Cosplay Interview: Sweet Angel

Welcome to another addition of Cosplay Interview. Today we will being traveling to Europe to met up with the lovely Sweet Angel.

She has done some amazing cosplays in recent years and her photographers have really brought out the characters she portrays. What really impressed me was a series of shots of her as Yoko that were done by Lucas Tonet.

I was blown away by the artistic points of view and how stylish Sweet Angel posed for them. As you will see below, she can really bring your favorite characters to life.

Well, I guess it is time to open the interview up and hear from Sweet Angel herself:

What is your name, where do you reside and what is your age?

My name is Gloria, but I'm known on web as Sweet Angel. I'm 21 years old and I'm Italian.

What first started you on the road to cosplay?

When I was a child I wanted so much to wear a Sailor Moon costume for Carnival, but my mother never bought me one, so I just worn a very simple, black witch costume.

When I was a teenager it happened that sometimes I found images of people who was wearing costumes of my favourite characters, I admired them but to me it was just a a dream to do the same.

By chance, in 2008 I found out that in my city there was a cosplay contest, so I went to see it. After 1-2 months I prepared my first cosplay, Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII.

How do you choose which characters you will Cosplay?

First of all I must like them esthetically and the character must be pretty similar to me. If they don't I don't even start to make it, even if I like them very much!

Second, I must like their temper, it must have a strong and decisive personality and even a giant weapon xD

I don't take into consideration to make cosplay of defenseless princesses, crybabies and so on because I don't really like them :/

Sometimes my boyfriend asks me to make a cosplay of a character he likes, and if following the anime series or playing the videogame I found out that I like it too, the cosplay will be done (examples:
Kirin Armor and Kaguya)

I am a HUGE Yoko fan and your photos were stunning that you did of her. How was it working on that photo shoot and with the photographer?

Yoko is too my favourite character since the first moment I saw her! It took two years to find a perfect location for her and in 2011 I finally found it (in some caves very near my house!).

The photographer, Luca Tonet, already took some pictures in his studio and conventions. We decided to cooperate, since as we got along very well, for this set. He's a perfectionist and among the 200 pictures made, we choose only about ten of them. I also brought another version of Yoko from the 6th episode of the anime, the one who take place in a sauna and I thin is one of the funniest of the entire series!

Another version that I made was a "model" version, inspired from the video "Pieces of sweet stars" and the artbook. The last two photo shoots were taken by my sister's boyfriend, he's a pro photographer.

I am always interested in cosplay from other parts of the world. Since you are from Italy, what are they conventions that you go to in your area? Is there a large turnout of cosplayers?

We have many different fairs in Italy, beginning with small conventions with few participants to the very big one like Lucca Comics and Games that involves the whole city.

Another very important fair, which I didn't take part, is Romics (in Rome). In this occasion the Italian representatives for the WCS (World Cosplay Summit) are selected.

Together with good friends of mine, I also organize 3 cosplay's contests in my area: Cosplay in TV, Montegames and Naoniscon. I invest a lot of time organizing them but I get a lot of satisfaction when I receive congrats from people.

The spectators number is always growing because the "cosplay phenomenon" is increasing, and sometimes it seems a trend!

Speaking of conventions, I saw that you were on the cover art for the cosplay flyer for Nipponbashi this year. What was the process for this and how did you feel when you were picked?

"Nipponbashi d'autunno" is a fair that develops in my hometown, Treviso.

I'm one of the cosplay organization staff, and the guys that arrange the entire fair decided to use one of my Yoko pictures to publicize the event, online and by flyers.

I'm really happy to be appeared in that advertising for that event, and I hope it helped the event.

I see that you have a sponsor which must be great. I know that other cosplayers would like to be sponsored. How did that come about with you getting sponsored by Miccostumes?

I had a contract by email from a Miccostumes' representative. Together we decided which cosplay I would wear, along with a wig (always gifted by them) in change of advertising and pictures for their site.

I'm enthusiastic about having this opportunity! I hope I will get more sponsors, for cosplay but also for fashion clothes and accessories!

When not cosplaying, what do you do?

I'm a third year student of byotechnology at the University of Padova. I hope I will graduate between July-September of 2012 and then specialize in medical byotech.

Furthermore, as any other girl, I LOVE shopping! I'm also interested in nail art (I have around 40 nail polishes) and I experiment with new decorations.

For any aspiring cosplayers a little shy, what words of wisdom do you have for them to get started?

Cosplay is a passion. You don't have to get upset while doing it. You just have to fulfill your commitment to yourself and do your best. It doesn't matter if you don't achieve the results you want from the beginning.

I think it's better to make a few costumes once in a while. Make costumes that give you satisfaction!

While doing cosplay, you can find many new friends and with them, you can help each other with making more cosplay costumes.

Where can we catch more of your Cosplay at?

I have a site under construction at WordPress.

I can also be found on these sites: deviantArt | Cosplay.com | Facebook

Our Photographers: Francesco Ambuchi | Luca Adaman | Luca Tonet | Marco Aeternum Cruciatus | Michele Albrigo | Noriyuki Wakabayashi | Paolo Dicati | Sandman-AC

Some Additional Cosplay Photographs

I want to thank Sweet Angel for taking the time to write to me and to the Photographers for the great photos that you get to see here today.

Want to be my next interviewed COSPLAY STAR? Drop me a line a bluedrakon (at) gmail (dot) com!