Shreveport cosplayer shows what goes into making convention costumes

Cosplaying has been a booming hobby since the 1990s. It started in Japan and has made its way around the world.

Cosplaying is a portmanteau of the words “costume” and “role play” and is mostly seen at comic book and sci-fi conventions, but in recent years with the popularity of YouTube and TikTok, cosplayers of all kinds have sprung up.

For Hannah Riann of Shreveport, her passion for the craft was born out of a love for “A Nightmare on Elm Street.”

Riann’s mother introduced her to the horror movie where she became fascinated with the special effects makeup. When it was announced that Freddy Krueger actor Robert Englund would be attending a local comic book convention, Riann donned his first female Freddy costume to attend the convention with her mother.

Positive reactions from Englund and other convention attendees encouraged Riann to pursue the hobby and now, ten years later, she is earning her degree in costume design and working as an alterations specialist at David’s Bridal while attending several conventions a year. .

“I would love to make screen-accurate costumes for people,” says Riann. “The ones based on video games and TV shows, just because I do that all the time for myself and I’d love to do it for other people.”