Kumoricon Fashion Show...

[Runa]

Since Cosplay Competition is officially "Japanese origin only" for the costume workmanship, I've heard requests from various people that they wanted a kind of fashion show at Kumoricon where the could have the opportunity to show off their costumes / outfits. I spoke with Jaki and she OK'd having a Fashion show some time on Monday. This will be an opportunity for anyone to have a moment on stage to show off either a costume (including non-Japanese stuff like Dr. Who, Hunger Games characters, etc) or Japanese style outfit (including Lolita, J-rock, j-pop, or traditional Japanese). I hope that we'll get a bunch of participants.

The fashion show will NOT be judged; no prizes awarded
Participant's outfits MUST comply with Kumoricon's decency rules (essentially must cover at least what a regular bikini (for women) or bathing suit (for men) would cover)
Each participant should write up (if you can type it up ahead of time, I'd love it - if I can't read your handwriting, I'll make up something silly....) a description of the outfit.
Purchased, self-made, whatever is permitted - however we would like the source mentioned.
This also means that if a VENDOR wants to show off its wares, the vendor can enter some "models" in the fashion show and include a mini-blurb about the business while showing the stuff.

comments? 

[nekovamp13]

I like this!!! I just hope it's not during cosplay chess (which it probably will be anyways.....)

[fleur_fraise]

Why is the cosplay contest restricted to characters from Japanese origin anyways? I've always wondered, as well as why that rule can't be changed as Kumoricon grows.

[CaptnPoptart]

I'm all in for this. At first when I saw this post, I'm like "THATS what the cosplay contest is for! o__O" But if it's open for any cosplay (meeting the appropriate attire), I think it's pretty fair c:

[Runa]

Why is the cosplay contest restricted to characters from Japanese origin anyways? I've always wondered, as well as why that rule can't be changed as Kumoricon grows.

Here's what Jaki (Programming Director) says about it:
"I'm sorry for the confusion, but our rules have always stated that the costume portion of the Cosplay Contest is limited to cosplays of Japanese origin - whether it be anime, manga, or other cultural sources.  In the past, we have been lax in applying this rule, but with the increase in entries we've had over the last couple of years we are now strictly enforcing this rule.

We appreciate all the hard work people put into their cosplays, and we love to see them at con.  But Kumoricon is an anime convention, and our focus is on anime and Japanese culture.  All costumes are welcome at the convention, even in the Cosplay Skits, but costume judging will be restricted to those cosplays that fall within our focus.

Thank you for your understanding."

So the competitions must follow the theme of the convention - you'll notice that the Karaoke competitions have always been restricted to Japanese origin songs only and the AMV competition has always been restricted to Japanese Anime / game footage. We are now enforcing that for Cosplay competition as well.

The fashion show is not a competition and it will not have any skits (participants will not be allowed to say anything while on stage) - it is just an opportunity for people to step on stage and model their outfits be they cosplay, Lolita, J-Rock, original costume or costume from any medium.

[DasBombadillo]

Would definitely be up for this, partially to be the token male-to-female crossplayer in the lineup.  Also, I've got a couple different costumes that would be great to show off for this!

[Haru Hanson]

This sounds awesome! I defiantly want to participate in this!

[Runa]

Remember: you can enter Cosplay competition (presenting a skit + competing for fabulous prizes) AND participate in Fashion show (modeling outfit on stage)....I hope many Wil choose to do both. :-)

[Haru Hanson]

Remember: you can enter Cosplay competition (presenting a skit + competing for fabulous prizes) AND participate in Fashion show (modeling outfit on stage)....I hope many Wil choose to do both. :-)

I think I might join both, they both sound like tons of fun! ^^

[DasBombadillo]

Remember: you can enter Cosplay competition (presenting a skit + competing for fabulous prizes) AND participate in Fashion show (modeling outfit on stage)....I hope many Wil choose to do both. :-)

I would if I could think of A) something to do for the competition and B) could get someone to do it with me.  Is there some official way for us to sign up for the fashion show?

