The 2023 convention season has begun, and it kicked off with a small, but mighty, favorite of mine - UChiCon! I’ve covered UChiCon before, and as you might be able to tell, one of the things that I enjoy most about it are all of the amazing photo opportunities. The University of Chicago, which hosts the con, was built in the late 1800s the educate the scions of wealthy Chicagoans, and the grand gothic architecture of the main quad always takes my breath away.

A small aside - I had such a hard time coming up with a cosplay that would fit in with this setting. I was racking my brain for anything with an element of fantasy or grandeur, but that’s not really my vibe these days! It’s ironic because I wouldn’t have had any shortage of options back when I was wearing and blogging about vintage. Actually, a lot of my vintage pieces are still boxed up in my closet - maybe I’ll have to pull some of it out the next time I’m heading that way.

The cosplay I settled on was Sukuna, from an anime called Jujutsu Kaisen. I think my rationale was that it’s technically set in school and has some horror elements, and for such a simple costume, it had a lot of impact. I’m pretty in love with these photos, most of which were captured by my boyfriend, Ahmed (cosplaying Todo from the same anime). It’s fun to be able to pull out a wig and some paint and become a recognizable character using what you have at hand, and the graphic makeup it’s surprisingly flattering to boot.

I’ve been feeling really passionate about blogging and creating lately, and it’s great to feel that enthusiasm returning. I was so overwhelmed last year - by work, by life, by feelings, by responsibilities - that it was hard to find much joy in it. It was just another thing to worry about or be disappointed by, you know? In the past few months, though, getting back to the writing and photography side of things has made me feel really happy, and really powerful.

Or maybe it’s just dressing up like a turbo-powered demon, who knows.

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Cosplay:
Wig - Amazon
Top - Primark
Skirt, black coat - Dolls Kill
Haori - Knee Deep Vintage

Photos:
Ahmed Forero (@yosoyahmed)
Eddie B (@eddiebphotos, @cosmeetupchicago)