Cosplay Corner Episode #23: Bur Loire

While there tends to be some argument among the cosplay community about whether cosplayers gain notoriety due to their technical skill or their appearance, there can be no argument that this next cosplayer possesses ample quantities of both skill and beauty. Though only 22 years old, Bur Loire has made over 140 costumes since 2006 and is a staple at many conventions, including Dragon*Con, KatsuCon, and Anime Weekend Atlanta. Her repertoire spans every facet of the hobby and her wide selection of costumes represent nearly every genre, gender, and level of difficulty. In this interview, we explore where Bur Loire’s limitless cosplay energy comes from and her thoughts on the hobby.

First, can you tell us a bit about yourself? How old are you, what do you do, and where you are located?

Bur Loire: I’m 22 and I work full time as a Hostess Manager/Trainer at a local restaurant chain here in South Carolina. I’m also studying to either join the FBI or the police force. In between conventions of course [laughs]! I love anything historically-related, so my favorite animes and TV shows are almost always period-pieces.

On your Cosplay.com page, you have 130 costumes listed. That’s an incredible number! How long have you been cosplaying and how many costumes, on average, do you make a year?

Bur Loire: Well, there are 130 listed but that doesn’t count the 15 or so I have half finished or don’t have any pictures in yet! I actually started this hobby out slow, making only one costume back in 2006. The following year I only made three! On average from 2008 till now I make about 15-20 a year I’d say. Granted, there are a few costumes that are super easy or require very little crafting so it’s really not that big of a deal. I have a lot of favorite characters and series and I hope to cosplay from them all before I get too old [laughs]!

What do you love most about cosplay and what motivates you to invest some much time and expense into the hobby?

Bur Loire: Sometimes I’ll be playing a video game or watching an anime and a character will be introduced that is just so freaking cool that I feel like I HAVE to make that outfit right now or else the world will end! Other times I cosplay just to match everyone in my group! It really depends, but it’s always for the love of the characters for me. Even if I’m not cosplaying my favourite character from the series, just being able to create something is awesome to me. I like the challenges that come with complex costumes or outfits that probably could never work in real life. I also love wearing these crazy outfits. You can become someone else for a time, without having to lose yourself in it and I think that’s pretty sweet!

A major part of cosplay is accurately depicting a character in real life. With your costumes, what are some challenges you’ve faced in replicating a character’s look (costumes, hair, etc.)? You have also cosplayed many male characters; are there any unique challenges you’ve faced with cross-play?

Bur Loire: I’m not even going to lie, depicting a character who is originally 2D animation in real life is the hardest thing ever. Even with simple costumes there is still the difficult aspects to it, like having to decide on whether you want to go with the bright yellow hair from the anime or if you want to make it more realistic with a blonde wig. There are a lot of parts you have to think about when choosing fabrics, like texture and color, as well. For example, if the character you’re working on wears a simple grey trench coat, you’d have to think, “Well, does he wear a poly blend or is he more of a wool?” I mean if your character lives in Russia I don’t think he’d be trudging around in snow in something made out of a thin cotton! But then again you have to think about where you, yourself, are going to be wearing this costume at. So many times I’ve made costumes that were so unnaturally hot or way too skimpy for the weather, lol! Luckily though, there are a ton of tools you can use to help change the way you look and turn you into an anime person! Fake eyelashes, heavy makeup and body paint are my favorites to use. My most fun to put on costumes are actually the ones where I get to wear a fake beard or draw on muscles a lot of the times. As far as cross play goes, you do have to think about the way you apply make up to your face and also the way you pose. I use browns and highlight eye shadows to make my face appear more masculine. I’ve even used spirit gum to attach hair to my chin for beards, and I’ll tell you what, I really respect men for how difficult it is to shave your face! I had some trouble learning how to pose like a guy when I first started too and I’d keep doing that girly “hand on the hip” pose, oh man that was the worst! I actually would go and hang out with my guy friends and copy the way they sat and stood so I could better practice for some of my more manlier costumes! I think my greatest accomplishment were the times I managed to fool other guys into thinking I was one of them while in costume [laughs]!

Similarly, how important do you think a cosplayer’s body type is when choosing characters?

Bur Loire: I do think it does play a heavy part into choosing a character to cosplay, not that that has stopped me before! There are some characters that are far beyond my reach as far as ability to accurately cosplay them, but if you really love the character then why should that stop you? Like for example, I adore Snow Villiers’ character from Final Fantasy XIII, though he’s a good foot taller than me, full of muscles, has a mighty 5 o’clock shadow…oh and he’s a man [laughs]! I put every effort I could into my costume; I even went through the trouble to translate the in-game language that is incorporated into his weapon design. I think if you really put all your love into something it will shine through the inaccuracies that come through when cosplaying someone that isn’t really your body type.

You yourself are very slender and the internet is full of people who love looking at sexy cosplay pictures. What are your thoughts on more revealing costumes? Do you ever struggle to find a balance between being sexy and your work as a costume maker?