[LtCommanderRichie]

Why is the cosplay contest restricted to characters from Japanese origin anyways? I've always wondered, as well as why that rule can't be changed as Kumoricon grows.

Here's what Jaki (Programming Director) says about it:
"I'm sorry for the confusion, but our rules have always stated that the costume portion of the Cosplay Contest is limited to cosplays of Japanese origin - whether it be anime, manga, or other cultural sources.  In the past, we have been lax in applying this rule, but with the increase in entries we've had over the last couple of years we are now strictly enforcing this rule.

We appreciate all the hard work people put into their cosplays, and we love to see them at con.  But Kumoricon is an anime convention, and our focus is on anime and Japanese culture.  All costumes are welcome at the convention, even in the Cosplay Skits, but costume judging will be restricted to those cosplays that fall within our focus.

Thank you for your understanding."

So the competitions must follow the theme of the convention - you'll notice that the Karaoke competitions have always been restricted to Japanese origin songs only and the AMV competition has always been restricted to Japanese Anime / game footage. We are now enforcing that for Cosplay competition as well.

The fashion show is not a competition and it will not have any skits (participants will not be allowed to say anything while on stage) - it is just an opportunity for people to step on stage and model their outfits be they cosplay, Lolita, J-Rock, original costume or costume from any medium.

I'm going to scare myself a bit and take an almost Tumblr-esque social justice standpoint on this, but these rules seem very exclusionist to me and the more I think about it the more they start to rub me the wrong way.

Japan may be the major exporter of things like giant fighting robots and googly-eyed moe girls and cyborg karate bugmen, but there are other parts of East Asia that try their damndest to compete on that market as well. I know that this is a Japanese Anime And Culture Convention (capital letters so you know it's important), and far be it from me to tell you folk how to run your con, but locking out the creative works of other Asian countries seems like a somewhat ill-conceived and hamhanded motion.

What makes Japanese animation, comics and television any better than ones that come from, say, Korea or China? What makes Japanese television and culture any better than television and culture from the rest of East Asia? Is it the language? Is it the sheer volume of animation present? Limiting the pool of source material to only Japanese sources doesn't exactly stunt the creativity of the people competing because of the sheer volume of things to choose from, but that doesn't mean that it should be done. Saying that ONLY Japanese things can be judged cuts out people with beautiful craftsmanship skills that would rather cosplay from, say, 'Bride of the Water God', 'Priest' or 'Witch Hunter'.

tl;dr: East Asia is comprised of more than just Japan, and many many East Asian countries draw pretty cartoon books and have pretty animated shows. It doesn't seem particularly fair (or politically correct, at least to me) to limit the cosplay contest to JUST Japanese sources.

[Prinz Eugen]

I'm chiming in a bit because I sometimes get this from the AMV side: "What do you mean, Last Airbender isn't an anime?"
(The AMV rules have a 10% cap for non Japanese origin.)
A few years ago the AMV judges panel bounced an video made from Shin Angyo Onshi because it was Korean animation and not Japanese.

This particular convention has defined itself as having a center interest in Japnese animation, gaming, history, and culture, with possible (but not mandatory) peripheral interests in other Asian cultures. Coming to this anime convention is a voluntary interest. Also, a club focusing on traditional cooking from a cultural region need never acknowledge other regions and cultures, and that's not an insult to those other peoples or cuisines.

Is this 'unjust?' No, because 'justice' involves getting what you deserve - whether it could be suing for wages you earned (and deserve) but your crooked boss is refusing to pay, or it could a judge handing down a civil penalty such as a fine you must pay, because you deserve 'a lesson.'

Now what if some people wanted to practice Japanese and decided to meet monthly at a coffeehouse and try out their conversational skills. Are they 'better' than the Lithuanians who meet elsewhere monthly to practice Lithuanian? No. But if the bunch of people who want to try out their Japanese were meeting and someone else says 'Hey, how come none of you are interested in speaking Korean?' that might feel a bit obnoxious. 'But I learned Korean - don't I deserve some recognition from you?' No, you don't. Korean speakers may appreciate it, but even they don't necessarily owe you recognition, either.

