Surely everyone is home now, but if they're like me, they're nowhere near
unpacked. So I'll start, and y'all chime in and fill in where I forget.
The CC25 committee did a smashing job. The hotel venue was well-situated
and conveniently laid out, and I didn't hear one word of complaint about
the site, which is a rare thing indeed. Programming covered a wide range
and started on time (OK, I delayed mine a bit, but only because I was
talking all day nonstop and needed to hit the bathrooms in between, as did
some of my audience). To mark the 25th anniversary, there were some
brilliant exhibits of photos and costumes going back to the very first
Costume-Con. Genie Hillen ran a truly hospitable hospitality suite and
seemed to be able to read the minds of everyone who walked in, producing
thin mints and bottled water (for this non-soda-drinker) like a magician.
And the sort of small touches that really make a difference were in
evidence everywhere -- badge holders in the form of small wallet pouches
(really helpful to costumed people), witty rock-and-roll theme session
names / decorations / background music, good signage, etc. This may have
been the best organized con I have ever attended.
I'm not a competitor, but I enjoy seeing the brilliant and beautiful
things other people come up with. And there were plenty of competitions:
decorated shoes, doll costuming, hall costumes. Plus the usual two big
"masquerades" (f/sf and historical), which for those who haven't seen them
are really stage shows with costumes presented as performance art, and the
Future Fashion Show, in which costumers choose designs submitted earlier
by entrants to the Future Fashion Folio. The FFS/FFF are my favorite
events, and this year's crop included some very witty plays on the themes
of "red hat society" and "orange." The f/sf Best In Show went to a cosplay
group doing "Trinity Blood," and the historical Best in Show went to a
1940s torch singer. I'm sure all the winners will be listed eventually on
the official CC websites, but I'll let the listmembers who competed fill
in anything relevant here. (Yes, folks, blow your own horns please.)
Hall costumes were everywhere; I'd say roughly half the people wandering
around at any given time had some element of costume on them, ranging from
funny hats to full-dress historicals, cosplay, furries, and everything in
between.
I met more h-costumers than I expected. Dawn showed up at the Friday
social in strategically arranged black spandex and red vinyl. Tearose
arrived with a pocketful of red "H" pins for those h-costumers lucky
enough to find her; she also won a well-deserved prize in the doll costume
contest, and I lost track of how many historicals I saw her in, though I
remember her Flemish peasant because she borrowed my chemise ;-)
Sunshine Buechler, who changed periods every time I saw her, was a vision
in the historical masquerade, where she won a major prize (and I'll let
her tell you what, and what for, because I won't do it justice). Of course
Pierre and Sandy were working their tushes off, and made appearances in
their trademark dazzling assemblages of shiny fabric and fantastic
headdresses. E House was there, and Margaret Decker, and Donna Cascio
(Cassandra), and Mary Piero Carey, and many others I'm sure I know from
the list in past years but don't know if they're still on these days. I
must have walked past Judy Mitchell at least three times because she kept
changing outfits and I kept not recognizing her with new hair/clothes. Ann
Catelli for once was *not* at my lectures, but since she's been three
times already, I'll let her off the hook -- besides, she was pretty busy
working as stage ninja for the masquerades.
As noted, I lectured all day Saturday, and a lot of us descended on the
Steak 'n' Shake next door to keep nattering over lunch. The lecture
audience was a great mix of re-enactors, theatrical types, cosplay folks,
etc. who asked good questions and kept me on my toes.
For the first time, I made and wore a hall costume, because where else
could I find anyone who would understand the idea of a Goth Fitted Dress?
A preliminary photo is here:
http://www.tancos2.net/robin/goth033007.jpg
I'm afraid the black fabric makes it hard to see that this is a standard
lace-up, wool-and-linen GFD, but with a black chemise and veil, and modern
Goth accessories -- lace gauntlets, neck ribbon, tattoos (no, I don't have
a permanent lizard on my bosom), and a death-warmed-over makeup job with
pale foundation, bruise-purple eyeshadow, blood-red nail polish and
lipstick. I think this is the first time I have ever used eyeliner, and
probably the first time I've had on eyeshadow since my wedding. (Said one
friend, "You're wearing eye makeup! How un-Robin!") Not visible here are
the black hiking boots and fishnet stockings. My companion, who was
good-natured enough to dress to match (and grateful I didn't put eyeliner
on *him*), said I was "charmingly creepy." Heh.
He took about 300 photos, so I'll post a link when they're up, in a few
days.
Costume-Con will be in San Jose in 2008, Baltimore in 2009, and Milwaukee
in 2010. I have been asked to speak at the latter, but I don't know yet if
it conflicts with Kalamazoo. Somehow I think the Goth Fitted Dress would
not exactly work for the International Medieval Congress ...
--Robin
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