Bur Loire: Thank you very much! Never fear though, I only look good in pictures because I have great photographer friends [laughs]! It’s kind of funny, as far as “sexy” costumes goes, that I really don’t think about it that much. Like bunny girl suits, those are created with the intention of being sexy but I just love them and the way they look and I forget that sometimes wearing that kind of thing in public isn’t a good thing! Obviously there are some costumes that cross the line and shouldn’t be made ever, let alone worn, but I think as long as your personal bits are covered and its tasteful, why not? A few of my favourite characters wear something that’s barely a swim suit, but if you wear a sarong with it or something similar, its not so inappropriate and is still very sexy and attractive.

Over the years, you have created multiple Final Fantasy costumes. Is there something in particular that attracts you to these games and costumes?

Bur Loire: As anyone who knows me can say, the Final Fantasy series are my absolute favorite games, along side the Sengoku Basara series. My first real video game I ever played was Final Fantasy VIII on PC way back when (It’s my favorite game, btw)! I always get drawn into the expansive stories and characters, and I adore Amano and Nomura’s designs…well, usually anyway lol! The villains of the games tend to be my favorite stomping grounds, most of my Final Fantasy costumes are of the “bad guys.” Not to say I’m a villain or anything but I usually connect with those characters the most. They always have the more complex or interesting personalities and outfits (Maybe that’s supposed to mean something? Aha!). For example, Kuja (Final Fantasy IX), is probably one of my favourite characters ever and I’ve made three costumes based on his progression through the game. Not only do the main characters grow and learn, their rivals also experience a change for the better or worse, and I think that’s not true of many games lately and that’s what keeps Final Fantasy fresh and interesting!

Cosplay has become increasingly popular across America. With the increased competition, do you find it difficult to stand out as a cosplayer? Have your views on cosplay changed since you first started?

Bur Loire: To be honest, not really! I came into cosplay by accident and became pretty addicted to it immediately. I used to be a pretty hardcore athlete, and when I experienced injuries that took me permanently out of competing I was really just floating around looking for something new to fill all that free time I suddenly had. By 2008 I had already been showcased on Cosplay.com and people would recognize me at local conventions as “Bur Loire.” It’s kinda cool to have people you’ve never met in person come up to you and tell you how much they love your costumes. It’s really fulfilling and humbling to know people actually look at the work you’ve produced, you know? Since day one of me becoming interested in cosplay, I’ve never changed the way I feel about it. Cosplay is all about the love, and even though my priorities on certain costumes might shift, it’s only because I want to push myself further and try even more new things. I’ve been told by people on the internet and even by close friends that my costumes are really poorly made or inaccurate or what have you, but to me it’s all about pushing on and doing what I love and not caring about what others think. A lot of times someone will ask me how I made something on a complex costume and my answer will be, “Well, I had no idea what I was doing but these are all the things I tried until it worked!” Even though there are so many popular or well known cosplayers out there, there are always people who will recognize you for what you do, no matter how small you think it might be!

How important is photography when it comes to showcasing your costumes? What photographers do you usually work with?

Bur Loire: This is one thing I’ve come to recognize is incredibly important! Especially if you’ve poured your heart and soul into a costume and put a whole bunch of small details into a costume to wear to a convention and all of the ‘around the con’ pictures you find are blurry or have too much flash and drown out all that hard work. When I first started cosplaying, all of my costumes were really basic and I didn’t know anything about taking pictures to show off my craftsmanship. For my first costume ever, me and my friend took silly pictures of me in it in my parents’ backyard! Nowadays I feel like getting that perfect shot to express not only my work, but also portray the character I’m dressed as is one of my priorities. I love being able to come home from a convention or photoshoot to show my co-workers these amazing photos, they may not understand my hobby but I’ve found that people can really respect and love you for something that makes them go “WOW!” at first glance!

I’ve worked with a ton of amazing photographers, too many to list, over the few years I’ve actually started doing photoshoots. Each and every photographer has his/her own style and presentation and its so incredible to be able to know and work with them! It’s pretty fun hanging out and just being silly with them too. A lot of times my friends and I will all be dressed from the same series and will sit around thinking about which photographer has the style that would fit our series best! That might sound weird, but its true! I think part of cosplay photography also deals with the photographer and what they like to shoot. Some photographers don’t like cutesy shoujo things and others love those kinds of costumes, you have to be considerate of that when you ask for photos as well. Or you could just make them take photos of you because you’re a meanie like me [laughs]! Not really, but I think the photographer I take pictures with the most, LJinto (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ljinto/), spends much more time sighing when I show up to shoot in a beard and a muscle jacket rather than a super heroine or sailor skirt [laughs]!

If you had to give new cosplayers some advice about starting the hobby, what would it be? Do you have any tips about sewing and costume construction?

Bur Loire: Absolutely try anything and everything! When I started out, I didn’t even know how to turn on my sewing machine, let alone sew in button holes or zippers! There are tons of cosplay-related websites out there with tutorials that are incredibly helpful when you’re new! I’ve never had actual sewing training so sometimes following patterns or the like gets hard, but once you find what works for you keep on building on that! Also, try on your costume as you are making it! If something looks off or out of place, fix it then rather than later, when taking it all apart will be much more difficult. Trust me, I’ve been there!

Want to keep tabs on Bur Loire’s cosplay adventures? Follow her cookie crumb trail below:

http://www.cosplay.com/member/35741/

http://burloire.deviantart.com/