LOL it's not a secret society, it's just mostly populated by people from the sci-fi/fantasy con circuit, many of whom don't have much of an online presence. We're trying to spread the word to anime costumers, though, because the ICG/Costume-con people are really happy and enthusiastic about new blood.
Costume-con and Worldcon both travel each year; local organizations of costumers submit a bid to host a Costume-con in their city. Next year will be in Iowa, then the year after that in Missouri.
Costume-con is a mecca for people who care about costumes - all the discussion panels are costume-related, there are workshops for learning all sorts of cool stuff like leather-working, hatmaking, maskmaking, prosthetics, lacemaking, etc. And there are three Masquerades - Historical Costume, Fantasy/Sci-fi (includes anime and pretty much everything else), and a Future Folio Contest (in which people design fashions for the future and then those who compete choose a design and make it).
I first heard about Costume-con a few years ago and had stars in my eyes upon hearing of a dealer's room full of fabric and beads. XD
I've gotten sick of anime cons too, as the demographic just keeps getting younger and fewer and fewer people seem to care about actual good workmanship.
I think the problem is that most anime costumers don't really associate with the old-school costumers who have been costuming for 20 years or more, so they don't hear about stuff like Costume-con. Or they don't even realize that people have been making and dressing up in costumes for far longer than anime has been around. Also I keep seeing this attitude that 'the old people won't accept us', which is totally untrue. All the old-school costumers I have met are very open-minded and welcoming, and the best thing is that unlike anime cons, original designs are very common so you don't have to feel constrained to do only recreations of anime characters.
Costume-con and Worldcon both travel each year; local organizations of costumers submit a bid to host a Costume-con in their city. Next year will be in Iowa, then the year after that in Missouri.
Costume-con is a mecca for people who care about costumes - all the discussion panels are costume-related, there are workshops for learning all sorts of cool stuff like leather-working, hatmaking, maskmaking, prosthetics, lacemaking, etc. And there are three Masquerades - Historical Costume, Fantasy/Sci-fi (includes anime and pretty much everything else), and a Future Folio Contest (in which people design fashions for the future and then those who compete choose a design and make it).
I first heard about Costume-con a few years ago and had stars in my eyes upon hearing of a dealer's room full of fabric and beads. XD
I've gotten sick of anime cons too, as the demographic just keeps getting younger and fewer and fewer people seem to care about actual good workmanship.
I think the problem is that most anime costumers don't really associate with the old-school costumers who have been costuming for 20 years or more, so they don't hear about stuff like Costume-con. Or they don't even realize that people have been making and dressing up in costumes for far longer than anime has been around. Also I keep seeing this attitude that 'the old people won't accept us', which is totally untrue. All the old-school costumers I have met are very open-minded and welcoming, and the best thing is that unlike anime cons, original designs are very common so you don't have to feel constrained to do only recreations of anime characters.
Some examples of award winners from past Costume-cons:
http://www.costume-con.org/CClink/CC09/Photos/sf.shtml
http://www.costume-con.org/CClink/CC16/Photos/sf.shtml
http://www.costume-con.org/CClink/CC13/Photos/sf.shtml
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