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Interview with Lilia Lemoine aka LadyLemon

Interview with Lilia Lemoine aka LadyLemon

 

Interview by: Player Two

Geek Girl Player Two recently had the opportunity to interview the lovely and talented cosplayer and FX Artist Lilia Lemoine aka LadyLemon!

 Interview – Lilia Lemoine

Name: Lilia Lemoine AKA LadyLemon
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Occupation: IT Specialist and FX Artist

Me: Hi Lilia, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us. I am a huge fan of your cosplays and consider you an inspiration. Why don't you start by telling us a little bit about yourself. :)

Lilia: Hi there! I spent many years isolated from the “world of women” (how I used to call it) because I was so wild as a boy and a perfect nerd during school days. I used to see girls wear make up and dress pretty, while taping my favourite animes and series on tv, playing PC games and reading comic books (also playing with my barbie dolls, dressing them as super heroes or even painting them in silver to make them look like Steel Hearth from Silver Hawks). I started to date boys and I felt a little bit more like them, but that wasn't enough. Still, I could never abandon my likes and hobbies to became “a pretty lady”. I loved to draw an paint and sculpting, I even considered to follow a career as a plastic artist. One day I discovered social networking, while studying FX, and met other girls like me. That was a dream! Now I have girlfriends and I feel a complete woman. Geek girls will rule the world, have that for sure! Today I have a full time job as an IT Specialist, present video game news for a daily news and pursue a career as a model / actress... and I even have a boyfriend! ;)  Cosplaying is my favourite hobby, it shows my love for art, comics, anime, games and modelling. I love to make the costumes as much as wear them and see the face of wonder in people when they see me!

Me: When did you first start cosplaying?

Lilia: I started cosplaying with frequency in 2012, because I bought a new sewing machine. Until that day, I was sewing by hand. I'm good at it, but every process becomes slow. I included many different materials, found in the streets, materials used during FX school and even old clothes reformed.

 Interview – Lilia Lemoine

Me: That's amazing! I wish I could do special FX, but I can barely use my sewing machine hehe. What was your inspiration to start cosplaying?

Lilia: I am an actress and I have some education as a model (my mom sent me to an academy when I was younger in her hopes of see me becoming a lady), and I love comic books, fantasy, games, martial arts and anime. I like to play being the characters. I also enjoy making the cosplays very much, I'm an FX artist, and before making cosplay, I did props and wardrobe for movies and short films. I almost end up working as a make up artist, but my job at IT pays well and since I do homeworking, that gives me more time for my other projects. I'm slowly switching to my artistic career. This year I got a job in the daily news, it's a part time job but could lead to a change!

Me: I work in I.T too! I.T Geeks UNITE!! Haha. What was your first costume?

Lilia: My first costume was in 2007, I dressed as Otaru Namiya, it was a crossplay better said. But the first cosplay of mine that turn out popular was Sheryl Nome, Black Bunny version, from Macross Frontier in November of 2011.

Me:What is you all time favourite costume to wear?

Lilia: I couldn't decide on one... I have several cosplays in production that I have to try first, but maybe the one I like to wear the most is Black Cat. I love Felicia Hardy and the catsuit is very comfortable and fun to wear. It is sexy, but you can kick an ass if necessary!

 Interview – Lilia Lemoine

Me: I have always been more of a DC fan over Marvel, but Black Cat has always been one of those characters that I have loved from the Marvel Universe. I saw that you also work with plastic, do you incorporate this into your costumes?

Lilia: I use many different materials.  I use everything I have at hand, but my favourite for armors and props has become Eva foam (eva gum). It is cheaper than wonderflex, light, malleable and resistant. I also use putty for details,  acrylic, wood, paper mache and even tergopor. I do not use fibre glass because I don't have yet a proper atelier, my cat, dog and plants would hate me!

Me: Haha yea, I can't imagine that they would like you too much after that! I think you're most well known for your Diablo 3 Demon Hunter Cosplay, which I must add is my absolute favourite, what made you choose to cosplay this character?

Lilia: Thank you! My best cosplay so far. I choose to make the demon hunter for a very important reason: it was a challenge, the artwork was magnificent, and when I saw the images I taught: “no one can make this armor”, so I wanted to give it a try! XD  It was almost an entire month of struggling, but now I feel that I can do anything. After that I made 3 other armors: Ophiuchus Shaina, Cygnus Hyoga and Marin, from Saint Seiya. They seemed easy after the Demon Hunter!

