Why I chose this costume:
Reira is a sweet, professional singer of the rock band “Trapnest” within the series NANA. Having already made two costumes from the series, I thought Reira would be a fitting addition to the tribute. All of Reira’s well-known dresses have been cosplayed by people who share a love for her, so instead I opted to create her “Endless Love” singer/voice actor, Ito Yuna’s dress instead.
How I made this costume:
I used silkessence fabric for the dress which frays easily and had to be double tucked before sewing. The costume was made in three parts: the skirt, the main dress, and the corset middle. The skirt was made in eight ruffled layers, which were sewn to a base with an elastic waistline. The main dress was cut to fall over the skirt and mask the fact that it was done in pieces. Then I added a corset middle piece to help pull the look together.
The wig was purchased, but altered with the addition of bangs/fringe. As I was cosplaying Reira, I chose a wig that matched her hair color and style, as opposed to matching that of Ito Yuna. The shoes were store bought and then dyed by hand with a blue Sharpie marker to match the dress itself.
Thoughts on this costume:
This dress was entered into the Hall Cosplay Contest at Anime Boston 2010, and featured in the Fashion Show that took place before the Masquerade. Few people recognized the character, but everyone loved the costume and wig! The shoes were a terrible choice and my poor feet paid the price. Luckily, I brought slippers with me and ended up wearing those while in costume and off stage or not posed for photos.
You can see my other NANA cosplay here:
