Today we’d like to introduce you to Hayley Becker.
Hayley, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started cosplaying when I was in middle school (technically). Though, I didn’t even know I was doing it. I remember BEGGING to cosplay Yuna from Final Fantasy X-2. Her gunner costume was so cute & I wanted to wear it. So, my friend’s mom surprised me with some parts of it & I wore it for Halloween. Then, I remember I went to my first con in college & it was AWA (anime weekend Atlanta). I saw people dressing up & I was like, ‘I HAVE TO DO THAT!’ As a kid, I would play A LOT of video games, & I would act out different parts of the game & pretend to be the characters. Same with movies & anime. So, I asked my friend’s mom to help make me a Rinoa Heartilly cosplay from the game Final Fantasy VIII. She was my favorite character growing up. She & I had so much in common & I loved her so much! So, that was when I fell into the whole cosplay game. I just kept finding characters to cosplay & fast forward to now, that I have so many characters I want to embody that it has led me to sewing & more craft making. So, the sky’s the limit!
Has it been a smooth road?
Oh gosh no! Nothing worth having or worth working on is usually smooth. A lot of my cosplays have been ROUGH. But again, if you’re ‘perfect,’ there’s nothing to strive for, right? I’m never going to be perfect, but that’s ok! I keep learning & I always want to learn more! So, I never want to get to the point where I feel I can’t improve!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Leyonhart Cosplay story. Tell us more about it.
Well, I think I’m very much well known for my cosplays & my personality. I am in no way shy! I will randomly walk up to people & start joking around. I have a tendency to bring people together & introduce them to new people! It’s just something I love to do! Cosplay is a community & we should all love & encourage each other. Sadly, I know it’s not always like that, but I like to surround myself with people that are like that. I’m proud that my cosplays are improving, & that I can embody my characters in costume but also in pictures. I can do storytelling through those moments in pictures. I can recreate moments of pain, success or other feelings in those pictures. As an actor (my background), that is what I strive to do. To tell a story & cause others to feel something. This & the fact I bring people together is what I am most proud of!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I’m not really sure! I know I want to continue cosplaying. My goal is to get better with foam & sewing. I’m still very much new to that, so I definitely would love to learn more! Oh, and wigs too! Those are super hard!
Contact Info:
- Email: leyonhartcosplay@gmail.com
- Instagram: leyonhart_cosplay
- Twitter: leyonhartcos
Image Credit:
Raphtalia-javier_perez_photography, Noctis & Deku-Krvekoski, Baku & Rinoa-thepicwitch, Tifa-limitedaperature, Lightning & Naofumi-estersnaps
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