Feature Friday: Alatove Cosplay
Captain’s Comic Expo is coming up soon, and so my next few features are people who I look forward to seeing again at this year’s expo. I was introduced to Ariane at last year’s expo, and have gotten to see so much of her amazing work via social media this year. I cannot wait to see her again next weekend, and I’m so happy to be able to feature her today.
What is your cosplay name? Alatove
How did you come about your cosplay name? I came about my cosplay name by chance, I needed a username and I wanted something that sounded original. I just started writing down things that I liked and I eventually came up with “Alatove”
What is your real world name? Ariane
What do you do when you aren’t cosplaying? I’m usually drawing or working on other craft projects when I’m not cosplaying
How old are you? I’m 21 years old
How long have you been cosplaying? I’ve been cosplaying since 2011. My very first cosplay was Juri Han from Street Fighter.
What made you want to start cosplaying? I learned of cosplay pretty early into my fascination of anime and wanted to cosplay as soon as I found out about a convention happening near me. At the time I was watching these two cosplayers, Twinfools and Vanderwolf’s on YouTube. They were definitely two of my role models when I was starting out.
Why do you continue to cosplay? It’s a fun and challenging hobby, there is always something new to learn. I also love to see my friends and cosplay with them at conventions.
What is your dream cosplay? Currently my dream cosplay is Cia from Hyrule Warriors
How do you choose who you will cosplay? Normally I choose based on how much I like or relate to a character but I have cosplayed characters based on design alone on before.
What is your favorite cosplay you have done so far? Why? My favorite cosplay so far is Korra. She’s loud, bold, and sassy, so I feel really comfortable being Korra.
What is your least favorite cosplay you have done so far? Why? My second cosplay, it was a fanart version of Rin Kagamine. I still remember how it didn’t look the way I envisioned and it fit weirdly. I felt so uncomfortable the entire day!
You also enjoy doing makeup as a form of art. Tell us more about this. I started experiencing with makeup when I was in middle school after watching videos on youtube! It wasn’t until Highschool did I get back into makeup when I started to have an interest in cosmetology. I went from there and started practicing as often as I could.
Since it was Valentine’s Day this week… who is your cosplay crush? Stella Chuu!
What is the cosplay that has been most outside of your box? My first cosplay, Juri Han from Street Fighter, although try to avoid talking about my early days, hahaha.
What’s the hardest thing about cosplay for you? Hand sewing, hahaha. My obsession with getting things right makes it very hard and stressful. Of course I’ve had to make compromises, some outfits just don’t translate fully into the real word!
Tell us about your next few projects you will be working on. I’ll be working on Noa from the SkyDoll comics as well as remaking my San cosplay from Princess Mononoke.
What is the best advice you have for other cosplayers? Practice, practice. Practice. Watch tutorials, read how to manuals, reach out to an experienced cosplayer, these things can help you out a lot. Even when you feel like you’ve hit a wall, and there is no way you can make or do something, it’s worth the effort to keep trying, and you’ll feel good when you step back and look at your accomplishments. You can do it if you put your mind to it and, of course, practice.
Top 5 resources/tutorials you have found for cosplay help? I don’t have anything specific but I often find myself on Deviantart and YouTube for tutorials made by fellow cosplayers. There are so many tutorials for almost all your cosplay needs! I also recommend experimenting.
Anything else you want to add? In the end cosplay should be a positive outlet. Don’t stress the little things, relax, and have fun!
Do you have a cosplay recommendation for Ariane? I’m pretty sure she is capable of all things! Make sure to go follow Ariane’s social media at the links below. Leave a comment for her and me, and don’t forget to subscribe via email or Bloglovin’ to never miss a post!
Alatove’s Social Media
Instagram: @alatove
Facebook: Alatove Cosplay