Next, not every special interest organization needs to broaden its interest as it grows.
Here's a growing club ONLY for people 6'2" or taller:
http://www.tall.org/about_tci.cfm?CFID=1052100&CFTOKEN=87126656
Are they being unfair to me because at 5'8" I could never join them?
Don't I 'deserve' something from them? Answer: No.

Why do they get together and exclude people like me? Possibly because they have certain common interests - including costuming. Tall people certainly might be interested in sharing sources for clothing that fit them, special alterations, or fashion tips that work for them but would look uber-dorky on ME if I tried it...

As organizations repeat their events, a tradition gets built up, and that can be a source of pride, interest, and dedication. "We're not really interested in [Y] because we've always been interested in [Z]" is a valid definition for a group. Narrow focus isn't always a bad thing - there's an internet forum devoted to the Gewehr 43 - a very specific collector's item. Oh wait, they've broadened to include the Karabiner 43, and some folks even talk about the older 1898-style Mausers (G98) and their carbine rifles (K98.) But they're so narrow-minded, it's all about the 7.92x57mm JS - when will they ever learn that the world has moved on to the 7.62x51mm NATO round?

Fun:  I remember at Sakuracon 2003, seeing a member point to a cosplayer and tell her friend "Hey, that's a game character costume - this is an anime convention!"  

[bunny_jean]

I don't think I buy your "tradition" justification. I've entered the cosplay contest for costume judging three times, and once was from a video game, once was from an anime, and once was from Vocaloid (which I consider neither anime nor game). Since all three are technically Japanese, it hasn't mattered, but I think that any costume with amazing craftsmanship should be allowed to enter the costume portion. Also, since costumes from other countries are allowed to be in skits, I definitely don't feel a sense of "tradition" around the cosplay contest and it's "Japanese-ness."

As for your last comment, that was in 2003. That was nearly 10 years ago, and the fandom has changed since then. Not to mention there are numerous media forms of a lot of things that people cosplay from now. Visual novels, anime, live-action, video games, card games, etc. And since many countries are also picking up the style and feel of Japanese gaming and anime, I think that Kumoricon should allow these in it's contests.


To be more on topic, here are my views on the fashion show:
I really like the idea, but it has the potential to be very long since so many people will probably want to enter. Especially if each person will have something about their costume/fashion read out. It might be beneficial to break it up into fashions, cosplay, and vendors.

[LtCommanderRichie]

I'm sorry, but there was not a single place in my post where I said that anyone deserved anything. I said social justice, which according to Google, usually means somewhere in the vicinity of "the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being."

You're putting words in my mouth, and that's rude. That is, unless you're saying that nobody 'deserves' an equal society or institution, in which case you're being very rude.

Now what if some people wanted to practice Japanese and decided to meet monthly at a coffeehouse and try out their conversational skills. Are they 'better' than the Lithuanians who meet elsewhere monthly to practice Lithuanian? No. But if the bunch of people who want to try out their Japanese were meeting and someone else says 'Hey, how come none of you are interested in speaking Korean?' that might feel a bit obnoxious.

That's basically what I just asked. "Hey, how come you guys are narrowing your focus to JUST Japanese anime and culture? Korea and China make the same stuff."

So a question like that is obnoxious? So far I seem to be the only person who's asked it, at least in public. Yeah, I get it. This is your personal opinion on the subject of my personal opinion (notice how I started with a disclaimer- "I know that this is a Japanese Anime And Culture Convention (capital letters so you know it's important), and far be it from me to tell you folk how to run your con,") but your opinion of my opinion seems to be that it's obnoxious and stupid of me to ask questions about a legitimate part of this con that I personally believe to be, if not handled incorrectly, then far too biased towards animation and culture of Japanese origin for the sole reason that it is Japanese.

As organizations repeat their events, a tradition gets built up, and that can be a source of pride, interest, and dedication.

