We found this interview of Alodia Gosiengfiao on blog.ningin.com that is worth reposting. We claim no ownership of the material or any related properties, digital or otherwise.
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| Alodia Gosiengfiao as Baroness from G.I. Joe |
In the world of cosplay, Alodia Gosiengfiao is a queen. She’s graced magazine covers, been featured on talk shows and ranked in this year’s FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women in the World list, Philippine edition.
JI: Can you tell us a little about how you got into cosplay?
AG: It all started in the year 2003. Me and my sister were part of this online forum called Anime Club. There they had updates about anime and gaming conventions. Then some of the other members knowing that we love fashion and the arts, told us about this competition where we had to dress up as game characters.
JI: Who is currently your favorite character to cosplay and why?
AG: As of now, I have a lot of favorite cosplayed characters. But if I were to pick one, it would be Baroness of GI Joe because I can move freely around with it. I don’t have to worry about dress malfunctions and what-not.
JI: People who aren’t exposed much to the world of cosplay are rather intrigued about the amount of time and money that goes into cosplay costumes. Can you tell us about the effort and money that goes into an average cosplay costume?
AG: Different cosplayers have different ways of executing a costume so the cost would vary. Being resourceful can save a lot of money. For my costumes it varies. The cheapest I’ve spent is about P1,800 ($38 USD). And the most expensive one is…haha..around 5 digits.
JI: Judging from your various awards and accolades in cosplay, would you consider it to be more than just a hobby for you?
AG: Yes, it is a hobby to me because I do not feel that it is work. I still enjoy doing it every time and would like to share this happiness with other people. :)
JI: Growing up as a Filipina in America, I’ve only heard vague details about Halloween in the Philippines. What’s Halloween like in the Philippines and is it a holiday you would find yourself dressing up in costume? If it’s not, what would you dress up as if you were to celebrate Halloween in America and why?
AG: Our country celebrates Halloween but unfortunately, I’ve never done the traditional trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. We’ve been spending Halloween in our province and they don’t really celebrate it there. But if I were given the chance to do so, I would go as someone dark and scary with lots of black and red because they’re my favorite colors. The happy characters can be cosplayed any time. I’d prefer a gothic feel for Halloween.
JI: Can you tell us what upcoming projects you have lined up for yourself?
AG: Currently, we are working on our entry for the Anime Festival Asia 2009 in Singapore on Nov 21-22. We got in the cosplay finals to represent the Philippines. Here is our entry (as well as past cosplays).
JI: What’s one thing about you that you’d like our readers to know?
AG: I’d like them to know that despite all the things they’ve heard or seen in my photos and blogs, I’m still a very shy and quiet person (except if I’m high on coffee). I always get a heart attack whenever I’m on stage or in front of the video camera.
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