The Fashion Shelf

Kids of Cosplay
Thurstan Redding
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500026175, $50.00, HC, 144pp

https://www.amazon.com/Kids-Cosplay-Thurstan-Redding/dp/0500026173

Synopsis: Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and perf= ormance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashi=
on accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact=
to create a subculture, and a broader use of the term "cosplay" applies to=
any costumed role-playing in venues apart from the stage. Any entity that = lends itself to dramatic interpretation may be taken up as a subject. Favor= ite sources include anime, cartoons, comic books, manga, television series,=
rock music performances, and video games. The term is composed of the two = aforementioned counterparts -- costume and role play.

Cosplay grew out of the practice of fan costuming at science fiction conven= tions, beginning with Morojo's "futuristicostumes" created for the 1st Worl=
d Science Fiction Convention held in New York City in 1939. The Japanese te=
rm "cosplay" was coined in 1984. A rapid growth in the number of people cos= playing as a hobby since the 1990s has made the phenomenon a significant as= pect of popular culture in Japan, as well as in other parts of East Asia an=
d in the Western world. Cosplay events are common features of fan conventio= ns, and today there are many dedicated conventions and competitions, as wel=
l as social networks, websites, and other forms of media centered on cospla=
y activities. Cosplay is very popular among all genders, and it is not unus= ual to see crossplay, also referred to as gender-bending. (Wikipedia)

A powerful expression of individuality and diversity, cosplay has become gl= obal phenomenon that allows anyone to become a hero for a day.

After attending a cosplay convention in 2017, photographer Thurstan Redding=
became captivated by cosplay as a subject matter and embarked on a three-y= ear photographic project to portray cosplay in a way it had never been seen=
before.

Brought to life through the presentation of seventy cosplayers in unassumin=
g locations, "Kids of Cosplay" highlights how creativity can thrive in the = most mundane realities: Spider-Man is illuminated by the open fridge in a k= itchen, three Alices wait at a bus stop in a desolate Wonderland, a Resista= nce Pilot plays dead on the gravel driveway of a suburban housing complex.

Supplemented by commentary from the cosplayers themselves, together with be= hind-the-scenes pages from Thurstan's personal diary, Kids of Cosplay "cele= brates the unique community spirit that exists within this charming (and, t=
he more you look, surprisingly moving) parallel universe of glorious, gener= ous pageantry" (Vogue).

A foreword by fashion powerhouse Katie Grand; an essay by writer and perfor= mer Tom Rasmussen, who discusses the social and cultural context of cosplay=
; and an illuminating interview with Redding by noted fashion writer Sara M= cAlpine complete "Kids of Cosplay".

Sometimes, you only have to scratch the surface of our reality to reveal th=
e fantasy that lies beneath.

Critique: Published by Thames & Hudson in a large format (10.2 x 0.7 x 11.4=
inches, 2.34 pounds) hardcover edition and featuring 128 full page, color = photo illustrations, "Kids of Cosplay" is an inherently fun, informative, a=
nd fascinating presentation showcasing imaginative examples of the phenomen=
a that has become known as cosplay. "Kids of Cosplay" is a unique and very = special pick for personal, professional, community, college, and university=
library Contemporary Pop Culture & Fashion collections and supplemental cu= rriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Thurstan Redding (https://www.thurstanredding.com) is a = Hong Kong-born, French-raised British photographer and director based in Lo= ndon. His work explores the intersections between identity politics, subcul= tural movements, and classical photography. He has contributed to i-D, M: L=
e Magazine du Monde, British Vogue, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, A= rena Homme +, Document Journal, Love, the Wall Street Journal, Re-Edition, = and Replica. His commercial clients include Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, V= ersace, Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs, Chloe, and Burberry.

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Midwest Book Review

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