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CosBlog #23: Wander by Hime no Toki

by Meagan Marie on Mar 17, 2010 at 09:45 AM

We’ve already featured one amazing Shadow of the Colossus costume on the CosBlog, and this impressive Wander tribute continues the trend. Check out Hime no Toki’s take on the brave protagonist of Team Ico’s masterpiece below.

Who: The Character
Wander from Shadow of the Colossus

Why: The Decision
“I fell in love with Shadow of the Colossus. The game is simply amazing, from the graphics to the power of the story behind it. I love Wander for his determination to bring life back to the one he loves, and risk everything to do so. His story is so profound, and yet the game is so simplistic all the same, it's a beautiful blend of art and story. It doesn't need to be complex to get the message across or in order to be entertaining and thought-provoking. I absolutely love the works of Fumito Ueda and Team Ico, it didn't take any second thought or convincing for me to make this, I knew it had to happen. So without a moment's hesitation, I set about to make this dream costume a reality. I put my heart and soul into this costume.”

What: The Process
“This costume was a project from start to finish. One thing I will say is though it looks simple, there's a lot going on in this design and it took loads of research and work to complete. It took roughly four months from start to finish, and I had started brainstorming and gathering materials even months before the actual work began. It ended up costing around $500 for all the materials.

“I don't think I have ever been quite so meticulous with detail as I was with Wander, I wanted every stitch to be in place, the wig to be styled just right, every pattern to be replicated accurately, and every strap on the sandals to match up with what the character is wearing. Even the subtle details were important. I used my knowledge in leather work and sewing for most of the costume, there was a lot of hand and machine embroidery done throughout. I made sure to pick fabrics that had a texture and color to compliment Wander's garments as they appear and flow in game. I did leather work for the sandals, leg gaurds, belt, and bracelets. I embossed the symbols on the leather belt myself and paid careful attention to detail to make sure the symbols matched, it was really hard to find good reference but thanks to the artbook and studying the game, I was able to replicate it pretty well.

“The tabard is probably the most impressive piece, I spent hours studying the pattern in the artbook and on screen while making the template, and it was well worth it - I was able to replicate it pretty accurately and to scale, all of the symbols are appliqued on with fabric and embroidered by machine around each and every one, and it had to be done four times (front and back, and inside on both sides). I did a lot of hand embroidery for the headband, the stitch marks on the pants, around the tabbard edge, and on the under-tunic. The sword is layered balsa wood that was fiberglassed, it's pretty light-weight. If you want the full details, just go to the links provided for my Coscom and ACP accounts - I discuss the process at length there for how I made this piece.”

Where and When: The Debut
“I debuted Wander at OhayoCon 2009, where it won the honor of Best in Show craftsmanship. I didn't get around to doing any scenic photoshoots until I was back in Florida. I was happy to find out Consplayers would be in Florida, and shooting at the Maitland Art Center close by which was my dream location for this costume. The photos are all credit to Robert from Consplayers.com who did an amazing job! We did the shoot during the heat of summer, but it was worth it.”

Links: The Cosplayer
Cosplay.com
Anime Cosplay Paradise