VOLUME 01 SEP / 2011 00$ / 00Bsf fic-shion.com
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WHAT’S NEW?
What is Cosplay? Steampunk Fashion
Photos
Photographer Eefia
CONTENTS
FICTIONAL FASHION
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GENERAL NEWS Vocaloid Miku
INTERVIEW Tron Legacy
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WHAT IS COSPLAY? If you’ve never heard this term before you’re probably wondering “what is cosplay anyway?” That’s a fine question indeed. Literally speaking Cosplay or as the Japanese say Kosupure, is the contraption of the words “costume” and “play.” People who take part in cosplay are known as “cosplayers” or in Japan simply reyazu for “players.” So, what is cosplay exactly? It is the act of dressing up as a character from animes, videogames, manga, movies, books, and even Visual-Kei rock bands in Japan. Don’t confuse what is cosplay for a Halloween costume though, because they’re NOT the same. Typically, more time is spent on a cosplay costume because they are normally made by the wearer. Also, in cosplay much more attention is spent on detail. Now you know what is cosplay, but in case you’re not sure how it got it’s name the term “cosplay” was coined by Nov Takahashi in 1984, while attending a sci-fi convention in Los Angeles. He was so impressed by the costume masquerade that he wrote about it in Japanese sci-fi magazines. Word spread quickly through Japan of this new performance art. And the 03
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rest is history. Many people believe cosplay originated in Japan, but that’s not necessarily true. Forrest J. Ackerman inspired fan-costuming worldwide when he wore the first futuristic costume, made by Myrtle R. Douglas, to the 1st World Science Fiction Convention in 1939 in Caravan Hall in New York. Since then cosplay has spread to countries across the globe, like the Philippines, China, Italy, France, Mexico, Brazil, North America and the list continues. Despite the many impressive creations that come out of all these places, Japan is the largest exporter of quality cosplay. Why? Because Japanese cosplay has taken cosplay to a new level. They’ve managed to turn it into an art form, inspiring fellow cosplayers worldwide. (Not to mention making some-
thing as geeky as dressing up like cartoon characters look kind of cool.) It’s no wonder most cosplayers, who have acquired celebrity status for their creations, hail from Japan. WHAT IS COSPLAY? Nowadays, Japanese cosplayers like to meet outdoors on weekends to pose for pictures, and check out each others elaborate creations. During large scale gatherings at cosplay venues they participate in masquerades, skits and contests just like their North American counterparts. Smaller gatherings are held in meidokissa (maid-coffeehouses), where the waitresses will dress in anime outfits. The Harajuku district in Tokyo, Japan is especially famous for its cosplay scene.
As more people begin to take notice of cosplay magazines like Japan’s Cosmode and Dengeki Layers, USA’s Anicoz and Mexico’s Cosplaymix, it seems the once underground culture of costume play is finally making its way into the mainstream, with no signs of slowing down or stopping. Ah, the future looks bright! Well, that’s the history of cosplay in a nutshell. If you’re new to cosplay then I hope this short article answered the question of “what is cosplay?” for you. Even if you’re a pioneer in this fandom, we hope you were able to get something out of it too.
WHAT’S NEW
Today the most popular anime fandoms seems to be Naruto cosplay, Bleach cosplay, Inuyasha cosplay, Katei Kyoshi Hitman Reborn cosplay, Death Note cosplay, and Avatar cosplay. Films like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings are a favourite among cosplayers and now of course The Dark Knight, who’s Joker has become increasingly trendy to dress like.
