[English]
By Elsibe Loubser and Paula Rabeling
*****
“Sun-origin”: that’s roughly what the word Japan means (thanks, Wikipedia). Who hasn’t heard of the land of the rising sun? Hmmm, beautiful words. And ever since this year’s tsunami and earthquake disaster in Japan, fashion houses are inspired by everything Japanese (when were we not?!). Now especially, the Japanese are hailed for their trusted fortitude in the face of tragedy. We’re not the first to highlight this, but it’s our chosen message of hope to round off 2011. And since South African summer is all about sunshine, we grabbed our most trusted glamour item, and went on an adventure…
Paula Rabeling for HSSS
Photo taken by Karl Lilje
Yes, we were lucky enough to celebrate our summer wardrobe pick, the sexy little black dress (LBD), against the backdrop of a special event: The picnic for Cosplayers in Kirstenbosch – a select few who were motivated by two Cape Town ladies (more about them later). What are Cosplayers? They are people who dress up like Japanese anime characters; we think it’s escapist, expressive, just plain cool. What more could you want out of your holidays!
So, we hope you enjoy our whimsical fashion story. (Don’t forget to click on the photos to enlarge them.) And, just because we love the great music hits of summer 2011 too, we’ve added a link to Big in Japan by Martin Solveig at the end of our story.
Paula in a Truworths dress at the outdoor sculpture exhibition at Kirstenbosch Gardens
Photo taken by Karl Lilje
So why the LBD? Well, December has been packed with staff parties, arty-parties, black-tie events, birthday parties, and rock festivals. Celebrations, cocktails and the new-year party are still coming up. Through all this, a little black number is a girl’s best get-up-and-go glam wardrobe staple. We found someone who underwrites that sentiment:
Paula Rabeling, 20-year-old Capetonian writer, jumped at the chance to do something adventurous. So, she headed down to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on 3 December to find out just what this Cosplaying phenomenon is all about.
Like very often, Cape Town’s weather had promised wind. But it was a perfect day with just a breath to wisp away strands of silky hair from your face. The group was select, numbering not even enough for a wedding.
Paula in black with paper cranes. Lesoko V Seabe, a drama student at Hiddingh campus, UCT, Cape Town, made our beautiful paper cranes
Photo taken by Karl Lilje
Paula Rabeling, our model for the day, shares her story:
“The experience of meeting with the Cosplayers was different; I never knew that people got together to dress as their favourite Japanese cartoon character. I felt like a bit of a fraud being there, dressed in a simple, silk Chinese dress with no anime persona.
Photo taken by Karl Lilje
Luckily, they accepted me. One of the Cosplayers who was dressed all in leather, even gave me a character name.
Cosplayers in character on a bench at Kirstenbosch with Samurai sword
Photo taken by Karl Lilje
The Cosplay costumes were beautifully intricate; many people made their own costumes and their dedication and creativity shone through.
Paula gives Elza an origami crane as gift
Photo taken by Karl Lilje
I met anime cartoon artists, who all sat in a circle with their books out drawing. There was also a guy [Jaydon van Gent] who has his own anime blog and wants to get an anime magazine up and running in South Africa.
Contemplative Cosplayer, Dr Frankenstein from Soul Eater
Photo taken by Karl Lilje
Jesca Marisa, Cosplayer and blogger (read more about her later)
Photo by Karl Lilje
Cosplayer with butterflies (Karl Lilje added the butterflies digitally)
Photo taken by Karl Lilje
Darren Croucher playing Itachi Uchiha from Naruto
Photo taken by Paul Malherbe
I met people whom I would have never met otherwise if I had not decided to model some black dresses.
Elza Grobler holding a crane. She is an animator and made her own costume
Photo taken by Karl Lilje
Being a modelling virgin, I found that every time I had to strike a pose, I couldn’t help laughing a bit; which was the cause for many re-takes. Karl the photographer was great and never got frustrated with my inexperience.
Paula with sculptured wing and pink feathers. She is photographed at the exhibition that ends in March 2012. Take a look at what you can see there:
UNTAMED-SA artists add their voices to the climate change
We walked around the gardens too and found the exhibition. Getting the pink feathers to fall the way that Elsibe (who coordinated the styling) and Karl wanted was a difficult task with feathers falling in front of my eyes.
