Candice Brown
About
Candice has been in love with all things Disney ever since she was a little girl. In college, she even got to do a 5-month internship at Walt Disney World. In 2015, she created her first Disney Princess costume, Ariel, for Halloween. Her love of modifying sewing patterns to match her cosplay design only grew from there! Now she has made over 20 cosplays, ranging from simple to complex, many of which are Disney characters. Her husband also helps make her cosplay props, such as Rey's staff and Merida's bow. You can follow her at NerdyPrincessCandice.
Q&A
How did you get into cosplay?
I first got into cosplay by making Halloween costumes for myself. Then, I went to my first convention in 2018, Wizard World Tulsa, and seeing all of the wonderful cosplays made me want to push myself to learn new skills and continue making more cosplays to wear to future conventions.
What inspires you to cosplay a character?
I'm often inspired to cosplay a character when that character's personality resonates with mine. However, sometimes, I love the character's outfit so much that I want to challenge myself to replicate it!
What advice would you give to someone new to cosplay or wanting to get into it?
I once read a quote saying, "Always remember... You have to be really bad at something before you will ever be good at it," and that really stuck with me. So my advice is, if you want to make a cosplay, go for it! It might not be perfect, but each cosplay you make will be better than the last.
Who are your inspirations for cosplays? Makers, cosplayers, artist?
One of my biggest cosplay inspirations is Nikita Cosplay. She makes beautiful princess cosplays and even published a book with sewing patterns called Self-Made Princess. Locally, I'm inspired by SusieCreatesCosplay, who is also a part of this exhibit. She is such a talented maker and is so kind to help me whenever I've needed advice working with eva foam or other tips.
What do you do with old cosplay?
I keep all of my cosplays. So much time and energy goes into making them that I've never been able to part with one.
Whats your favorite cosplay memory? Favorite con?
Last summer, I went to Fan Expo Dallas, where Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, was a guest. Meeting her was a dream come true, BUT my favorite part was meeting all the other cosplayers dressed as Ariel in all their different versions. I made so many new friends that day, which is my favorite thing about cosplay.
What are you most excited about in Making Legends:Cosplay Culture?
I can't wait to see all of the amazing cosplays on display at this exhibit, and I also hope to encourage some new artists to embark on this fun adventure of cosplay making.