Cosplay Connection, hosted by Maddie, went live on the Temple of Geek Instagram to interview cosplayer Candy Keane (sewgeekmama). Cosplay Connection is all about learning more about cosplayers and their journeys through cosplay.
Cosplay Connection Interview – Candy tells us about costume making
Candy has been sewing and creating costumes for a long time. During the interview, she talks about how she got her first sewing machine when she was twelve years old.
“Halloween was always a big thing growing up. We would just plan all year long for Halloween. And then, later, when we discovered cosplay and conventions and we didn’t have to wait all year anymore to dress up. So that was nice!”
Candy Keane as Bombshell Supergirl. Photo credit: David Love Photography
In fact, she had her own costume shop open for over a decade. Candy made costumes for people since, at the time, costumes and cosplay was not as available as it is today. The very first costume she made was the hardest one she had to do. That sparked her inspiration to open her costume shop. In the 90’s, the only places that carried costumes were adult sex shops.
Aeon Flux, 1991
“I had zero resources. There was no Amazon. There was no Worbla. There was no nothing. It was 1995, and I was doing Aeon Flux because I loved MTV’s “Liquid Television.” Not the movie Aeon Flux…I was totally obsessed with that. So, to put together that costume took so much work. I had to go to every adult sex shop in town to try and find the base pieces for it…there was no Amazon where you could order overnight. They didn’t carry that stuff in regular stores.”
Since then, Candy has closed her personal shop. She makes all of her own costumes and has only recently begun seeking commissions for herself.
“I never bought or commissioned a costume until the last couple of years. I would always only wear what I made because the whole point for me, really, was enjoying the process of making it and creating it. So, that was a big part for me was just the creation. And then wearing it was like the cherry on top. Then, I missed costuming and didn’t have time to actually make anything. So the first costume I ever commissioned was from my friend, she’s on Facebook Jenna Esposito Cosplay and she’s the one who made my Antiope outfit.”
Candy Keane as Antiope, costume made by Jenna Esposito Cosplay
You can follow Candy on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok under the username sewgeekmama. Also, check out her blog, Geek Mamas Magazine.
Maddie (she/they) is the Chief Creative Officer for Temple of Geek. She has been a cosplayer since 2014 and has a passion for fandoms and geek community. Find her on Instagram and TikTok @maddie_whovian and Twitter @mad_whovian
Thank you for the interview! I had a lot of fun chatting. And my son had a great time being a pest, LOL.