Me: You're very welcome! I'm a huge Diablo fan. Do you play as a demon hunter? I'm a monk haha :D

Lilia: You will laugh (or cry), I have the game since it was released, but it is still in the box, I started a second job presenting games for a daily news site, and the only game I've played since then is Drake's Fortune in PS3 and Dungeon Siege, because I already have it installed in an old PC, the rest of my “free” time when I'm not sewing, I'm trying free android games. And the worst part is... everyone is telling me that the Demon Hunter is no big deal T.T  But I will not complain, it is just a matter of time! A funny story: there is a guy in the Diablo III network that plays with a demon hunter named “Lilia” :)

Me: That's too funny! Well once you pull it out I know you'll love it. What is the funniest cosplay moment you have had?

Lilia: I went to TGS 2012 with my boyfriend. So I made the Shaina armor for the occasion, there is a very nice Saint Seiya game for PS3 (I had the chance to try it), and carrying the Demon Hunter to Japan would be a nightmare. And as back up cosplay, a  blue Kasumi cosplay from DOA, Kotobukiya's doll version. I was wearing my Shaina cosplay with pride, and a wild Mario girl with a bra appeared, all the photographers went crazy, no one was paying attention to me. I felt the apathetic COBRA was being insulted. So I took off my Shaina armor and put on my Kasumi blue costume.... and got a share of the kamekos. I had my minute of fame in Japan. Next day I wore my Shaina armor again, and was lucky enough to meet Yaya Han (my favourite cosplayer ever!), Riddle and Alodia... and if that is not great enough, I found Kipi as well, I have pictures with all of them :)

 Interview – Lilia Lemoine

Me: Have you ever had any costume malfunctions or mix-ups?

Lilia: Not really, I make them very comfortable... the only problem I usually have are panties, I'm uncomfortable wearing panties!

Me: You're lucky! I seem to be the Queen of costume malfunctions!! Haha. When I first messaged you, you said social media brought you closer to the She-Geek community. What is it like for you as a Fem Geek and female cosplayer?

Lilia: As I said in my short bio, finding other geek girls like me, made me a complete woman. Yes we need friends of our own gender, yes we are happy in community, if it is the right community!

Me: Well said! If you could give advice to anyone, male or female that is new to cosplay, what would it be?

Lilia: If you feel passion for cosplay,  and you do believe it is an art and want do it right: take compliments as well as critics. Don't let negative criticism destroy you, try to improve instead. Choose your costumes well: at the beginning don't try to be a hero, don't go for the most complicated (as I did when I made Spiral and was a complete fail, I was just starting) and learn from others. If you love a character, be sure that you honour that character, wait until you're ready to make it, or you could get crushed! Find the right materials and practice your “acting”. When wearing a cosplay, try always to be in character. If not, you'll only be a dude with a costume, not a cosplay, no matter how nice it looks on you or how perfect (or not) your body is.  And one more thing: stay always honourable, never take credit for other costumes, that's the worst thing to do!

If you only want to make cosplay for fun, that is also valid, but then don't pay attention to any critics and just have fun! It doesn't matter the reason, anything that makes you happy JUST DO IT!

One last piece of advice: your costume deserves nice pictures. During events there are lots of photographers you can ask for a picture; a good cosplay can be ruined by an ugly photo! Seeing your work well depicted helps you find enthusiasm for the next one. Also make up is very important, even more than contacts or wigs: even if you're just crossplaying. Always wear make up. Cosplay is fantasy, it is better much, than nothing.

 Interview – Lilia Lemoine

Me: I would like to thank you again for doing this interview with me. It is my first time interviewing someone and I couldn't have picked anyone better. Where can our fans keep up with your work?

Lilia: I have a personal page in Spanish for my artistic work, but I don't share everything I do as a cosplayer there, my main point of reunion for cosplay is my facebook page. I'll be uploading some processes and tutorials soon, this is a brand new page!  I have some make up (fx and social) in my youtube channel. My twitter is LiliaLemoine.  For any questions you can contact me through my facebook page, I'll respond as quick as I can! Thank you for the interview Player Two!

Photography by: Photographes Sans Frontieres

Cosplayer: LadyLemon

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March 24 2013



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