But that's just it- the 'tradition' up until now has been to ignore the rules whenever it suited people in charge of admissions and judging of the cosplay contest. In 2009 they made an exception for the costume of the woman that won Best in Show- it certainly deserved Best in Show, yes, but it was from an American-made webcomic of which the creators happened to be Guests of Honor. Does that mean that if Cho Jung-Man is present as a GoH I can still compete in the cosplay contest and be judged while wearing a Witch Hunter cosplay? By your reasoning I should be allowed to. The rules say I can't be. The tradition has been that it's perfectly allowed.

PS: I belong to a super-secret club about collecting things too! We collect small plastic karate bugmen and pose them in silly ways and take pictures. But we don't just talk about, or take pictures of, our karate bugmen! We also talk about and take pictures of the villains that those karate bugmen fight, small plastic color-coded sentai teams, and the sentai team villains! And wouldn't you know it, nobody fights about it! Because guess what, at the end of the day we know we're still doing something that the average person on the street would think is a little weird. Like collecting guns.


And to stay on-topic: Fashion show for actual fashion seems like a brilliant idea. Fashion show for cosplay that can't be judged otherwise and/or merchandise sales? To me, not so much so. nofun.jpg

[@random]

This is getting off-topic for the fashion show; the place for discussion of the cosplay contest rules would be http://www.kumoricon.org/forums/index.php?topic=15348.0

Also, please keep in mind the code of conduct:
"Keep discussion friendly and civil, and keep discussion focused on the issue rather than the person. No personal attacks or speculating about another person's motives."

[Soramunesanzun]

I think that if there is a fashion show, it should be for FASHION. Cosplay is not fashion, it is a costume.

Here's an idea:

Have the fashion show be only a display of fashions. If you so wish to have your lovely japanese-ness taken into account, then make it a japanese fashion show. Goodness knows there's enough oddball street fashions to fill an entire event.

Have, to satisfy all of us non-japanese-stuff cosplayers, an "off topic cosplay contest." It would not be as big a deal as your beloved japanese contest, but it would give people like me, with one or two japanese-based costumes to their name, a chance to shine.

[Haru Hanson]

I don't think it matters that people want to cosplay as animations/comics from other countries, I would prefer it to stay just focused towards Japanese Anime/Manga/Fashion, but seeing as that, yes, Korean, and other eastern Asian countries are getting more attention, that everybody should just be quiet, and enjoy the fact that they are even holding one at all. I don't think it should matter whether or not the cosplay/outfit is of Japanese origin, although as I said I would prefer it to be so, It would be fair to have both Japanese and other countries Animations/Fashion/Comics to participate in this event~

[Prinz Eugen]

<This post collapsed by author out of respect for another poster whose post may have been deleted.>

[Prinz Eugen]

<Previous portions collapsed out of respect for another post which seems to have been deleted.>

Again, though what's most important is having fun while you explore and learn, and celebrate what you discover with the rest of us...

[bunny_jean]

Why was Soramunesanzun's second post deleted, but the two long posts above this one, which are both off topic, not deleted? Obviously a mod is paying attention to this thread but not doing anything about things being off topic? Seems kinda backwards to me.

[Prinz Eugen]

Why was Soramunesanzun's second post deleted, but the two long posts above this one, which are both off topic, not deleted? Obviously a mod is paying attention to this thread but not doing anything about things being off topic? Seems kinda backwards to me.

I will collapse my two previous posts out of respect for another writer who may have opinions at variance to my own.
I am also starting an off-topic thread to explore the political aspects of the topics raised.

That thread is here: http://www.kumoricon.org/forums/index.php?topic=16960.0

[Prinz Eugen]

< Had a couple of 'Modify' windows open; the text that was here should have been on the off-topic thread.>

[Soramunesanzun]

So how many different fashions could be in this show? Let's make a list.

[bunny_jean]

So how many different fashions could be in this show? Let's make a list.