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STEAMPUNK FASHION
To some, Steampunk has always been first and foremost a literary genre, or least a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy that includes social or technological aspects of the 19th century (the steam) usually with some deconstruction of, reimagining of, or rebellion against parts of it (the punk). Unfortunately, it is a poorly defined subgenre, with plenty of disagreement about what is and is not included. For example, steampunk stories may: Take place in the Victorian era but include advanced machines based on 19th century technology (e.g. The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling); Include the supernatural as well (e.g. The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger); Include the supernatural and forego the technology (e.g. The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers, one of the works that inspired the term ‘steampunk’);
Include the advanced machines, but take place later than the Victorian period, thereby assuming that the predomination by electricity and petroleum never happens (e.g. The Peshawar Lancers by S. M. Stirling); or Take place in an another world altogether, but featuring Victorian-like technology (e.g. Mainspring by Jay Lake). There are probably plenty of other combinations I’ve forgotten, but that’s steampunk as a genre in a nutshell. Steampunk has also cross-pollinated its way into other genres, so there is steampunk romance, steam-
mance art. But steampunk has become a lot more. What with all the cool contraptions in the stories, it was only natural that some people would decide to make some of them (or at least things like them). Thus, steampunk gadgets came into the real world. People has “steampunk’d” everything from computers, desks, telephone, watches and guitars to cars, motorcycles, and whole houses. These objects can vary from a grungy look of a forgotten antique
“To me, it’s essentially the intersection of technology and romance.” – Jake von Slatt
to the shiny overwrought newness of a Victorian gentleman’s club. Think brass and copper, glass and polished wood, engraving and etching, and details for the sake of details. So, steampunk is also a design aesthetic. This aesthetic carries over into personal style with both clothing and jewelry being made in a “steampunk” style. The clothes are not exactly Victorian, adding in technological bits or hints of a more adventurous life than a typical Victorian citizen likely enjoyed. But wait, there’s more! Steampunk has a philosophical angle as well, which is somewhat of a combination between the maker ideals of creativity and self-reliance and the Victorian optimistic view
“It’s sort of Victorian-industrial, but with more whimsy and fewer orphans.”- Caitlin Kittredge punk erotica, and steampunk young adult fiction. I haven’t spotten any steampunk picture books yet, but I won’t be surprise when I do. And it isn’t just written fiction anymore. There are steampunk games (e.g. Bioshock II), steampunk graphic novels (e.g. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), and even steampunk movies (e.g. Sherlock Holmes) and TV shows (e.g. Warehouse 13). There is even steampunk music and steampunk perfor05
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of the future. This last bit has led to accusations that steampunk includes a fair amount of empire worship, which is a reasonable concern. Another criticism has been that steampunk focuses on the best of the past and quietly sweeps the bad (i.e. slavery, child labor, widespread disease, etc.). Again, this may be a valid criticism and it is somethat that steampunk will have to address. Paul Jessup’s piece “The Future of Steampunk” offers a good discussion of these issues.
WHAT’S NEW
photographer - someone
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PHOTOS / EEFAI
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eefai/
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D I O L U A C K I O M V Hatsune Miku is a singing synthesizer application with a female persona, developed by Crypton Future Media. It uses Yamaha Corporation’s Vocaloid 2 synthesizing technology. The name of the character comes from a fusion of the Japanese for first (hatsu), sound (ne) and future (Miku) sounds like a nanori reading of future, normally read as “mirai”, referring to her position as the first of Crypton’s “Character Vocal Series”. She was the second Vocaloid to be sold using the Vocaloid 2 engine and the first Japanese Vocaloid to use the Japanese
version of the Vocaloid 2 engine. Her voice is sampled from Japanese voice actress, Saki Fujita. Surprisingly this character has had a huge impact in the Cosplaying world and had had millions of variations of its costumes.
It’s been a very interesting couple of months for the entire Vocaloid movement hasn’t it? Ever since the big hit that was the March 9th Giving Day Concert it seems that more and more people outside of Japan and/or the Vocaloid fan community are starting to take notice. While reactions have been mixed, it’s easy to see why even individuals with no familiarity with Vocaloid can find the concept intriguing. Outside of science fiction and anime aficionados who would ever think that thousands of people would one day be clamoring to attend a concert where the featured performers aren’t even real? That a CD collecting some of the technology’s greatest hits would top the Japanese Oricon charts in May? (Vocalogenesis). In fact Exit Tune’s most recent CD release, Vocaloanthems, is having even greater sales success, with over 27000 copies sold in the first week of its release. (Unfortunately while greater in number it was only good for 5th on the charts. No longer is Vocaloid a Japanonly phenomenon either. Small but growing fanbases throughout Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas are also
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passionate about these virtual idols. Recently a campaign was started to petition for Vocaloid concerts outside of Japan. This attempt to draw attention to Vocaloid’s international fanbase seemingly has already begun to succeed. In just these past few months the 39 Giving Day concert has already been screened in San Fransisco and New York, and Crypton Future Media’s CEO has been part of two convention panels as well, a very significant step. During these panels, which were well covered by fellow writers and fans here at Fic/shion it was even indicated that an English version of Hatsune Miku was under consideration, a very significant development, since it was likely prompted by a recognition of Vocaloid and Hatsune Miku’s overseas developments. Amidst this whirlwind of Vocaloid buzz and excitement it seems that some voices in the Western media have started to take notice as well. The past few days have seen the publication of several online and print articles that can’t really be considered news for the average Vocaloid fan, but are nevertheless an indication that the world at large has started to take notice.
