Interview of Angelica Elfic (Portugal)

Here's the interview of the very impressive, very creative and very pretty Angelica Elfic from Portugal ! 

1. For how long have you been in cosplay ?

I started cosplaying in 2015, but I create fantasy costumes, for my own brand Elfic Wear, since 2003.

2. Cosplay is a time consuming hobby. how long does it take to craft your costumes ?

I love to cosplay characters that have armors, so these kind of costumes can take from 1 to 3 months till I finish them. But for this time, I have to work on them the whole day and leave all the other projects and works by side.

3. Any other hobby or passion besides cosplaying ?

Yes ! I practice sword fighting , when I have time I also practice archery, like to play flute and I love to ride motorbikes.

4. What materials are you using for cosplay crafting, worbla ? Foam ? Can you talk about that a little bit ?

I started using Worbla to build my armors, but it was quite uncomfortable to wear. After a few hours wearing those armors, I got bruises in many places, and this material is a bit heavy also. So I felt I had to change to other materials. This is when I started to work with Eva Foam ! Foam is quite cheaper than Worbla, lighter, and I don’t get bruises wearing a Foam Armor, because this material adapts and bend to your body shape. It’s quite easy to work with Foam, so that is also a plus compared with Worbla. But I like both materials. I use them for different things. Like Worbla is great for small details and to put some props rigid.

5. Do you have any favorite cosplayer ?

I have quite a few actually. I could name Alyson Tabbitha, Kamui Cosplay and Maul Cosplay, just to name a few.

6. Did you hurt yourself while making a cosplay or in convention ?

Quite a few times. From cutting my fingers with X-acto knives, burned fingers, from getting a huge back injury from working too many hours per day in strange positions which made me stop working for almost 3 weeks. But I’m glad I have learned with my mistakes !

7. Do you sell your old cosplays, or just keep it in a huge closet ?

I sell almost all my cosplays. For me there is no point to keep them inside boxes and don’t wear them. Since each year I create 2 or 3 new cosplays, I rather sell my old ones, so they can make another person happy.

8. Who teached you to craft your cosplays ? Your family ? By reading books or watching youtube tutorials ?

I started sewing when I was 4 years old. My mother is a seamstress so I learned the basics with her. My father is a mechanic and also loves to work with wood, so I learned with him to work with metal and wood and be a MacGyver. I’m a self-taught artist in Leather, Eva Foam and Worbla. But what made me want to try Worbla and Foam, was definitely Kamui Cosplay, when she started posting photos of her cosplays. 

9. Which conventions are you going to this year ?

This year I went to Magic Monaco to represent Portugal on the 9th of March, on the 13th of April I’ll be a guest at Aonime in Portugal, 18th and 19th of May I’ll attend Iberanime in Portugal, in June I will represent Portugal at C4 competition at Animecon Nl in Netherlands with my friend Leonardo, and I have a couple more international conventions that I will attend this year, that I’m not yet allowed to reveal ! But soon I’ll make announcements on my social media !

10. What is your limit budget for a cosplay ?

I don’t put a budget limit for my Cosplays. I rather delay them till I have enough funds to work on them.

11. Any future super secret cosplay project in mind ?

Yes, 3 actually ! One is for the C4 competition in June, and the other 2, unfortunately I cannot reveal for what they will be for.

12. What are you doing in "real" life for a living ?

In real life I have my own Fantasy Clothing/Props brand, called Elfic Wear. So I create costumes full time, even if they are not Cosplay.

13. You best experience from a convention ? And your worst ?

Best experience is when I get kids hugging me and crying of happiness when they think I’m a real character from a game or movie. Worst, is when you worked with a full armor in a convention for 10 hours, you’re super tired, and a pervert photographer whant to film you or take photos of you, when you are undressing yourself. You say no, but they keep insisting.

14. Any advice for cosplay beginners?

Don’t let the “You Can’t” words that you will get in your way stop you from cosplaying a character that you love! Cosplay is fun, is for everyone, is doesn’t matter your age, body type, gender, ethnicity. Cosplay is the place where we find our true self and make the best friends for life. It can make us a more confident person and accept our flaws. So if you are into Cosplay and didn’t started yet, I hope this gives you courage for that !

15. Do you have limits ? Some cosplays you will never make ?

I think limits is not the right word. I have type of Cosplays I like more than others, for instance, I love Armors, but sometimes it’s always nice to create a lighter costume that is made just with fabrics that is super comfortable. I just Cosplay characters that I truly love, so if I see one that I like, I will create it for sure.

Her facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/angelica.elfic/