I still think it would be best to break up the fashion show into three fashion shows: One for fashion, one for cosplay, and one for vendors. I think for fashions: Lolita, punk, kigurumi, gyaru, morigirl, decora... Maybe ganguro if anyone's feeling feisty. Cosplay would be best suited to be broken into categories too: handmade, commissioned, store bought, found, etc.

[Soramunesanzun]

i agree on the splitting. It would be fun to do ganguro haha.

[LtCommanderRichie]

I'd do street gothic or Lolita, maybe gyaruo if I couldn't bring myself to do the first two for whatever reason. I definitely agree that the fashion show should entail JUST fashion, and have another, separate 'fashion' show (or at least break it up into segments) for the cosplayers and people modeling their merchandise.

[Soramunesanzun]

in all seriousness, I am willing to do lolita or fairykei/popkei. It would be easy because of my closet.

Maybe I should wear fairy kei because there will probably be 23198471823746 lolitas...?

[JeffT]

Why was Soramunesanzun's second post deleted, but the two long posts above this one, which are both off topic, not deleted? Obviously a mod is paying attention to this thread but not doing anything about things being off topic? Seems kinda backwards to me.

Yes, I and another moderator were reviewing the thread and had not reached some final decisions yet. Soramunesanzun's post was deleted for a different reason, and it was communicated to her privately at the time, and mostly not related as to which posts in this thread were considered on-topic and off-topic.

Prinz Eugen's posts, as well as some posts by other to whom he was responding, were not deleted immediately because I felt that it was natural thread-drift and borderline as to whether they were off-topic or not. Also, as a Kumoricon staff member, he's allowed more leeway in borderline cases when it pertains to an official con event. However, I'd like to thank Prinz Eugen for being gracious and proactively moving them to another thread, which is was good call. I hope that closes the discussion as to moderator issues in this thread. Please contact a moderator privately (either PM or "report") if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks.

[Jamiche]

As other mods have said, this thread is about the Fashion Show, and posts need to stay on-topic.  I'm posting here to answer questions that were raised here, but it will be the last mention in this thread... any discussion needs to be in a PM to me, or in new thread.

As was stated before, we are being less lax in holding to the rules which state that costumes must be of Japanese origin.  It was not meant to be exclusionary of other Asian cultures (I personally don't differentiate between Japanese or Korean manga/manwha or animation, and our programming includes them), and we will look into possibly revising the rules for next year.  For now, the rule stands... if someone wishes to enter a cosplay from that origin, they can email cosplay@kumoricon.org to discuss it.

There are a lot of great costumes at con every year, and people work hard on them and want to show them off.  But we have to draw line at what is accepted into the contest (we have limited time and space), and this is what we have chosen. We are a Japanese cultural convention; that is our focus, and that is what is allowed in the Cosplay Contest.  We love to see your non-anime cosplays, your superhero cosplays... but if you want to compete in a contest with them, there are other conventions you can do so.

Regarding the Fashion Show... I appreciate everyone's ideas and suggestions, but we are going to keep it simple this year.  Yes, it will be on Monday, but we are still limited by time and space.  There will be one show, and it will be open to those cosplays/fashions that were not eligible for the Cosplay Contest.  If there is a lot of interest, we can reevaluate next year.  We will not be splitting it this year.

If you have other questions about the Fashion Show, please post them here.  Any other questions/discussion of the Cosplay Contest, please post in the Cosplay Contest Rules thread, make a new post, or PM me.

Thanks for your understanding

[bunny_jean]

Would there be some kind of form that people would have to fill out to be in the fashion show? Since there is limited time and space, obviously you'll have to limit the number of people who enter, so will it be first come, first served? Or will there be slots for fashion and slots for cosplay and slots for vendors? I'm not sure what is the most fair way to do it.

[Runa]

Would there be some kind of form that people would have to fill out to be in the fashion show? Since there is limited time and space, obviously you'll have to limit the number of people who enter, so will it be first come, first served? Or will there be slots for fashion and slots for cosplay and slots for vendors? I'm not sure what is the most fair way to do it.

