There will be no running amok in this week’s Cosplay Friday. Instead, we’re going to summon the spell book and admire Manuel D’Andrea’s positively incredible Hocus Pocus Winifred Sanderson costume. He’s been cosplaying since 2011 and has fallen in love with the world of costumes and makeup and become a costume designer–cosplay helped him realize his true passions.
To make his replica of Winifred’s elaborate ensemble, Manuel told Nerdist he used several different techniques. The fabric was dyed by hand, embroidered, and hand-painted. On top of that, Manuel sculpted the book and buckles himself and made them from resin and latex–even though he’s never made a prop quite like the book before.
Photo by Andrea Aureli
Creating a costume this intricate took time. It wasn’t as simple as casting any sort of spell. He spent a total of three years perfecting the cosplay, in part because he wanted to find the exact right materials and in part because he’s always working on multiple projects at the same time.
Impressed? Yeah, me too. You don’t need to cast a spell to visit the gallery below to see some detailed shots of the costume and Book, so hop to it. Then, follow Manuel on Facebook and Instagram to keep tabs on all his projects–he kills it on a regular basis.
Update, October 21, 2017:
Manuel shared a full transformation video showing off how he applied his Winifred’s makeup, and it’s quite remarkable!
Do you cosplay or take photographs of cosplayers? Then I want to see your work so we can talk about highlighting your creations in a future Cosplay Friday gallery. If you’re a photographer, maybe we could focus on your images from a single convention. If you’re interested, please get in touch with me at [email protected] and send photos you’d like me to feature–the more high-res the photos, the better. Be sure to provide credits for the cosplayers or photographers for each image because giving credit is good manners–bonus points if you include links to relevant Facebook pages or websites. Though I wish I knew all the nerdy franchises, I don’t, so please let me know who or what is being cosplayed.
Images: Courtesy Manuel D’Andrea
