Welcome!
Hi, I'm Mai Sheri, a cosplayer based out of Toronto, Ontario. In my spare time, I make costumes and wear them to all kinds of fan-events.
Here you can find photos and descriptions of all the costumes I have made over my 10+ years in this crazy hobby.
Hopefully they showcase both the art of the costumes and the art of the photographers and other amazing people who I work with.
But above and beyond that, this site serves as a centralized hub for all the geeky things I enjoy,
so you can also find other crafts and video projects I have been involved in.
Cosplay is a creative hobby where fans design and build costumes inspired by characters from video games, animation, comics, and books. It combines sewing, crafting, wig styling, and prop making into a single expressive project. Many cosplayers spend weeks or months researching their chosen character, studying colour palettes and signature accessories, before ever picking up a needle or a hot glue gun. The end result is a wearable tribute to a story or world that the maker loves, brought to life through handmade effort and personal interpretation.
A good costume often begins with careful planning and reference gathering. Cosplayers collect screenshots, official art, and fan interpretations to understand the silhouette, fabrics, and details that define a character. From there, patterns are drafted or modified, fabrics are chosen for drape and durability, and small embellishments are sourced from craft stores or specialty suppliers. This preparation stage helps avoid costly mistakes and gives the project a clear direction, especially when the final outfit includes multiple coordinated pieces such as a jacket, shoes, wig, and accessories.
Wig styling has become its own craft within the cosplay community. Synthetic wigs can be cut, dyed, heat shaped, and teased to mimic everything from short spiky hair to elaborate braids and gravity-defying ponytails. Many cosplayers use foam, wire, and styrofoam to build underlying structures that hold dramatic shapes in place. The transformation from a plain wig on a mannequin head to a recognisable character hairstyle is often one of the most satisfying parts of a build, and it is frequently the detail that photographs most dramatically under convention lighting.
Conventions and fan events provide cosplayers with a stage to share their finished work. Large conventions host masquerade competitions where participants walk across a stage in costume, often performing short skits or poses judged on craftsmanship and performance. Smaller events, local meetups, and themed parades give cosplayers more casual opportunities to photograph, socialise, and trade tips. These gatherings are also where friendships form, group builds are planned, and photographers connect with new subjects for collaborative shoots.
Photography is a natural companion to cosplay, since costumes are designed to be seen. Event photographers navigate crowded convention halls, chasing good light and clean backgrounds, while planned photo shoots in parks, abandoned buildings, or studios allow for more controlled settings. Skilled photographers understand how to pose costumed subjects, choose angles that flatter armour or fabric, and edit images so colours stay true to the original design. The result is a body of work that celebrates both the maker and the lens.
Beyond costumes, many cosplayers branch out into related creative pursuits. Some create short films, stop motion animation, or live action tributes to their favourite series. Others experiment with prop replicas, fabric dyeing, or jewellery making as standalone projects. Craft tutorials and blog posts allow makers to share techniques with the wider community, from basic hand stitching to advanced thermoplastic shaping. These side projects keep the hobby fresh and give cosplayers new ways to express fandoms they care about.
Social media has reshaped how cosplayers share their progress and finished looks. Platforms for photos, short videos, and live streams let makers document each stage of a build in real time, from early fabric tests to final makeup touches. Hashtags and themed posting days help creators reach new audiences and connect with photographers, fellow crafters, and event organisers. A single well lit photograph can travel far beyond the original poster, inspiring newcomers and sparking collaborations across countries and time zones.
Costume design overlaps with many traditional art forms, including fashion design, sculpture, and painting. Studying how clothing fits the human body helps cosplayers translate drawn or animated designs into wearable garments. Understanding materials, from stretch knits to thermoplastic sheets, allows for creative problem solving when a character wears something impossible, like armour made of light or shoes that float. This blend of art and engineering is part of what keeps the hobby endlessly interesting.
Group cosplay projects bring a different kind of challenge and reward. Coordinating a full cast from a single series means matching colour schemes, scaling details, and planning meetups for fittings and photos. Group shoots become small productions, with shared props, coordinated poses, and sometimes original scenes that expand on the source material. These collaborations often become some of the most memorable experiences in a cosplayer’s journey, blending friendship, teamwork, and storytelling into a single shared project.
At its heart, the cosplay community is about enthusiasm, creativity, and connection. People of all skill levels, from first time beginners to seasoned veterans, contribute their own perspective to characters they admire. The hobby encourages patience, problem solving, and a willingness to try unfamiliar techniques, whether that means learning a new stitch, attempting a complicated wig, or simply showing up in a homemade outfit for a parade. It is a welcoming space where fandom becomes something tangible, wearable, and shared.
