2024: Cleopatra
A project five years in the making and I would not have been able to pull it off without my longtime teammate Michael Tamura. We had started collecting images for headdress and wardrobe references around September 2019, and I had hunted for a dress everywhere I went. The white frocks too plain, the gold hue too pink, or the styles too scantly for a royal - it seemed I had signed up for a tall order. Along with the change in our work mode due to COVID, I decided to take my time to find the perfect outfit. But that didn't stop the UX designer from making the headgear.
We had settled on a gold color palette and he had fashioned the crown from foam boards and ropes. The complete stunning piece went straight into storage. It was not until just before Halloween last year, I spotted the fitting garment at Cannonball and Tilly vintage boutique on Fairfax. By then the gold paint on the headpiece had already faded, so he had to retouch the pigment by gluing gold leaves to the helmet this September.
We had settled on a gold color palette and he had fashioned the crown from foam boards and ropes. The complete stunning piece went straight into storage. It was not until just before Halloween last year, I spotted the fitting garment at Cannonball and Tilly vintage boutique on Fairfax. By then the gold paint on the headpiece had already faded, so he had to retouch the pigment by gluing gold leaves to the helmet this September.
While on vacation in Mexico City, my friend Renée and I found some arm accessories at a costume shop and Mercado Insurgentes. But it is at La Lagunilla Sunday Antiques Market where I met Uxmal David, a jewellery maker since he was a kid. His first name is Mayan, and tlamachki in his Instagram account means artisan in Náhuatl dialect. After picking two brass rings with obsidian and lemon quartz from his creation of fine jewels (all ring sizes adjustable,) I showed him a picture of a snake bracelet I was seeking. "I can make it," he said. There our fate was sealed. We were to meet again the following Friday for the delivery.
My spec was a simple arm wrap. He surprised me with the addition of lapis lazuli, a stone that is widely used by Egyptians the craftsman indicated via Google translate. Below are photos of me and the crown creator Michael, and my jeweler in a blue jacket and his friends Emanuel and Anna at the market.
In preparation of October 31, I trimmed the bangs on the wig three days before - in case I screw up, I have time to get a replacement, braid and cut the hair again. The pressure was on with the makeup. Of course I underestimated the time it took for me to draw or redo when my hand slipped. I also hadn't anticipated the headdress to slide backward with every little tilt of my head. As I couldn't see the helmet, nearly all the photos from my work event ended up showing too much of the frontal region of the wig, too little of the rubies, doing Michael's work of art no justice. The necklace rotated as well in many shots.
Here are a couple shots Renée took of me in full gear with the crown correctly worn. Hope I succeeded in modeling the designs of my awesome team and bringing the Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt to life this All Hallows' Day.
2023: Marie Antoinette: Let Them Eat Cake
Twelve days before the Halloween event at work I joined my friend Mindy at New York comic convention. Her followers had come dressed in her creations. The concept artist said she would design the fabric for me if I could find a tailor. That wouldn’t be any time soon and I probably wouldn’t have a costume this year since I hadn’t found anything I liked.
On our way to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, we took a stroll in Bloomingdale. The articles I picked were too big on me, but the black dress Mindy picked was a perfect fit on me. “Cute! You could do Marie Antoinette!" she exclaimed. "You can stuff tutus under the skirt. You need white stockings.” We started googling makeup and hair references.
My next destination was Indianapolis. My intent was to celebrate my friend’s birthday but ended up roping her into my ad hoc project. We had started our day late and didn’t get to shop at a vintage store in Broad Ripple until five minutes before their closing. There Allison helped me choose a white headdress from the ample selection. Later in the evening, we studied 18th century hair tutorials on YouTube. She dug into her dresser and found a brand new afro wig that could suit my purpose.
On our way to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, we took a stroll in Bloomingdale. The articles I picked were too big on me, but the black dress Mindy picked was a perfect fit on me. “Cute! You could do Marie Antoinette!" she exclaimed. "You can stuff tutus under the skirt. You need white stockings.” We started googling makeup and hair references.
My next destination was Indianapolis. My intent was to celebrate my friend’s birthday but ended up roping her into my ad hoc project. We had started our day late and didn’t get to shop at a vintage store in Broad Ripple until five minutes before their closing. There Allison helped me choose a white headdress from the ample selection. Later in the evening, we studied 18th century hair tutorials on YouTube. She dug into her dresser and found a brand new afro wig that could suit my purpose.
