Today's interviewee is a powerhouse in the cosplay community. I first heard great things about her when a friend of mine liked a campaign she is doing. She's from Washington, DC but people everywhere will soon know the name Lara Lunardi.Dani- First off, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview with me. How long have you been cosplaying, and what inspired you to start?
Lara- I have been cosplaying since 2008, but I started making my own costumes in 2010, with a lot of help from my mom. My inspiration came from the first con that I went, back in 2007, in Brazil. I saw a lot of people dressing up as my favorite characters and I knew that I wanted to be part of that. Now, I still cosplay because I am really into costume design and I love trying new fabrics and such.
D- Cosplaying is pretty big in North America but people are still reluctant to do it. What would you say are some of the things that prevent people from cosplaying even if they want to?
L- Cosplay is becoming something normal. The community grew a lot in the past 10 years and the internet helps to spread "our word". I think that if you feel like cosplaying, if you are willing to spend some money and really like a character, you should totally do it! I know that some people think that their bodies might not be like the character's, but honestly, I don't know a single person with the right proportions. There is no such thing of being ashamed of being who you are. :)
D- There's been a lot of negative views on what Cosplaying is. What does Cosplay mean to you?
L- Some people say that Cosplay is "devilish" and meant for children. I disagree with that. First, because cosplay has nothing to do with religion, in ANY way. Second, because we, Cosplayers, spend so much time and we put so much effort in our costumes/performing that it's kinda sad that some people would say that we are childish or even insane. As I always say, we are not crazy, we just have beautiful creative minds. DEAL WITH IT.
D- You have a campaign you're doing to help the cosplaying community, could you tell us more about it and what made you want to start it?
L- About my campaign: Honestly, I was not expecting it to get so viral and big. I just wanted people to respect each other more, so I started making the cosplay banners with phrases that would be catchy. I also tell the story of cosplayers that once suffered with bullying or were harassed/disrespected in any way.
D- Some notable cosplays you've done are: Harley Quinn, Lara Croft, Emma Frost, Domino, Samus Aran, Zelda, Catwoman, Supergirl, and Hatsune Miku. What other cosplays have you done since you started cosplaying?
L- I made so many costumes... I can't even count. My first one was Sakura Haruno, from Naruto. My aunt made it and I really loved it (even if it was a bit inaccurate and my wig was crappy as hell). I also created my own version of Captain America, my own Joker (not worn yet). I love adding my own details to the costumes I make.
D- As a cosplayer you probably have a favourite and one that was the most challenging so if you had to pick a favourite and categorise one as being challenging to do which ones would it be?
L- Of course I do have a favorite costume, haha. I have many. My costumes are like my babies. I love all of them, but my favorite costumes are my Samus ones. I really love the character, since I was a child. The most challenging costume to make was Alexstrasza, because it was my first full armor costume. I used Worbla to make the armor pieces, so it was all about molding, painting and etc. I loved every minute of it!
D- There are many different ways to go about putting together a cosplay outfit so how do you create your cosplays?
L- I usually make my costumes from scratch. I am not a cosplay nazi, though. If I find an item that is already made and that will help me to save time and money, I will buy it and customize it. Sometimes, I can use my own clothes to complement a costume (I have a pretty weird wardrobe).
D- Have you gotten any awards for your cosplays and what was the competition or experience like?
L- I used to be on cosplay circuits when I started, but to me, it is not that much fun, so I don't do it anymore. I am more of a performer (I sing and act professionally as well), so I am not into competitions. I am secure that my work is good, and yes, I won some awards on costume crafting and performing.
D- So as a follow up to the previous question do you do general performing such as small live action stuff at conventions or do you have a specific type that you do?
L- I enjoy singing and acting, I was the crooner of a Video Game Music orchestra for about a year. We performed in a lot of cool places/cons.
D- If people wanted to know more information about your work where would they go to get it?
L- Uhhhh.... Google! (Just kidding). I recently got my own website (that is pretty sweet), www.laralunardi.com and I also got a page on facebook: facebook.com/cosplaylala. I do use DeviantART, but not as much as I'd like to. My DA is cosplaylala.deviantart.com
