#FeatureFriday with ToughTink Cosplay

Today we have a great interview with Kelsey. Her work is so creative and inspiring and she adds amazing amount of details to all her costumes. Read the full interview below!

​I'm a Central Florida-based cosplayer who loves art, fashion, animation, video games, and all sorts of other nerdy things!
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How and when did you get into cosplay?
I first started cosplaying officially when I reached college (art school is full of cosplayers!), but I had been customizing my Halloween costumes for years before that.

How did you come up with your cosplay name?
"toughtink" has been one of my online handles since middle school because I've collected Tinker Bell stuff since I was a kid & also love alliteration. (And I like to pretend that I'm "tough." ?)

What do you do when you're not in cosplay or geeking out?
By day, I work as a professional designer in the theme park industry. Other hobbies include attending theme parks for fun, playing video games, and making art for myself rather than work.

What is your proudest cosplay accomplishment?
It's technically more of a fashion event than a cosplay one, but I'm pretty proud that I got to participate in the Her Universe Fashion Show at SDCC 2017! If not for the skills I learned through cosplay, I never would have gotten to walk the runway showing off my own work.

What cosplay(s) are you working on right now?
Too many!! I have Ariel's pink gown, a Sailor Moon wig for multiple future cosplays, Widowmaker's Noire Skin which has been temporarily shelved, a Vaporeon gijinka, and a Prince Phillip costume for my husband which still needs a cape.

Who is your cosplay idol/inspiration?
I have so many of those, too! Ginny Di, Kaye Cosplay, Korin Cosplay, DavidforDisney, Yaya Han, Mango Sirene, Alyson Tabbitha, Kamui, and too many others to name!

What is your dream cosplay?
Belle's gold gown has been what I'm slowly working up to with my Disney cosplays! Some of Padme's outfits from Star Wars would also be a dream come true.

What is your favorite convention to attend and why?
Metrocon has been one of my favorites to go back to because of the variety or artists and vendors they usually have, and also because the panels are so fan-driven! I also love Holiday Matsuri for the holiday theme.

Do you have any cosplay or convention pet peeves?
I really dislike when con attendees are rude to cosplayers and demand photos when the cosplayer is clearly not free to do that. For example, I was at SDCC when my dad called to share some important information, but some random guy kept trying to get my attention for a photo despite my friends telling him repeatedly to wait until my call was done. In the end, he snapped a picture of me hunched over my phone with my face to the wall and left. I couldn't believe how entitled he felt to a photo.

Do you have any horror stories or mistakes you've made that others can learn from?
One time, a dress I made for Tink ended up way shorter than I had calculated (it was slowly riding up in the back all day), and I didn't get to find out until I got back from a con where I was wearing it. Ugh!! I fixed that with the next iteration, but that's why costests are important!

Do you have any tips or words of encouragement for other cosplayers?
Don't forget that everyone started at the beginning, just like you! It takes a lot of time and patience and mistake-making to get good at anything, cosplay included.

Where can we find you on all things social?
toughtink on instagram, toughtink on twitch, toughtink cosplay on facebook, toughtink/toughtinkart/toughtinkcosplay on tumblr, & toughtinkart on twitter!

Photos for this interview provided by Coffee Queen Cosplay, Elite Cosplay, Joey Quintin, and Mark Edwards Photography.

What an amazing interview. She's very down to earth, and again, hecka creative. If you're not already following her, you should be!!