[Cosplayer: Mugi] Creating Costumes is Her Weapon of Choice

She did the interview in a Wraith cosplay from Apex Legends

 

Should I introduce our guest today as a cosplayer or a costume creator…? I’m not sure…I wonder why. Even though I’ve interviewed countless cosplayers up until now, it never ceases to amaze me when I hear that they make their own costumes or hear them say things like “I made that myself!”. I am blown away by the idea that cosplay is something that can be enjoyed all the way down to the creation of the costume itself.

 

However, the number of projects our guest today has done is… unbelievable. I thought that there must be some kind of mistake.

 

 

The Amount of Out of This World Pieces Is in the… Hundreds?!?

Moi-Moi passed the torch onto this cosplayer and with her impressive record of costumes she has created, it’s not an exaggeration to call her a costume creator; Today’s guest Mugi. In all, how many pieces have you made?

 

“Hmmm… at least 300 pieces! Although it may be more (laughs).”

 

Wow~ 3… 00?? Not 3…0?

 

“No. I started cosplaying 11 years ago and from then up until now in total it’s around that much!!”

 

Amazing… You’ve really made 300 pieces? You must be in high demand, right?

 

“When I’m busy I make about 30 costumes a year. When I think about it I wonder if I can call my earlier pieces costumes, but if you include the crude pieces as well it amounts to about that many.”

 

Everything down to the fabric and accessories are filled with commitment and creativity

 

 

The Rush of Making Costumes!

It’s definitely exciting putting your arms through the sleeves of a new outfit. However, the lay thought had crossed our minds that if you’re having photoshoots, wouldn’t you have to prepare a new costume for every shoot?

 

“Even in cosplay, there are numerous ways to express a character. For example, some people hold their strength in their style and are really good at embodying the character, some are confident in their make-up and skin care and focus on that. For me it’s the costume itself.”

 

Pretty Cure 5 (Milky Rose): Photographer– Minano （Twitter／@smart_rs700）

 

For sure, now that cosplaying has become much more widespread it seems that it is not simply about cosplaying anymore but we have entered an era of  “What special skills and talents do you have and wield in the genre of cosplay in order to express yourself?”. Perhaps the cosplay culture is maturing and evolving.  

 

“That’s what I meant when I said for me it’s costumes. When I started making costumes, I posted what I made on things like SNS. I received a lot of compliments, things like “Nice choice of cloth!”. Originally being very particular about the fabric I chose, it was nice to hear. It was from there that I looked for ways to express myself through the costumes I make.”

 

I’m wondering, if you make that many won’t your home be filled to the brim with costumes?

 

“Yes… not just that, the house gets really messy when I am making costumes. Because of this I made it a  rule to throw out or give away any costumes that don’t fit in the closet. So now I have around 10 costumes on hand in there.” 

 

That is a seriously strict rule for yourself… Now I’m wondering what has become of the other 290 costumes..

 

Dororo (Hyakkimaru) Photographer: Alpaca

 

Band Yarouze (Asahi Otori) Photographer: Kitsune （Twitter／@fox_yellow )

 

“But I know that if I don’t set strict rules for myself, it will be near impossible for me to follow them. I have also slowed down the speed of production, so that I can take my time to create pieces. At the beginning, the pace I was making costumes at was so fast I couldn’t put as much care into the piece as I would’ve liked. I feel like since slowing down I have been able to let myself shine through more in the costumes I make.” 

 

An exclusive look into Mugi’s closet!! It’s organised so neatly.

 

Just as you said. If the goal is to simply pump out costume after costume, it takes all of the fun out of it.

 

“It’s precisely because I love making costumes that I do it. They take time, effort and money to make though, so it’s not something that I can just do. I need the knowledge that I have gained so far, but also I would say more than half of the process is fueled by me taking the love I have for the works and the characters, and turning that into pure adrenaline (laughs)”

 

Mugi gave us some points to keep in mind while enjoying cosplay.

 

“I cosplay because it’s fun and I like the characters. I don’t think that it’s something that you can use to compare person to person. Although it may sound weird, I feel like making costumes is the same. Different cosplayers have different amounts of time that they can dedicate to their cosplay. Frankly, I too have times when I see other people’s cosplay and think “Wow! That’s amazing!”, but I remind myself  that I am me and they are them. After I started thinking this way, cosplay became even more fun!”

 

Definitely, especially when it comes to creating costumes there are many possibilities in regard to creativity and there are no right answers. If you can find joy even in the differences between people, your cosplay experience will be that much more enriching. 

 

Kiratto Pri Chan (Anna) Photographer: Ashitaka (Twitter／@ashitaka_photo）

 

Kiratto Pri Chan (Dia) Photographer: Ashitaka (Twitter／@ashitaka_photo）

 

 

Commissions for Individuals have Officially Begun!!

In addition to her current work, Mugi is currently accepting requests for costumes from individual cosplayers. 

 

“I came across an SNS that was looking for someone that read “Is there anyone out there who can make this costume for me?” I sort of put it out there that if they would have me I would gladly make it. And that’s how it started.”

 

And of course with the quality craftsmanship of Mugi’s costumes there is no doubt that the number of customers will continue to grow. 

 

Her workroom where the costumes are made. With such a fancy ambience, you can’t help but to get inspired to cosplay when you see it.

 

“Now I have people who will say “I want you to make it because I want a “Mugi” costume” or “I want a costume with your sense of style”. It makes me so happy when I hear things like that. I am so glad that I have worked with all of my heart up until now and my motivation continues to rise. There are even requests that come in on SNS that are from people I don’t even follow. I was actually in fashion design when I was in university, so I’m happy that what I know is helping people. Moreover, when I’m making a costume for someone else I can’t take shortcuts, so it’s a good way for me to hone my skills.” 

 

Finally, we received some advice for all of the costume creators around the world!

 

“In Japan, there are shops that sell a lot of things for 100 yen, but what about in places overseas? What I would say to you is that you have to think outside the box in terms of what you can use and how you can use it. For example, something as simple as a screw can have infinite possibilities. The ability to think freely like this is one of the true pleasures of cosplay!” 

 

One of Mugi’s pieces. I’m in awe at all of the intricate details.

 

Judging by this level of quality, I can imagine that there are many out there yelling

“I want Mugi to make me something!”

 

Mugi:

 

Twitter：@m_65087

 

Instagram：mokoto273

 

Mugi’s Costume Order Site：mugimugioreo.wixsite.com/rinlin

 

 

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