(Originally published February 2020. Author’s note: This article was originally published in a different article format than later interviews.)
Jazzy and Dustin, known as Crimson Nova Cosplay and Sky Steel Cosplay respectively when not teamed up together as Crespuscular Cosplay, are no strangers to costuming, and their first debut on the Final Fantasy XIV scene was – shall we say – a fiery one. Given that Jazzy donned black mage gear while Dustin wore the garb of a machinist, yes, that was pun intended. And after talking with them, I learned that their passion for their work is just as fierce as their black mage and machinist costumes.
Jazzy, who plays Riddel Tiikei on Faerie, knew she didn’t want to create an artifact set as her first FFXIV costume. The Arhat casting gear’s intricate detailing drew her eye, which she said proved to be a “hefty challenge” – but not in a bad way. Both Jazzy and Dustin strive to constantly learn new skills through their cosplays, and the Arhat top fit the bill for Jazzy. She appreciates that FFXIV provides an opportunity to “mix up the gear sets to have different accessories” and allow her to truly personalize her cosplay. She delved into 3D rendering for the medallion details, as well as quilting and transferring applique on leather when it came to the costume construction. Despite these new challenges, the care and attention to detail Jazzy puts into her costumes shines through in the finished product.
The costume is made of mostly vegan and faux leather, while the wig is from Arda and hand-dyed with Copic markers. There are many methods of dyeing wigs, and the Copic marker method worked so well that Jazzy has used it several times already since finishing her black mage cosplay. The staff is constructed from Worbla, which Jazzy says is more Dustin’s area of expertise.
Dustin typically handles the props, leatherwork, and armor for the Crepuscular team’s cosplays. His aetherotransformer and gun accessories were constructed from a combination of wood, foam, and Worbla, while the mask was mostly leather. They also ended up using Worbla in a rather unconventional way – heating it to form the mask shape on his face before measuring the leather! “We ran out of plaster,” Dustin admits, but he was proud of their creative quick thinking to create the accessory. From a viewer standpoint, the perfect fit of the leather mask was well worth the “Don’t try this at home!” use of Worbla.
Dustin also enjoyed the opportunity to airbrush the color details on his machinist costume rather than using normal brushes. He acknowledges that while “there is always an exception,” he is excited to use airbrushes more often going forward in his work. Even as Dustin and Jazzy refine their personal creative strengths, their positive attitude towards always trying out new techniques has encouraged them to pursue personal projects that allow them to learn more of each other’s skills.
As for displaying their work, Jazzy and Dustin wore their costumes at FanFest 2019, which was “immensely fun.” Dustin in particular notes that being around people who had the same love of FFXIV as themselves and could truly appreciate their cosplays was “fantastic.” They also showed their costumes at the World Cosplay Summit USA preliminaries in 2018. When I asked them about their wintry photoshoot in their costumes, Dustin called it “an endurance test.” He always brings an emergency repair kit and gives himself plenty of time to prepare for a shoot, which was likely essential for his machinist outfit given the complex amount of accessories and details.
Looking into the future, Dustin is considering a Hades or Gilgamesh build – both notably more difficult sets than his machinist armor: “The structural design of Hades I am both loving and dreading. Something that has that large of pieces requires proper allocation of weight as well as the intense design is a frighteningly fun challenge.” Jazzy is torn between white mage, astrologian, Alphinaud, Julyan, or the Crystal Exarch for her next project. Learning from previous costumes and projects has already built a strong foundation for their work, and undoubtedly the techniques they learned from their machinist and black mage costumes will be invaluable for whatever FFXIV cosplays they take on next!
You can find Crepuscular Cosplay on Instagram and Facebook.
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