Alodia Gosiengfiao at the Freshgear Denimcon

"Well, I have never really agreed to take on that title because I still look up to a lot of my Cosplay friends who are really great in their respective crafts!” says the stunning and modest 22-year old Alodia Gosiengfiao when asked how she feels about being dubbed the “Cosplay Queen” of the Philippines.

A full-time Cosplayer, Gosiengfiao shares that she first learned about the subculture, which is short for “Costume Play,” through an online forum called Anime Club. Gosiengfiao, together with her sister Ashley, admits to being interested in Japanese culture and, soon enough, the siblings have started putting together costumes and going to Cosplay events.

Recalls Gosiengfiao, “The first event that marked that start of our Cosplay life was a Cosplay competition for the Ragnarok Online launching,” where she dressed up as the Priestess from the game, while her sister went as the Huntress. She won the Levi’s Kawaii Girl of Animax in 2007 and has been the Singapore-based network’s VJ. Locally, she is also currently working with ABS-CBN for a new show called LOL as a co-host to Luis Manzano and is the new endorser of teen retail brand Freshgear.

Indeed, Alodia Gosiengfiao is Cosplay’s well-appointed queen.

Manila Bulletin: Tell us about your costumes. Do you buy them, design them, or have them made? What usually is your inspiration for your costumes? And what has been your favorite costume, so far?

Alodia Gosiengfiao: As for my costumes, since we have to be as accurate as possible when portraying a character, we have them custom-made. Sometimes, I draw my own designs as well. I get inspired by the games I play, anime, and movies that I watch. Sometimes, just the design itself is enough to make me want to take on the challenge! So far, my favorite costume is The Baroness from GI Joe because it’s sexy yet not revealing. Also, it is very comfortable to wear and move around.

MB: What do you think is the appeal of Cosplay? What makes this subculture so interesting and so popular?
Cosplay brings different people together. It crosses borders, meaning, that we get to be friends with other Cosplayers, even from different parts of the world! Cosplay also is kind of glamorous and colorful and I think it makes events, parties, or shoots more pleasing to the eye. And, yes, before I forget, this also brings us closer to people who are into different fields like photography, makeup, art directing, styling, and such.

MB: What are the common misconceptions about Cosplay? Are you ‘role playing’ 24/7? Is there a certain pressure where you have to be ‘on’ all the time, being the Cosplay Queen?
Actually, it depends on the person. They can try to role play 24/7, but that can be hard. But, as for myself, I only role play when I do Cosplay and that is during shoots and conventions. For the most part, though, I am just myself. Happy, bubbly, and hyper.