Mumbai Comic Con 2025: Tips to dress up as your favourite character

Cosplay culture is rising but itrsquos not all fun and games as it may seem Designing and sewing costumes takes days and capturing the characterrsquos essence takes practice Walking around ComicCon all day can be exhausting But enthusiasts love itSo how does one do it all Medha Srivastava a professional cosplayer conceptual artist and illustrator and Rivika Khanna a cosplayer and founder of Mumbai Anime Corps have the answers Newbies take notesChoose wiselyFor firsttime cosplayers it can be tricky Khanna began cosplaying because she wanted to be the anime characters she liked But with no sewing or crafting skills Khanna says ldquoIt depends on each character you cosplay When I played Sanjay from One Piece all I had to do was wear a suit and a wigrdquoMedha Srivastava kills it as Wednesday AddamsSrivastava too recommends starting small ldquoFor beginners cosplay can be intimidating and make you anxious Itrsquos essential to not get carried awayrdquo Khanna also recommends choosing characters whom you relate to ldquoMatch your energy and vibe with that of the characterrdquo she saysBudget it rightRivika Khanna cosplays Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez from BleachBuilding a costume from scratch can be expensive but not if you plan well ldquoYou donrsquot have to choose expensive materials Start with simple things you can access easily like cardboard or woodrdquo says Srivastava adding that beginners donrsquot have to invest in EVA foam sheets if they havenrsquot worked with the material before ldquoA lot of weapons and armour are made using foam but Irsquom not saying itrsquos the best or the only material to use Stick to materials you are more familiar withrdquoCapture the essenceKhannarsquos Ryomen Sukuna from Jujutsu KaisenResearch Research Research ldquoItrsquos not only about the costume You have to research your character and see how they talk walk or if they have a signature pose You have to be themrdquo says Khanna Simply wearing a costume wonrsquot make you a cosplayerShow your artistic sideldquoInitially I used to pick characters based on my artistic knowledge and skill I used to see it from an artistic perspective Itrsquos only now that I choose characters based on popularity as thatrsquos what brands needrdquo says Srivastava who sews crafts and even does all the wig work herselfKeep it simpleGanyu cosplay at Comic Con Pic courtesyInstagram comicconindiaIf you canrsquot sew mix and match things from your wardrobe like Khanna If you canrsquot craft with materials stick with fabricTest the costumeSrivastava recommends testing it out ldquoThe convention includes hours of standing and you canrsquot sit in some costumes Try the costume walk in it and see how it feels beforehandrdquo she saysStay hydratedSeems silly but Srivastava warns that itrsquos necessary ldquoConventions go on for hours And often we havenrsquot slept well because we have been working nights on our costumesrdquo she saysBe confident and have funldquoYou are no longer you You are the character you are dressed asrdquo says Khanna She warns that people will meet you take photos and talk ldquoItrsquos why you have to be confident in the character you are cosplaying asrdquo she saysMumbairsquos goto spots for materialLocal tailorsTell your tailor what you want in your costume Opting for local tailors keeps costs lowHardware shopsPVC pipes rubber sheets mdash theyrsquove got it Need armour or a weapon Pay a visit to see what you can sourceThakkar Bappa Colony MarketThis Chembur neighbourhood market has every kind of store Itrsquos where you get EVA foam sheets crafting materials and moreCrawford MarketMumbairsquos onestop shop for everything Cosplayers go here for fabrics sanding tools chains stationery and moreatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params