Her cosplay photos attract attention with detailed images.
She made scores of different characters from different fandoms. She is famous both in Russia and abroad. A talented cosplayer Maria Avdonyushkina famous as Adelhaid has answered our questions.
– Hey, Maria! Let’s introduce you to our readers. Tell them about yourself.
– Hello! I live in Moscow, I’m 30 years old. I’m a graphic designer, sewer and handy andy. In 2013 I was a member of Russian team of cosplayers in World Cosplay Summit. Last year I was a finalist in Cosplay Gen Awards in Switzerland.
– When did you start cosplaying? What was your first character?
– More than 10 years ago my friend invited me to take part in a cosplay performance by “Weiss Kreuz”/ I didn’t know anything about cosplay so I just collected suitable clothes from my wardrobe and colored my hair with coloring shampoo. I can’t say it was cosplay at all but it was funny anyway. I don’t have any photos of that performance because nobody thought about photoshoot. My first cosplay was Kurai from “Angel Sanctuary”, I consider.
– How many costumes have you made already?
– I don’t know, may be 50. And I don’t count commissions because I’ve made already 15 jackets of Yuri Plisetsky from “Yuri!!! on Ice”, for example.
– Do you make all your costumes by yourself or ask the other craftsmen for help?
– I make costumes ith my constant companion Faeryx. We need help rarely because both of us sew well. We make programmes for embroidery machine, draw textile print layouts. Several years ago I graduated hairdressing courses so now I can make a haircut for a wig and for a man. Sometimes we ask our friend Desler to cut some PVC details with slotting milling cutter that he assembled by himself. He is a perfect craftsman!
I like using all the modern technologies that can help me make costumes better and faster. Recently I’ve got a 3D printer. Yesterday I exported a model from one programme to another. I’d like to say smth rude here but you’ll have to delete it anyway.
Some day I will commission a full set and it will be a funny experience.
– Your gallery has a variety of fandoms but do you have a special one?
– My favorite fandom is “Trinity Blood”. Due to this fandom I met wonderful people from the whole World. We communicate by WhatsUpp, help each other to find and order smth, send New Year presents. My first intricate costumes were made by “Trinity Blood” illustrations.
-How do you choose characters for cosplay? Do you prefer only favorite fandoms, or may be character’s personality is the most important for you? Perhaps you pay attention at costume’s design first?
There is no any special way of choosing a character. Most of all I like making beautiful costumes of my favorite characters from my favorite fandoms. But it can be impossible because my favorite character may be a giant and strong Spanish man that I can’t cosplay physically. But this man may have a wife, a daughter or a fellow so I will cosplay them. Sometimes I see the costume first and then I want to learn about fandom. The only characters I don’t cosplay are characters I don’t like at all.
– Do you spend much time on projecting and creating images? Do you have a free time for a hobby?
– Making a costume for myself is not a work, that’s what I call my hobby. The time I need depends on costume, character and perfomance. I can need a week or a year. When Faeryx and me decided to make a performance by “Kuroshitsuji” at Hinode I couldn’t juggle at all. Now I can juggle with 3 balls or rings while standing on a circus bobbin and I can walk on a sling also. Of course, I spent some time for learning.
Except cosplay, I have another hobbies. I love sky-diving. Formerly I was a pole dancer, now I’m fond of aerial dance. Also I like wet felting that I can’t use in cosplay but I can felt hats and gloves for me and my friends.
– You had many photoshoots with the best Russian cosplay photographers, your photos are published in Russian and foreign web-sites, you even gave an interview to Cosplaygen. Do you feel like a star? How do you feel about being in the limelight?
– I don’t feel like a star. I can go out without sun glasses – how can I call myself a star? I like the fact that people love my works and I’m glad to be invited to festivals for judging. Such kind of fame doesn’t bother me.
– Some of your photoshoots are quite sexually explicit, for example your new photoshoot of Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell. Was it difficult to emancipate yourself or you can do anything for cosplay?
– The idea of this photoshoot belongs to JustMoolti. We know each other for many years, he is easy to work with and I don’t feel any shame with him. I think such photoshoot must be comfortable for all participants. For fun I could ask everybody to get undressed too but I forgot to.
It is not cosplay that I can do anything for. For example, I wouldn’t stay awaken at night. So I don’t sew costumes the night before a festival, I always make them in advance. I wouldn’t blow my last money on cosplay. And I would never risk my or my fellows’ health for cosplay.
– What is cosplay for you in general?
– It is one of my hobbies. I enjoy making costumes, performing on stage, being a photo model.
– How do your relatives consider your hobby? Do they help you? Support?
– My parents have never been against cosplay and they were interested in my progress when I went abroad for international cosplay contests (WCS, CCCC, CosplayGen Awards). Last year I was invited as a guest at festival in Romania but my Birthday was at the same time. My family decided that they don’t need me here in Russia to celebrate my Birthday. It is cool when your family supports you.
– Abroad Russian cosplay is more and more spoken about; foreign cosplayers express their delight of Russian cosplayers very often. How do you think, is there any chance that Russian cosplay will be on top?
– Russian cosplay is famous for its intricate, detailed costumes. Many Russian cosplayers attend foreign festivals as guests and judges. Our cosplayers make amazingly beautiful and complex stuff.
– What plans for the future do you have? What are you working at?
– Now I’m sewing a costume of Kiria from “Tokio Mirage Sessions”. Then it will be completed, i hope to hit Play Station and finish playing Dishonored II. Preventing your question I say, I’m not going to cosplay Emily or smb else from this game. It’s not everything you play must be cosplayed.
– And our traditional final question is: what do you wish people who just going to make their first cosplay?
– Don’t neglect eating, sleeping and resting. Both costume and you won’t be better without these 3 things.
Adelhaid special for Costime.
Photo: JustMoolti, Tis, Onkami, Yui Lang
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