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| Palace Location: Costume made by: Herself and Tomak Home Page |
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| 1) Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and background. I'm a new mom, and our little family lives in the Pacific Northwest. I've always liked arts and crafts of all kinds, though I especially enjoy embroidery and sewing. 2) How long have you been costuming? What kinds of experiences have you had? I've been a professional costume designer, specializing in theme bridal apparel and character recreations, for about the last decade. I've made all kinds of costumes, from ballet tutus to Japanese 12 Century court garb. I would like to make more historical costumes, but for the moment, my clients bring me plenty of challenges with anime and video game costumes. 3) What's your earliest memory of seeing Return of the Jedi? I recall standing in line with my aunt. I was about 13, I guess, and it was summer break. In the good old days, I think it cost a $1.50 for a kid under 12 matinee admission, so I was pretending to be younger, so I'd have more cash for concessions. Not that we didn't sneak candy in, 'cuz we did. Anyway, I remember being creeped out by Jabba, and cheering when Leia strangled him. R2-D2 and Chewie were my favorite characters at that time. 4) When did you get your first "metal bikini" and what drove you to it? I completed my metal bikini in late March, 2006. It's the tiniest costume I've ever made for myself. My girlfriend dared me. I needed that challenge to inspire me to get back to work and in shape. I think it worked pretty well, though I have a ways to go still to meet my goals. 5) What is your favorite memory of appearing as Slave Leia? My favorite memory is meeting and posing with other Star Wars costumers, a pair of Jedi and a Stormtrooper. We made quite a splash, though I think some people were confused by our presence at an anime convention. 6) If you danced for Jabba the Hutt, what song would you dance to and why? Tricky question. Depending on my mood, it would either be "Push It" by Salt-N-Peppa or "American Woman" by Lenny Kravitz. And I wouldn't be dancing for Jabba; he just doesn't inspire me much. I'd rather get munched by the pit beast. 7) Any final words? Lots of people commended me for my bravery for wearing a metal bikini, but strangely I didn't feel all that "naked" or embarrassed at the time. It was a wonderful morale boost, since I'm only about 4 months post partum. I look forward to reaching my fitness goal and wearing this costume again. Thanks Melissa! |
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