Brother Sewing & Craft enters the Cosplay arena in winning style
with Ludus Cosplay
Brother International South Africa is pleased to announce a creative collaboration with the winner of the Comic Con Africa 2022: Cosplay Championship, Ludus Cosplay, also known as Luke Andalis. Luke, and ‘Aratak’, his winning cosplay from Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds, will be representing South Africa at the international Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) being held in that city in March of this year.
“I’m incredibly excited about this partnership, not only as a costume designer, but I’ve been a big fan of Brother products since I started my creative journey. I have been sewing for over two decades now, and it’s remarkable to see how far technology has evolved on a domestic level in terms of devices and equipment. I’m looking forward to sharing some of the amazing features, along with the additional game-changing accessories available. I am grateful for this opportunity, and I can’t wait to showcase the projects I have planned and the creative journey behind the projects” says Luke, a full-time cosplayer and costume creator based in Cape Town.
The collaboration between Brother South Africa and Ludus Cosplay will showcase both the innovative line up of Brother sewing and embroidery machines available in South Africa and the creative talents of one of South Africa’s favourite cosplay personalities.
“The partnership with Ludus Cosplay is a unique and exciting one for us at Brother. The talent, creativity and skill involved in producing cosplays is evident in the detail and dedication you see when looking at the completed outfits. The ‘Aratak’ cosplay took eight months to complete! We are eager to see the results of Luke’s new projects and will be following them closely,” says Dale De Villiers, Marketing Manager for Brother South Africa.
Luke will also be a judge at the Comic Con Cape Town Sew-a-thon in April 2023, an event sponsored by Brother International South Africa.
What is Luke’s advice to new cosplayers entering competitions? “If someone is entering a competition, use whatever opportunity you have and sell it! You don’t have to only be in character on stage or on the con floor, walk into the judging room in character to capture the judges’ attention immediately. Don’t be shy to let loose, you are a fictional character at a convention, being judged by people in costumes…no one is going to think you’re weird! A costume can be well put together but by adding extra personality and having fun in the costume really helps to show the judges how much you enjoy the character. Confidence is so important!” he says.
As a full-time cosplayer and costume designer, Ludus Cosplay has created a wide range of online mini tutorials showing techniques, tips and his own projects using different fabrics and other interesting and unconventional materials. These are freely available on his Instagram and YouTube channels for new cosplayers to use and develop their own sense of cosplay style.
“The cosplay community in South Africa is growing very fast and even though it may not be as big as some communities in other countries, there are more and more opportunities for cosplayers with every convention or event. More products and materials are becoming easier to acquire so more people are crafting, entering competitions and even starting businesses. I am very excited for what’s still to come for South Africa in terms of cosplay,” concludes Luke.
You can follow Ludus Cosplay’s journey on Instagram or Facebook.
What is Luke’s advice to new cosplayers entering competitions? “If someone is entering a competition, use whatever opportunity you have and sell it! You don’t have to only be in character on stage or on the con floor, walk into the judging room in character to capture the judges’ attention immediately. Don’t be shy to let loose, you are a fictional character at a convention, being judged by people in costumes…no one is going to think you’re weird! A costume can be well put together but by adding extra personality and having fun in the costume really helps to show the judges how much you enjoy the character. Confidence is so important!” he says.
As a full-time cosplayer and costume designer, Ludus Cosplay has created a wide range of online mini tutorials showing techniques, tips and his own projects using different fabrics and other interesting and unconventional materials. These are freely available on his Instagram and YouTube channels for new cosplayers to use and develop their own sense of cosplay style.
“The cosplay community in South Africa is growing very fast and even though it may not be as big as some communities in other countries, there are more and more opportunities for cosplayers with every convention or event. More products and materials are becoming easier to acquire so more people are crafting, entering competitions and even starting businesses. I am very excited for what’s still to come for South Africa in terms of cosplay,” concludes Luke.
You can follow Ludus Cosplay’s journey on Instagram or Facebook.