I was planning to do it in a manner similar to what the Bang Bang Neko group did a few years ago when they held a fashion show - that is people will line up to go on stage on a first-come first served basis. When they did it, there was someone in the hall who was watching the line and that person didn't allow additional people to join the line once it was nearly 15 minutes before the end of the allotted time. They finished up with a few minutes to spare, which allowed the room to be cleared in preparation for whatever was coming after.

About the only change I want to make is to have people write down their introductions and have the MC (ME!) read it rather than "interview" the cosplayers... So if you want to prepare something ahead of time (TYPED, in large 16 - 20 point font) I'd appreciate that since it would be easier to read. The basic content is only a few sentences:
This is <Your name>
Wearing <style - such as Gothic Lolita / Classic Lolita / Steampunk / whatever>  OR Dressed as _______from __<anime/game/series/show/book/whatever> OR Dressed as ORIGINAL character _____ from ______
and info on whether you made it yourself or it's purchased outfit.

[TalaRedWolf33]

I think this is an amazing idea! Maybe it could be called "The Show Off Show" instead of a fashion show, since we are technically showing off our outfits and because some people seem to HAVE to nit pick what is cosplay or fashion and what isn't.

[Runa]

I think this is an amazing idea! Maybe it could be called "The Show Off Show" instead of a fashion show, since we are technically showing off our outfits and because some people seem to HAVE to nit pick what is cosplay or fashion and what isn't.

OK, according to this,  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/costume,  a costume is
1: the prevailing fashion in coiffure, jewelry, and apparel of a period, country, or class
2: an outfit worn to create the appearance characteristic of a particular period, person, place, or thing <Halloween costumes>
3: a person's ensemble of outer garments; especially : a woman's ensemble of dress with coat or jacket

From the same site, Fashion is:
 a : a prevailing custom, usage, or style b (1) : the prevailing style (as in dress) during a particular time (2) : a garment in such a style <always wears the latest fashions>

This tells me we're trying to split hairs by forcing a larger distinction when there isn't one. If you're wearing a substance that covers your nakedness, you're wearing a costume which may or may not be "current" fashion, however if you just happen to be a celebrity, that unusual garment my suddenly become fashion just because many other people say, "ohhh that's cool - I'm going to wear that,too". Therefore, it is quite feasible that anything that counts as a costume (even if this is copied from some media broadcast) may actually become fashion some day. I've heard that the TV show "Mad Men" has brought back into fashion certain '60s style costumes (see how things can get intertwined?).

So the fashion show will be what it is ... and what's shown all depends upon who shows up and what they're wearing. If a flock of Lolitas and Ganguro girls show up then that's what we'll see, if it's a bunch of Marvel Comic superheros, then that's what we'll see. The participants will make it happen.   

[Daws]

I think that if there is a fashion show, it should be for FASHION. Cosplay is not fashion, it is a costume.

Here's an idea:

Have the fashion show be only a display of fashions. If you so wish to have your lovely japanese-ness taken into account, then make it a japanese fashion show. Goodness knows there's enough oddball street fashions to fill an entire event.

Have, to satisfy all of us non-japanese-stuff cosplayers, an "off topic cosplay contest." It would not be as big a deal as your beloved japanese contest, but it would give people like me, with one or two japanese-based costumes to their name, a chance to shine.

I have one small disagreement with this. I LOVE fashion so I do tend to veer my cosplays in a fashion  direction, especially those open to a lot of interpretation such as pokemon.
I love to think "what would this pokemon look like if it took the form of an epic fashion piece!?" idk, it's how my brain works and how I celebrate the designs of things I enjoy while incorporating my own creativity and expression in it. If cosplays do take fashion into consideration I think they should be allowed in a fashion show, even in it's strictest terms, but here I think it's mostly for fun and the term "fashion show" is being used pretty loosely which is fine by me I'm all for more fun events.

[Runa]

I think that if there is a fashion show, it should be for FASHION. Cosplay is not fashion, it is a costume.

Here's an idea:

Have the fashion show be only a display of fashions. If you so wish to have your lovely japanese-ness taken into account, then make it a japanese fashion show. Goodness knows there's enough oddball street fashions to fill an entire event.

