McCall’s Jumps Into Cosplay!
The McCall Pattern Company today announced the release of three new sewing patterns intended to help cosplayers and costume makers bring their own imaginative looks to life more easily and expertly than ever before.
“Cosplayers who make their own costumes are incredibly resourceful stitchers and stylists, possibly the most resourceful,” said Kathleen Wiktor, Director of Retail and Consumer Promotions for the McCall Pattern Company. “These deeply engaged superfans could never be satisfied with an “off the shelf” look. Though inspired by their favorite characters, they want their costumes to reflect as much personal style as possible. That’s what we set out to help them achieve with ‘Cosplay by McCall’s.’”
The brand, launched by the company online last fall, came about after more than a year of conversations with cosplayers who sew. “We set up a modest display at a comic convention in New York and were overwhelmed by fans eager to tell us how they’d been using our McCall’s, Butterick and Kwik Sew patterns for years in creating and crafting their own costumes,” said Janet Wolf, VP Marketing. “So we invited them to sit down with us and discuss the best ways we could be of help to them today.
Each new pattern offers step-by-step instructions for creating a central component of any number of looks and ensembles. Be it an airborne avenger from a distant galaxy or an angelic herald from an alternate universe, imagination literally takes wing with FLIGHT. Fans looking to pay tribute to a favorite hero of anime or rogue adventuress will find inspiration in TRENCHED. And for those for whom winter can’t come soon enough, CLOAK X has got them covered.
“Cosplayers we spoke with also told us that they like to reuse patterns for different cosplays,” said Wiktor. “So we printed these patterns and their guidesheets on brighter, more durable paper.” The outer envelopes are also larger, glossier and of a heavier paper stock, designed with more room for additional information, sewing tips, line drawings and photo references.
Priced from $17.95 to $19.95, each pattern is available exclusively online at www.CosplayByMcCalls.com. Once at the site, visitors also have access to The Vault Collection, a continually expanding selection of designs, silhouettes and accessories reissued especially for creative cosplayers. They’ll also find ideas and suggestions posted by McCall’s own team of cosplayers and members of the broader cosplay community.
“The growth in cosplay participation, diversity and creativity around the world is truly phenomenal,” added Wolf. “For as long as fans desire to essentially transform into their favorite characters, ‘Cosplay by McCall’s’ will be there to help them with ideas, inspiration and ingenuity.”