Merchandise in tow I flew back to LA Friday evening gaining a greater respect for cosplayers traveling with their gears intact. The next day at Hot Topic I checked off the last item I needed – a pair of white lace bow knee-high socks. Looking at my curation, I hooked the flowers from another friend Lee onto the headdress. I set a reminder to go buy cakes the day before the event as I would need all the time I can get on the day to do the hair – the queen of France cannot show her face with the locks half done.
Come Thursday I skipped my morning workout. My hands worked the foam rollers while the studio team meeting played over Zoom in the background. I responded to one message on Slack and that was all the distraction I could afford. Mindy’s gift eyeliners were timely because mine ran out of ink. I had stuffed the afro inside a wig cap. I affixed it to my crown and hoped it would stay there. Slowly I pinned my tresses to wrap around the wig. So much guessing since I can’t see the back and so much hairspray.
I arrived at the office semi-dressed in my costume. I was still in the restroom pulling up the tutus under the frock when I heard people clapping. Yes, I was late; the judging had already begun. When I made it out, Nick saw me and hollered, “Janey, you have to hurry,” then to the host, “Hey, there is one more!”
Hurry? I could barely walk in the 5-inch stilettos. Gabriel helped me get my dessert prop from my desk. Six hours of labor came down to the few seconds of my holding two multi-layered cake slices from Copenhagen Pastry in front of the Zoom screen and my coworkers who were onsite. I didn’t win. The ghostbusters team won. Omar expressed empathy.
“Janey, I can feel your pain,” said the ghost-catcher.
“Pardon?” My French accent cracked him up.
“I mean I don’t have to stand in your heels to know how painful it is. I could feel the pain just by looking at you walking in those. But trust me, it’s totally worth it.”
“For you or for me?” I joked.
After hours I wanted to see our favorite waiter Elver because his work anniversary is on Halloween. When we got to the small cozy Italian restaurant, we met Mira and her five-year old granddaughters Stella and Zoe. The twin girls loved my ensemble and praised everything from head to toe, from the flowers to the dress, bow, rings, socks, and shoes. They are so adorable and sweet I wanted to take them home. At that time it didn’t occur to me to ask Mira for permission to share the photos she took for me with her little fashionistas. Here is a photo Julian snapped of me holding a work Halloween cake because it was way closer to where I was standing than my cakes, saving my feet from more walking. And with our friends Abbi and Elver at Compari's.
2022: Catwoman
I referenced 1960s Catwoman played by Lee Meriwether. I made a mistake buying a mask without first comparing the fabric product with what the model is wearing as pictured on the merchandise cover. Everything was off - the thickness, the eye shape, the cut of the mask, the mold or the lack of it - maybe that's why the store clerk said I couldn't try it on lest I learn the flat mask gave a conehead look because where the string starts to pull sits too high from the eyeline. No return or exchange. Figures.
To fix my purchase, I found a glasses frame at the Santa Monica Airport Flea Market that fit the mask and helped it sit on my nose. I couldn't pop out the lens. I spray painted top side of the fabric. Double-sided tape and my elementary sewing job got me close to what I needed. For my hair, I did the roll at the top but didn't have an extra hour to brush out the rest of the curls, otherwise I would've missed the Halloween fika.
With Candace and her amazing self-made costume of Jester Lavorre from Critical Role!
2017 : Medusa
My first time sleeping with foam rollers in my hair thanks to Mindy Lee's genius idea for my Halloween costume – Medusa. Because looking Greekish was subpar to Mindy. She even made me the snake head piece. Oh what would I do without my fashion consultant? Greekish. Right.
I was hysterical when I tried on the head piece - I looked like I was wearing a hat. Tears followed realizing I would have to curl my hair so the snakes could blend in. Something nagged at me when the medusa creator sent me reference pictures for the makeup. The mesh. I have something similar. What is it? Then it dawned on me - the lemon bag from farmers market! Oh yes, I wore it over my face to paint the scales.
I wished I could give the crown for best costume to my genius stylist, but the prize went to our cosplay expert Enzo, who dressed up as Dr. Strange. Professionals no joke.
2016 : Black Swan
Mindy challenged my eye makeup skills with Black Swan. And the costume - in HR violation. I have never wore a tutu in my life until then. Won the prize for the scariest costume... didn't need the costume to be scary. Our technical director Angelo dressed up as one of the characters from Games of Thrones.