Have, to satisfy all of us non-japanese-stuff cosplayers, an "off topic cosplay contest." It would not be as big a deal as your beloved japanese contest, but it would give people like me, with one or two japanese-based costumes to their name, a chance to shine.

I have one small disagreement with this. I LOVE fashion so I do tend to veer my cosplays in a fashion  direction, especially those open to a lot of interpretation such as pokemon.
I love to think "what would this pokemon look like if it took the form of an epic fashion piece!?" idk, it's how my brain works and how I celebrate the designs of things I enjoy while incorporating my own creativity and expression in it. If cosplays do take fashion into consideration I think they should be allowed in a fashion show, even in it's strictest terms, but here I think it's mostly for fun and the term "fashion show" is being used pretty loosely which is fine by me I'm all for more fun events.

I'd love to see an "epic fashion" Pokemon in the fashion show.   
That's part of the point of the fashion show - it's a showing of creativity with "stuff humans wear". That, and it's meant to be fun fun fun.

Note: I saw the draft of the schedule (which should be coming out officially soon) and the fashion show was scheduled AFTER Cosplay Chess, so those two events should not conflict at all (YEY!!)         

[Daws]

Woop!

[Runa]

Woop!

   yes, Woop, indeed. 

Official time for the Fashion Show is MONDAY in Main Events, and it's scheduled 2:30-3:30.... This also means it does NOT interfere with Cosplay Chess (for those who wanted to do both - YEY!!)

By the way, the next scheduled item in that room will be the 4PM seating for closing ceremonies, so if the fashion show is insanely popular, we may be able to keep going until they throw us off the stage  

[Heirii]

Hrmmmm. I'll see if i can make it. Sounds like a lot of fun! C:

[Runa]

I hope it will be. I just have to make sure I remember to bring enough pens & paper for it.
======================
  Oh, if you are planning to enter, you may write up your blurb now (you could even be super cool and TYPE & print it in large font for me!) and hold onto it until fashion show. That way, you can just get into the "getting on stage" line rather than have to wait for available pen & paper.   

Data needed:
your name
what you're wearing (ie: Gothic Lolita, Ganguro, etc)  OR character name & series of who you're cosplaying as
info on where you got costume (purchased, assembled from Goodwill finds, hand stitched, etc)

Thanks!

[Runa]

I'm thinking of asking the crew to play "generic house music" for the fashion show since that should work generically for most participants. If you watch videos of fashion shows done by the likes of Prada, Chanel, and the like you'd notice that their music choice is "generic house music" (or is it called "rave" music? not certain, but it's the thum thum thum thum bassline with no lyrics and very little melody). I want something sufficiently generic so that it won't clash with whatever fashions show up.

If you are thinking of participating, PLEASE write up your blurb NOW and have it ready ahead of time so we don't have to wait for the first several participants to write down their introductions. Also, PLEASE either PRINT in large block letters, or use a computer to print it in 16 point or larger. Reason you ask - My eyesight isn't perfect, and when I'm tired it's worse...if your grandma has issues making out what it says, then likely I will, too (remember: I'll have these nasty spotlights in my face and the shadows on the podium make it especially difficult to read when someone's penmanship is a scraggly scrawl).

Sample entries (NOTE FONT SIZE!!!:
Penelope Pearson
as Chiyo-chan from Azumanga Daioh
Drafted and sewed the dress and top herself. Purchased pre-styled wig.

Thema Thesibin
wearing Gothic Lolita
purchased from BlackAlice.com

John Smith
4th Season Dr. Who
Knitted the scarf. Rest of outfit from items found at Goodwill stores

[JaegerDarkness]

Would it be possible to bring back the fashion show, for Kumoricon 2015?

[zenneth]

I'd love to donn my vkei for this~~

[dark4ever]

AS A NOTE: All cosplays are welcome in the cosplay contest. They opened it this year, and I'm going to assume it will be the same for next year. So everyone is welcome!