GENERAL NEWS
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FICTIONAL FASHION
TRON/ /LEGACY
Skin-tight, motocross-inspired suits that light up, negative heel platform shoes and men in corsets. I’m not talking a runway show in Paris, I’m talking “Tron: Legacy.” The film’s costumes are a stylish thrill a minute, sure to be studied, rewound and replayed for years to come by fanboys and girls, and fashion designers alike. The film follows Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the 27-year-old tech savant son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), as he looks into his father’s disappearance on “the grid.” It’s the same digital universe of tyrants and blood sports that filmgoers were introduced to back in the 1982 original “Tron.” And yet it’s completely different in the same way that video games are different than they were 30 years ago. When it comes to iconic looks, the film -- which opens Dec. 17 -- should rank up there with sci-fashion fantasies “Barbarella,” “Mad Max,” Bladerunner,” “Star Wars” and “The Matrix.” It’s no wonder Disney Consumer Products is in fashion collaboration overdrive, introducing everything from a colorblocked clothing collection designed by Opening Ceremony to cyber-chic jewelry designed by Tom Tom. I talked to Christine Clark, co-costume designer* for the film, about how faithful the “Tron: Legacy” costumes are to those in the original, and what exactly went into designing the garb worn on and off the grid. How do you begin a project as enormous as this? Did you start with sketches, images from the original film or some kind of brief from the director? All of it. When [costume designer] Michael Wilkinson and I began there was the original film, which we watched as a refresher course, and also the Comic-Con teaser, and some preliminary costume concepts done for the studio. So we had great inspiration to set the tone, then we started researching like crazy -- fashion, military uniforms and classic films such as “Blade Runner” and “Resident Evil.” Did you look at any specific designers for inspiration, such as Gareth Pugh, Olivier Theyskens or Nicolas Ghesquiere? Gareth Pugh’s name comes up a lot, and there is a conncetion to his edgy vibe. But there was no one specific. How many costumes did you design for the film? Hundreds. There were times I would walk into the room and have loss of breath. We did about 150 super suits which you see on all principals, and about 154 suits for the supporting cast that had
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How did they differ from the suits in the original 1982 “Tron?” I actually visited one of those original suits in person, and because all of the special effects of the original movie were digital, and done afterward, the actual costumes are underwhelming. They are really just Spandex form-fitting suits with white lines that would later become lights. Although the line work and artistry is certainly beautiful.
How did you light the new suits? From the beginning, we knew we had to do practical lighting on the suits, so we reached out to three special effects houses in the Los Angeles area. And one of them, Quantum Creation FX, found a sample that had just been developed, and had only been used on Japanese security vests. It was a thin vinyl sheeting, flexible and pliable. The technical name for it is a polymer-based elastomeric electro luminescent lamp. We worked with them to develop the technology for “Tron.” So it doesn’t exist except on the grid! We wanted all the power and lighting to be self-contained to the actors, and to fit into the hubs of the disk on their backs. The lighting was powered by lithium batteries. And they didn’t last long. We could only get about 12 minutes out of Sam Flynn’s suit before the battery died. We had a remote control station so we could monitor the power of all the suits and we knew who was about to die. Normally on a set, you hear them say, “sound speeding, camera speeding, action!” We also had “light ‘em up.” The suits themselves were designed digitally in 3-D, right? We worked
with an application called ZBrush to digitally sculpt the suits. So we took an actor’s digital scans, then sculpted on top of the scans using the program. The material is foam latex with a little Spandex. Were they difficult to get into? To get one on is so much worse than putting on Spanx. We called it an “interactive dressing experience.” The actor would have to participate resisting. The pants went on first and the top next. How is Quorra’s (Olivia Wilde’s) costume different? She may come across looking sexy, but we didn’t want to hypersexualize her. She is an intelligent warrior woman. She wears a female version of the grid suit, and her costume tells a story about her being different. It is asymmetrical, and all the other costumes have symmetry in the light design. Initially, the skirt was longer. But I like how it ended up. It echoes the line of her hairdo, which is also asymmetrical. I
INTERVIEW
a more economical lighting system, more than 60 helmets and about 65 real-world costumes too. Were you given parameters, like no natural fibers? We definitely wanted to create a synthetic world, so we used nothing organic. Even for Jeff Bridges’ character, who was meant to be Zen-like, we wanted his clothing to have an organic, rough linen look. But it’s still polyester. When it came to designing the super suits, form followed function, yes? Absolutely. [Director Joseph Kosinski] said he didn’t want them to feel like Batman suits. He wanted things cut close to the body and action-oriented. Nothing too clunky. Motocross is always a great place to look when you are going for something industrial-looking.
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FICTIONAL FASHION think she looks adorable. It was a fresh idea to give her that pixie elfin charm. There’s a great fashion scene in the film, when Sam Flynn first enters the grid, and a group of sexy Sirens dresses him. Was that in the original script? It was not as specific as it ends up playing out on camera. It was developed in rehearsals, and choreographed into this whole robotic scene. It’s one of my favorites. The shoes the Sirens wear are incredible -- platforms with cutout heels. From the beginning, we liked the idea that there would be substance to the shoes and not just stilettos. All of the patterns in the suits screamed for cutout heels, so we played wth the geometry of the grid even in the shoes, using positive and negative space. Although futuristic, at times the costumes felt quite retro. Was that intentional? I’m excited to hear people are picking up on that. We wanted to create Kevin Flynn’s synthesized reality of a world he once knew. and play on time periods he would have been touched by. Do you see the costumes influencing fashion? I feel like it’s already happening. Versace did a collection recently that looked a little “Tron” inspired. And people have been so excited about the illumination, I think it’s only a mater of time before the application becomes affordable and everyone will want it. -- Booth Moore
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