Yaya Han as Lulu cosplay from FF X
Lulu costume from Final Fantasy 10! Made in the year 2001! I had only been cosplaying for 2 years at that point, and definitely consider this one of those costume projects that leveled me up! I made it all from scratch, including my first corset (it suuuucked), the first time I sculpted jewelry & hair pins, first time working with upholstery pleather, etc. Engineering the belt skirt was also a pain in the butt, and while it worked for the costume, now I would do it soooo very differently.
Even then I had a penchant for adding details and forgoing accuracy for embellishing elements. I hand beaded the dangling trim around the corset (now you can just buy beaded trim!), added extra braids and beads in the braids and used textured and contrasting fabrics for the costume.
The overall costume is not impressive by any means for today’s standards, but I was very proud and remember sweating for over 5 weeks making this beast. There are so many things I could do better, cleaner, more refined now, and make Lulu easier to transport and wear, and indeed, I would love to re-make this costume sometime, since I sold it years ago when I was very broke.
When I look at a 13-year old costume like this, it shows me how much I have grown as an artist and craftsman, but also reminds me of all that I have stayed true to over the years. I still approach cosplay the same way many years later, and am drawn to the same elements and challenges. That makes me personally really happy, knowing that I still love this artform and have similar aspirations even a decade later. That means there is still so much to learn. And to make!!!
