game of Thrones has been an interesting fandom in recent years. After the critical reception of the last season, the franchise has been considered by many to be forever tainted. In any case, we cannot deny that the previous seasons have been that of a masterpiece, with game of Thrones being an award-winning show and the massive media hype that went along with it.
While many will continue to discuss the questionable choices that were made in the last season, we can’t deny that the show’s wardrobe remains one of the most exquisite in show history. Costume designers Michele Clapton and Gina McIntyre incorporated many elements into each of the main characters’ costumes, such as their journey through the show, their personalities, and character arcs.
Both Clapton and McIntyre interviewed Insider Magazine in 2019 to discuss Sansa Stark’s coronation dress in the final episode, which features a lot of symbolism for the character. In the interview, Clapton mentions how they wanted to incorporate Elizabethan influences and elements from Sansa’s life throughout the show.
With such an immaculate piece, it’s no wonder the costume has been put on display in various costume galleries so viewers can admire the amount of work and love that went into it. Cosplayer Beth Malcolm (also known as Amazonian Cosplay) has taken the liberty of recreating Sansa’s coronation dress in a nearly identical replica. We sat down with Malcolm to talk about her journey through building this cosplay, and we can certainly say that it will be a masterpiece.
Cosplay Central: What made you want to do this particular cosplay?
beth malcolm: At the time the episode aired, it was added to the list. The show’s costume designer, Michele Clapton, said it was a love letter from the entire costume and prop department to the work they had done over the last 10 years. And it’s the same for me really: I started cosplaying 10 years ago and during that time I’ve done game of Thrones cosplays at every step of my creation level, so now this is essentially my ‘magnitude piece’ and my own love letter to skill development that I’ve had in this hobby for the last decade.
CC: Where did you start and how long ago?
WB: I started doing this in the summer of 2019! I played around a bit making a very crude version of one of Weirwood’s leaf embroideries with whatever material I had on hand. Then in March 2020 I successfully jumped into the project.
CC: What has been your favorite piece so far?
WB: From afar it has to be the giant embroidered sleeve. That costume segment alone represents almost 2 years of work, with more than 500 hours of hand embroidery, beading and goldsmithing, etc.
CC: On the subject of embroidery, how many sheets have you made for the set?
WB: I did 40 hand-embroidered, super-embellished leaves (two that I didn’t like and didn’t use in the final garment, though) and then there are 36 machine-embroidered leaves on the bottom.
CC: How many hours have you put into this cosplay so far?
WB: I stopped counting after my third watch of all game of Thrones.
CC: I saw you just finished the ceremonial breastplate that she wears. Can you walk readers through the steps you took to recreate it?
WB: Absolutely! So I am immensely lucky to have access to a professional blacksmith shop as it is a family member business. Over the years, he has indulged in several of my silly cosplay projects and provided endless instructions. Absolutely couldn’t do this without it!
The breastplate began, as many cosplay armor patterns do, as duct tape and cling film on a mannequin. I then scanned these pattern pieces into my laptop and digitally designed SVGs of the pieces in Inkscape. These were then sent for laser cutting of 1.5mm sheet steel.
Once I had the pieces, I annealed the pieces (heating them up and then slowly cooling them to loosen the bonds in the steel and make it more flexible) so I could add the raised line detail. I used a pneumatic chisel to add the lines, and then deepened and refined the lines with a good old fashioned hammer and anvil. The pieces were then trimmed, hammered into shape and fitted to my body, and MIG welded together. All 34 pieces.
Finally, any sharp edges or dodgy welds were removed and the breastplate was then heated to blacken it. I hand buffed a bit of gloss on the high points. So, you know, super simple job… Surprisingly not too heavy to use though!
CC: What has been the response so far around this compilation on social media?
WB: The response has been incredible, every step of the way! It has been wonderful to see people get involved in this project with me; it makes me feel a little less angry about tackling it, and it’s definitely uplifting when I’m having those impostor syndrome moments with the project. People have been sharing my work and leaving lovely comments all the time and it’s amazing!
CC: How much money have you put into this cosplay?
WB: Just under €3,000. However, this includes expensive gear that I bought specifically for him, like my embroidery machine, but he will have other costume uses in the future. A big part of this was also screen accurate fabrics, which was a very silly and totally unnecessary indulgence of mine! This cost was also spread out over 3 years, so it’s not THAT bad!
CC: Finally, what do you want to say to others who want to tackle such a large build?
WB: Do not? But in all seriousness, this project is a HUGE undertaking and a money sink, and definitely not for the faint of heart. Be prepared to prioritize your time or budget correctly, because giant projects like this ALWAYS cost a lot more in money and hours than you think. Take breaks from the project and work on other smaller builds so you don’t burn out and don’t set yourself tight deadlines, because you’ll end up taking shortcuts you don’t want (I speak from experience, as I’m currently in crunch mode).
Oh, and lastly, research research research. You don’t want to make silly, avoidable mistakes that can cost you a lot of time and money. Research the source costume, how others have made it, and similar techniques used throughout costume history. Don’t start creating until you’re sure you can do it!
We can’t wait to see the full cosplay when Amazonian Cosplay is ready to debut it. Until then, be sure to check her out on her TwitterInstagram, TikTok and her AmazonCostumes website to see more photos and videos as she completes the dress.