.
What are your favorite costumes, and why?
L. & A.: Jasmine and Aladdin were our most popular costumes but they were also the most demanding. We loved how well it was received but also it required a lot and was not comfortable at all for either of us. Adam was having to get lot’s of pain killers for me and he had to starve for his middrift top.
Ukyo and Ryoga is our current favorite. It’s comfortable and we are really happy with how it came out. The spatula was very realistic and durable until the hotels owners kid got their hands on it…… There is never enough Ranma 1/2 cosplay out there as well so it was fun seeing peoples’ reactions to it. They were so happy to see something old school instead of Naruto, Death Note and Bleach.
What is your favorite part about cosplaying as a couple? What is your least favorite?
L. & A.: Favorite - Being lovey-dovey in character (even if it’s not cannon). Least favorite - finding characters that we like in one show. Livvy likes shows with Girlie men. Adam likes shows that are boring or have blonds and scantily clad girls.
What unique challenges do you deal with (be it costume or otherwise), when being part of a cosplay pair?
L. & A.: Really the only challenge is picking the characters. Using the buddy system really helps fend off creepy fanboys and fangirls. People always ask us if they want a glomp or hug, which Adam gets far more in that department.
How long do your costumes usually take to make?
L. & A.: 12 months of planning/procrastinating, 5 months of gathering materials, and 3 days of sewing it all together.
How much do your costumes usually cost to make?
L. & A.: $50-150
What advice would you give to couples (or even friends) who wanted to cosplay as a duo?
L. & A.: Pick a show that you both like that has characters that fit the both of you. Also don’t get upset if one person gets more attention then the other because the next time it might be the other way around.
Thanks again to Livvy and Adam for sharing a bit about couples cosplay! You can check out more photos at livvylove.com, or at Livvy’s Cosplay.com profile! Don’t forget to take a look at Convention Fan’s other cosplayer interviews!
