Evelyn Smith
Black History month comes up every February and many people find unique ways to commemorate this month. In recent years, cosplayers have come up with a hashtag to celebrated black history month. The hashtag #28DaysOfBlackHistory was created by cosplayer Chaka Cumberbatch with the intent of campaigning against racism in the cosplayer community.
She said while speaking to the media, ‘It began as a way for us as Black cosplayers to celebrate and showcase our own work in the midst of a subculture where we often felt passed over and ignored’.
Cosplayers are people who wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character from a movie, cartoon or other animations.
Last year, a female cosplayer from Virginia named Kiera Please took the black cosplay challenge to a new dimension. The twenty-one-year-old posed as a myriad of characters from books, cartoons, and animations.
Kiera Please took the game to another level, employing elaborate costumes and makeup to bring her characters to life. Here are a few of the characters she recreated with her unique skills,
Louise Belcher From ‘Bob’s Burger’
The youngest member of the Belcher family. Louise Belcher was a fans favorite due to her unique sense of humor and her frequent mishaps in the family kitchen. Kiera Please brought Louise to life in a green gown paired with a pink scarf. Posing vibrantly for the camera; it was as though Louise had come to life in the body of a young woman from Virginia.
Lottie Person from ‘Snot Girl’
Another character from a famous animation, Lottie is known for her surly demeanor coupled with her depressingly somber attitude to life. Known for her trademark cigarette, Kiera puts on Lottie’s persona with a cigarette hanging loosely from her lips. Dressed up in a black tank top which showed Lottie’s iconic tattoos, she completed her Lottie look with a vibrant green wig.
Kida Nedakh from ‘Atlantis: The Lost Empire’
Brave, strong and fierce, Kiera needed to be on top of her game to portray the princess of the fictional lost continent of Atlantis. And she brought it as she posed in a regal blue dress. She added Kida’s famous embellishments in the form of a blue amulet around her neck and a gold bracelet around her arms.
Kim from ‘Kimpossible’
Everybody loved Kim. The main protagonist from the animation ‘Kim Possible’. Kiera wore green cargo pants and a brown belt, items reminiscent of Kim’s signature look. Kiera further brought out Kim’s vigilante persona with dark gloves and a pocket lined with utilities.
Sadness from ‘Inside Out’
Blue and gloomy, that was the description given to Sadness from the animation Inside Out. True to her nature Sadness had blue skin that Kiera recreated flawlessly with her top-notch makeup skills. She completed the look by dying her hair blue while sporting round thick dark purple round glasses.
Penny Proud From ‘The Proud Family’
Young beautiful and smart. Penny Proud was a somewhat shy teenager who had to go through being constantly embarrassed by her father. Forbidden from dating boys, Penny Proud often had to sneak around to meet boys and Kiera did a top job of assuming that persona. Dressed in a blue tank top paired with a blue pencil skirt, one just got the feeling that Kiera dressed as Penny was up to something.
Chel From ‘The Road To El Dorado’
Kiera’s masterpiece was the sassy, seductive yet kind Chel from the animation ‘The Road To El Dorado’. Chel is curvy and flirtatious and Kiera projected sexual prowess in a two-part dress that exposed her midriff. She completed the outfit with green earrings and a brunette wig that just made you want to ask her on a date. Bravo Kiera!
Beret Girl From ‘An Extremely Goofy Movie’
Beret Girl was brave, intelligent, and highly sarcastic. Like her name suggests, she was always wearing a black beret and Kiera didn’t forget this little detail. Dressed in all black down to the shoes, she put the icing on the cake for this character by transforming her hair to a maroon color just like Beret Girl.
Stevonnie From ‘Steven Universe’
It couldn’t have been easy to imitate a character that is an embodiment of two characters but you should know by now that Kiera’s skills are legendary. She became Stevonnie who is the fusion of Steven and Connie in blue denim shirts and a red crop top. Her bouncy hair symbolized the carefreeness that is Stevonnie.
Tip Tucci from ‘Home’
Short tempered but loving. Serious yet fun loving. Just like the way her attributes clash, Tip Tucci’s outfits are usually a clash of color. Kiera had to don blue denim mom jeans on top of a green striped shirt that clashed violently with an orange sweater. Talk about a color riot!
Korra From ‘The Legend Of Korra’
A bridge between the human world and the spirit world with control of the four basic elements, no sweat there for Kiera. Perched on a tree, she assumed a warrior’s pose while dressed in blue pants and a plus warrior’s top. Styling her hair by dividing it in two with two blue bands, Kiera looked ready to bring balance to the world. Just like Avatar Korra.
Melpomene From ‘Hercules’
The only deity who could make a warrior like Hercules dance, there was always something special about Melpomene. Perhaps we needed Kiera to show us the way. And show us she did in a regal white dress. Complete with a charming smile, an element of seduction was added to her outfit with a thigh-high slit.
Juuzou Suzuya From ‘Tokyo Ghoul’
Juuzou Suzuya is a Special Class Ghoul Investigator. Kiera brought out that element of danger that Suzuya possesses with her hair dyed white and held back with a white bandana. The only male character she portrayed, Kiera didn’t forget Suzuya’s distinct red tattoos. His eerie personality was mimicked as she stuck her tongue out for a picture.
Garnet From ‘Steven Universe
Garnet is a fictional alien being that exists as a magical gemstone projecting a holographic body. A fusion of two gems Ruby and Sapphire, Kiera put on an apt representation in a purple and black body suit. The element of mystery and intrigue was added with black wrap-around glasses. Just like Garnet, Kiera’s skills are out of this world.
Comments
Loading…