YAYA HAN: COSPLAY FASHION ICON
Yaya Han is known around the world as one of the elite cosplayers. A favorite at genre conventions, Yaya has become a fashion icon to the anime / comic subculture with her breath-taking original designs and authentic reproductions.
CD: You make many of your own costumes, and some of them are very elaborate. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve spent working on one outfit?
YH: About a month and a half of working on it a couple to several hours per day. It involved a lot of pattern making and beading, which was fun and I would like to set time aside for something like that again. I usually spend between a week and two on a costume, though several of complicated outfits have taken over a month of consistent work, and some simple costumes were completed in a few hours only. It all depends on the project.
CD: Some of the costumes you’ve created are based on original ideas. Any plans to write manga or comics starring those characters?
YH: I did publish a comic while I lived in Europe 10 years ago, and for a long time I had plans for another. I have in fact cosplayed a couple of characters from that second potential comic I had been developing,but I am a realist and understand that my interest in costume design surpasses my interest in sequential art and I probably will never find time to write another manga. I will still happily design costumes and make them.
CD: In addition to attending cons all over this country you’ve attended conventions in Mexico, Italy and Brazil. What are the big differences between the cons in this country and those held in Central and South America?
YH: The main difference between US cons and cons in other countries that I have noticed is that US cons are national affairs. People will fly and drive from other cities and States to attend the event and stay in the hotel/convention center the entire weekend. In some other countries,conventions are mostly local affairs - people who live in the local city visit the show during the day and go home at night, and there are very few out of town attendees.
At a 3-day convention here, the two important days are the 1st and 2nd. The last day ends in the early afternoon and is mostly for packing, checking out of hotels, and saying Goodbye to friends. I found out in Mexico and Italy that it’s the opposite there. The first day is slow and more people show up for the 2nd and 3rd days.The last day of cons in Mexico and Italy, for example, often end with the cosplay contest at night.
I love visiting conventions in other counties and always have so much fun on the trips! Through the internet I have known of so many cosplayers in far away locations and it’s amazing to be able to meet some of them in person and cosplay together. I have made some great international friends through the conventions.
CD: It says on your website that you’re fluent in Chinese, German, English, and also speak French, Latin, as well as a little Japanese. How, and why, did you learn to speak so many different languages?
YH: I was born in China and lived there until I was nine, and then moved to Germany with my mother. I went to school in Europe until I turned 18 and moved to the USA. During my teenage years I took a lot of language classes because I was mainly interested in Languages and Art. Latin is not truly a usable language anymore but it helped me grasp English very fast.
CD: Can you tell us a little about your involvement with Hot Import Nights(HIN), both as a model and a fashion designer?
YH: They found me one day online and asked me to do a Fashion Show for one of their events. I never thought an Import Car Show would be interested in my costumes. But they wanted to do something different so I let them choose the outfits they wanted shown and got some of my modeling friends involved. Fashion Shows are always a lot of work,both before the actual date and of course on the big night. I am so grateful I had wardrobe helpers and very sensible models who were on time and did a great job. I only modeled because I fit my costumes and shoes of course. I would have been less stressed if I just worked as a stylist that night lol. Btw, I have a gallery up on my site from the show: www.angelicstar.net
CD: Now that you’re an internet celebrity do you ever get….um… unwanted attention from fanboys at conventions?
YH: Sure we all get “unwanted” attention sometimes, but we should try to be understanding and not view it in a negative light. As avid fans of a fandom, we’re all freaks in the eyes of some people, so unless someone is outright rude, threatening or mocking to me, I am appreciative of their response. From the get-go all cosplayers should know they will get attention of some sort because this is a visual hobby where our faces and names are attached. We’re seriously putting ourselves out there as fans, and it can be a double edged sword. I receive a lot of mail from people who call themselves my fans and all of them have been very kind and sweet. I have never had a problem with anyone like that. I don’t think of anyone as my fan, but if someone tells me I inspire them or they look up to me and set me as a standard, I feel very happy and motivated to create better work in the future.
Whatever someone tells me, be it good or bad, I try to see it very rationally and not let it go to my head, or get to me. For every compliment I get, there is also a critic out there. I handle all of it by staying grounded and true to myself.
I want to add that before cosplay I used to be very shy and quiet, and hard to talk to. But over the years of meeting people and traveling to conventions I have become very social and really love meeting and chatting with people. It is hard for me to shut up sometimes haha! I met some of my closest friends at conventions or through cosplay.
CD: How often do you get emails from folks asking to use your photos on their website or for an avatar?
YH: Just about everyday, and as long as I am properly credited and linked to, I have no problem with that. Once in a while I’ll also receive e-mail where a nice person notifies me of image theft, impersonators,that sort of thing. I made a MySpace profile to better be able to handle fakers. Why someone would want to impersonate cosplayers is bizarre to me lol.
CD: You’ve cosplayed as Lum from Urusei Yatsura, (which incidentally is on Illusion this month). Any other old school anime shows or films you’d love to see back on television?
YH: I love Old School anime! I actually don’t watch many shows these days due to time restraints but also because the quality of the productions have drastically gone downhill in the past decade. Anime was just so much better 10 - 20 years ago. I have a few cosplay plans for 2008 that are all old school! As for movies and TV shows, I just collect my fav. on DVD. I don’t watch TV because I hate commercials lol.
CD: I’m putting together a Top Twenty episode on the sexiest superheroes that will air in January. You’re somewhat of an expert on the subject-who’s your pick for foxiest male and female cape?
YH: That sounds like a lot of fun! Hmmm well I’m torn between Wolverine and Gambit for the male superhero, but hands down Witchblade is the sexiest female hero ever created!
CD: Dressing pets in costumes is very popular right now. Any plans to bring your terrier Captain Nemo into the world of cosplay?
YH: Actually my friends and I are doing a Elegant Gothic Lolita version group of the Wizard of Oz in 2008 and I got roped in just so Nemo can be Toto lol. He hates wearing clothes so at least as Toto he can just be himself!
LINKS:
www.angelicstar.net
Interview by Caitlyn Darr
Photos provided by Yaya Han, “Laundry” and “Librarian” series by Kevin Stewart
