Self-taught costume designer and model , Yaya Han is looked upon as an icon in the cosplay world. Her own line of costumes and accessories have been made available online and at conventions.
She plays a vital role as a host, panelist or judge in many conventions around the world.
To this day, Yaya Han has an impressive collection of over 300 personal costumes from every fandom genre you can think of.
Yaya Han will be judging the Abu Dhabi Summer Season’s Fun Nation Cosplay competition on August 6. She will be taking the stage at 4 pm on August 4-5 as well.
Click here for more details on Fun Nation’s Cosplay Competition!
1. Is Cosplaying for everyone? What does it take to make a good Cosplayer?
I’m a strong believer that Cosplay is for everyone. If you are a fan of a character, you can Cosplay her or him. It doesn’t matter what your skin tone, body type, gender or size is – Cosplay is a form of creative fan expression and should be celebrated by everyone. As long as you are having fun, you are a good Cosplayer!
2. Which characters do you think make for the best Cosplay costumes?
I suggest for Cosplayers to choose characters that they feel a connection to, so any character can be the best costume, depending on what it means to you, and how you approach it. Whether you are inspired by the story of a character, challenged by the design, or simply want to dress up to match your friends, the key is to enjoy the process of putting a costume together!
3. What tips would you give aspiring models? Do you think models have to be social media queens as well to be successful?
I’m a costume maker first, and model second. What I love about modeling is to tell a story, and create dynamic images. Modeling is an extension of costuming to me, and I enjoy an artistic photoshoot the most.
My advice for aspiring models is to learn how to do your own makeup, and experiment with different types of modeling. Practice posing a lot, and learn the different angles of your body and face.
Social media and marketing is certainly an important part of any business these days, but I would suggest for artists and models to create their own website portfolio, as to not be so reliant on social media sites. After all, Facebook and Instagram reach can be changed on a whim by the page owners, so having your own website is the best way to control your content, and build your brand.
4. What do you think is Yaya Han’s biggest strength?
Haha, my biggest strength might be persistence. I always say that passion leads to persistence, and persistence leads to success. I have been in the Cosplay community for over 17 years, and have encountered all kinds of good and bad experiences. My passion keeps me going, and I feel so grateful to have found something that fulfills me so, and gave my life direction.
5. Gives us a list of the latest Anime, Manga and comics that have caught your fancy.
This has been a super busy year for me, so I haven’t been able to keep up with the latest series’. However, I’ve been playing my 3DS a lot, during long flights! So, I’m currently super obsessed with Fire Emblem and Bravely Second. I also can’t stop playing Pokemon Go! (Who can, eh?)
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