Paula with her Mother of Pearl inlay sandals, which she got from a friend as a gift. Dress from Woolworths. Handbag, stylists own
Photo taken by Karl Lilje
I feel like I can now say that I was a model “in my youth”; an experience that I know will help me in my future journalistic career. I even got to keep the pink flamingos, which happily sit on my window sill now.”
Paula with pink flamingos made from plastic, bought from a street vendor in Claremont, Cape Town
Photo taken by Karl Lilje
Picnic time!
Photo taken by Karl Lilje
Many picnic-goers made their own costumes and the picnic at Kirstenbosch was the ideal event for being in character, with animators, illustrators and anime bloggers loving the sun and the sub-culture. But whether you’re going trendy anime or classic eastern, we love Japan because it’s the country that rocks the frock!
Our friend Jaydon tells us these ladies are Crystal and Joane (pronounced Jo-Anne), and they’re interested to Cosplay next time. Kirstenbosch is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Cape Town, made special because locals and tourists love it equally, and Cosplayers love it too!
Photo taken by Karl Lilje
Cosplayers and anime fanatics online in South Africa:
What we like about the Cosplayers is that they’re taking virtual and making it real and, if you dare, everyday. How cool is that!
Sasha Perdigao (an animator) on the left and Genevieve KomboKitten (a blogger) on the right
Photo coutesy of NEKO-nojutshu
Sasha and Genevieve were the principal facilitators for the event.
KomboKitten Online is run by Genevieve KomboKitten Lesch. You can find KomboKitten Online on Facebook. She covers cosplay, gaming, ninjutsu, charity initiatives and her part-time modelling. Here she is in another, totally different character:
Edgy! And here’s the link if you want to follow her business on Facebook: KomboKitten Online Facebook page
To follow her blog where she writes about the Kirstenbosch event from a Cosplayer’s point of view, go here: KomboKitten Online blog
Genevieve KomboKitten Lesch
Photo taken by Karl Lilje
Genevieve told us that she made the obi (yellow sash and bow) herself. She also traced and cut out the material as well as doing the painting, and crafting the Alice band. The sewing of this yukata was done by Sasha Perdigao. “She was also my guidance during the crafting of this costume,” says Genevieve.
Jesca Marisa, pictured earlier in this story, drew an illustration of her costume and then had it made. You can find her blog here: www.jescamarisa.blogspot.com and her website here: www.jescamarisa.com
We asked Jesca about her blog and about Cosplaying. “My blog is aptly titled Jesca Marisa’s Artblog. It is a scrapbook about the work I do as an artist and comicbook creator. It started out as the news section of my website, but I am going to expand it in the coming year to include more digital painting tutorials as well as wips (works in progress) – it just depends on what people would like to see more of. About my Cosplaying: I enjoy dressing up and I don’t need many excuses to do so. I more often tend to dress up as characters from my own comics rather than well-known mangas. The characters I write tend to be extensions of myself anyway – or so people keep telling me – so I might as well dress up as my creations and go play in the sunshine in Kirstenbosch.”
We also made friends with Jaydon van Gent, who writes about anything animation-related, including the Cosplay event, here: www.animated-meanderings.com
The Cosplay event was organised by Cosplay Cape Town. You can find them on Facebook and you can see more pics and informative captions about the day here: www.ecchi.co.za – ‘Cosplay Cape Town Event’
It was a great, hazy, lazy day in the sun.
Want to know more about the influence of Japanese fashion in Cape Town?
Click through to read this story: ‘Pushed boundaries and outrageous exceptions – Japanese fashion is amazing!’ by Nametso Mos. She is a Cape Town girl who originates from Botswana and loves Japanese fashion. She asked Capetonians on the street and at the malls what they think of Japanese fashion.
Martin Sloveig – ‘Big in Japan’
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What an awesome write up. Very glad you guys could be a part of our cosplay journey
That was a great read – and thanks for the mention
It would be great if you guys could be at the next event as well.
Regarding the mention of the anime mag – there was an e-mag recently launched called All Otaku (http://all-otaku.co.za/main/) – it’s not print, which is what my dream is, but definitely a step in that direction, so anybody interested in anime should swing by and join the forum – it would be great to see some extra voices in there
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