Cosplay is at its best when it’s transformative. Sure, you can make sure everything about your costume is perfect and honors canon. But the most creative cosplayers make a character their own, much like disabled cosplayer Gaby. She sat down with us recently to discuss her cosplay origin story, the polarizing reactions to her creations, and why cosplay is an activity best shared with friends.
PLAYBOY: Can you tell us how you first got into cosplay?
Gaby: It started in 2016, I think. I was already attending conventions with my sister and my friends. And I was kind of looking for something to have meaning in my life, if that makes sense. I was feeling sad and lonely, and then I thought, “Might as well give it a try.” I was reading Tokyo Ghoul back then, and I was so obsessed with Juuzou. So I was like okay, I’m going to give it a shot.
I made the pants and the suspenders. It wasn’t the best cosplay ever, but I was so proud of it. And honestly, attending a convention with something that I had made was a really great feeling. It became an obsession really rapidly. I started with one of my friends and we’re still cosplaying together to this day.
PLAYBOY: When you cosplay, do you feel like you transform into the character that you’re dressed as?
Gaby: Oh yeah, 100%. I think that’s probably the thing that I like the most…the role play aspect. My friend and I cosplay every week without exception. The fact that we genuinely 100% feel in the character is probably the most fun part of it all. I do a lot of cosplay with my best friends Momo, Sunflower and Kate, so the four of us are always together every single week.
PLAYBOY: What are some of the challenges that you face as a disabled cosplayer?
Gaby: Accessibility, for one. Smaller conventions often don’t have the accessibility that I required and the staff isn’t necessarily trained properly. I feel like with bigger cons, the staff is a lot more a aware of the situations that we have to face. But larger conventions also get overly crowded that sometimes it tends to be unsafe.
For now, I’m doing most of my convention appearances under a booth, because I’m also a seamstress. So I sell merchandise that I make, and I feel like that is probably the best way for me to still attend conventions.
And then there’s the internet. Some people on the internet can be very harsh. And I feel like it applies to anyone who’s even mildly different. The comment section, the DMs that you get, the emails that you receive. It’s a lot to deal with on a daily basis.
Photos by Fantastic Photographic and Stephane LaRoche
PLAYBOY: I can imagine! But we’re going to focus on the positive. What are some of your favorite reactions to your cosplay that you’ve seen?
Gabe: I think most of the cosplayers will agree that usually when kids come up to you and hug you and just compliment your cosplay…that’s one of the best feelings in the world.
I have a whole section of my cosplay that’s just disabled princesses. I’ve had a lot of parents DMing me and just telling me that they showed it to their disabled kids and it meant a lot to them. I was also able to create a community online for other disabled cosplayers, and I’m very proud of that. Just to be able to help and inspire others in some way. Cosplay, for me, is very therapeutic.
READ MORE: Gaby’s Toothless Cosplay Brings the Fury
PLAYBOY: Are there any cosplayers that you look up to?
Gaby: I always say that I’m my best friends’ biggest fans. Momo_cos95, Sunflowercosplay, Katestarz, and Coffee__cos. They’re my favorite cosplayers in the world and we cheer each other up and yeah, those are the ones I look up to the most.
PLAYBOY: Looking back, what would you say is the best cosplay you’ve ever done?
Gaby: I was really, really proud of the Medusa I did a couple years ago. Everything was handmade. It was a lot to wear because I even made a wig out of snakes. So, that was 15 pounds on my head with Clara lenses, which meant that I was half-blind for the convention.
But as a history fan myself, I was really, really happy to do Medusa and have my best friend do Athena with me. I feel like it’s a feminist twist to a story that is very tragic. So, that was one of my favorites. I’m also really proud of my take on Raiden Shogun from Genshin Impact.
PLAYBOY: Are there any characters that you’re excited to play next? What’s next for Gaby?
Gaby: Conventions are getting really crowded and overwhelming. So, I never know if it’ll be my last year as a cosplayer attending a convention. But I am planning on doing my own take of Chihiro from Spirited Away. I also want to cosplay Apa from Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is one of my favorite shows in the world. And there’s some Pokemon cosplay soon. Let’s see…Ryuk from Death Note. I have a lot of big plans, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to do them all. But, that’s the dream.
The part where I just envision what I want to often takes longer than actually sewing and creating the cosplay itself. But it’s the most important part, so I like to take a couple weeks or even months to just brainstorm on what I want the design to look like.
I feel like at the point where I’m at, I’m never going to be canon to the character, since I have a disability and a visible one at that. So, I’m might as well just have fun with it. And honestly, just want to say a big thank you to everybody who supported me throughout this cosplay journey because it’s been one hell of a ride, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.
To see more of Gaby’s cosplay, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, or Fansly (18+).
