Q&A Interview with Kyahri

Photography by The Shadow Dinosaur

I interviewed Kyahri for this week’s League of Legends Cosplay Spotlight. She and I talk about some of the difficult parts of cosplaying and she also shared some advice for people who want to start getting into cosplay but are naturally shy.

Where are you from?

I am from Glasgow, Scotland but am currently living in England.

Photo by Riot Games

How did you become interested in cosplay?

I started watching anime again. I hadn't seen it since I was younger and watched DBZ and Sailor Moon on TV and then my friend took me to a cosplay meet back in 2010 and I thought it was so cool that people dressed up as their favorite characters. That soon started my love for cosplay and I began attending conventions.

How long have you been cosplaying?

Since 2010 technically but I hand-made my first cosplay in 2013 which was Ahri from League of Legends.


Which LoL champions have you cosplayed so far?

Ahri was always my favorite champion so I cosplayed her Default, Dynasty, and Pop Star skins. I have also cosplayed Dryad Soraka. Once Jinx was released I went Jinx crazy and have been cosplaying her ever since. So far I've done Classic, Mafia, Star Guardian Jinx as well as my own fan versions!

Who would you say is your favorite champion from the game to play?

I am a filthy support main and my favorite champs to play are Morgana, Zyra and Nami!  I also love to play Ahri and Jinx but can't say I'm terribly good at them…

Photo by David Kane Photography

Do you think there are any champs that are currently legit OP?

I’m going to tell the truth, I haven’t really played LoL as much since Xayah and Rakan came out so I’m not very up to speed with what’s OP right now. I will always hate Yasuo and Vayne, though!

What is the most difficult/complex cosplay that you created by hand?

I personally don’t think I’ve made anything too complex compared to other cosplayers; I just like to slowly learn new techniques and try perfecting them. Recently I’ve been trying to make my own patterns for cosplay and that can be quite challenging. Examples include my Aqua from Konosuba where I spent a lot of time patterning and making sure all my seams were nice and Star Guardian Jinx where I made the pattern from scratch and I also found that very difficult. I’ve also started making her rocket launcher which has been quite hard for me as I’m terrible at making props, haha.

Photo by Progenitor Photography

What's the biggest convention you have ever been to?

Biggest convention I’ve been to is London MCM Comic Con in UK. I haven’t been to many cons but I would like to travel abroad and visit some of the major conventions around the world.

Any advice for someone who wants to get into cosplay but doesn't know how to start or may think they are too shy?

Starting cosplay can be a scary thing especially for a shy person! I’ve always been terribly shy and had problems with anxiety but I feel that when I’m in cosplay as a character I really love, I become them and I feel much more confident. I feel that a lot of people have started viewing cosplay as really competitive and elitist and some people feel like they 'have to' cosplay something to impress others and it takes away the fun of the reason you want to cosplay in the first place!

So my advice would be to choose one of your favorite characters, visit your first convention and have fun. If you are having fun then that's all that matters. There are so many wonderful people who go to conventions so even if you attend it by yourself, by the time the con is over you will have made so many new friends. If you are not good at sewing or making things then there's nothing wrong with buying costumes either. I’ve bought and made cosplays and although making your own cosplay can be really rewarding, it is also very stressful so sometimes I end up enjoying myself a lot more in a costume that I bought.

Photo by GAK Photography

What are some of your hobbies outside of video games and cosplaying?

I don’t have a very interesting life outside of cosplay. It is my main hobby and pastime. If I’m not working on that I usually just end up watching anime or TV. I'm a pretty lazy person.

Where can fans find more of you?

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: @Kyahri

Photo by Dajathwi Photography