I can't figure out how to get this un-poopy, so here's the original from Gaia. I wish I didn't have to show all angles cause it doesn't work well from the back, so please ignore those poses...:
ยท About ยท
It should come as no surprise to anyone that Tamara is an eco-warrior for her 9 to 5. Does it pay the bills? No, but she spends a lot of time living out of a tent and foraging for food so her lifestyle doesn't cost her much. The forest floor diet has proven helpful for her modeling career. Today she's chained herself to an old growth tree that has been growing for 600 years that someone wants to cut down and turn into a kallax.
For this look I didn't want it to be high fashion, because the challenge was for it to look natural, and high fashion would have no place in running around in the forest. I went with the idea that Tamara had chained herself to a tree to stop its removal. I thought about going for a nude look, only gracefully covered by leaves and dirt, but that didn't strike me as being true to Tamara's character, so I went with the khaki shorts combat boots look. I wish there were a bit more items that were protest-y (signs, or barricades), but her arms tucked behind her back shows that she isn't playing, she means business.
While this doesn't reflect my own personal 9 to 5 (which it's a bit hard to say what exactly that is), I do think that it reflects what I value and things that I hold important in life. Part of my theme of having Tamara engage in strongly political statements is that I feel being open with your politics and beliefs are important. A lot of people don't think of ecological issues as being political, but they are and we should stand for whats near and dear to our hearts. Which is why I have gone this direction with Tamara's look, and what better way to stand up for what you believe in than to take a stand for a cause.
For this prompt, I chose to dress Jae as a chef, specifically a pastry chef preparing for a private event. In this scene, sheโs been hired to cater a casual party, setting up the dessert table before the guests arrive. Though the job is small, she wears her full formal chefโs attire with pride. For her, every detail matters. Sheโs not just placing sweets on a table; sheโs creating an experience, and for her, the sprinkles are the finishing touches where the magic truly happens.
Iโve always loved to cook. Growing up, while my 2 older siblings were off doing the โcoolโ older-kid things, I was in the kitchen, watching my mom work over a stove. Dinnertime in our house felt sacred to me, full of warmth, laughter, and intention. And it was a time where the whole family would relax, enjoy a hot meal, and connect with one another. I remember dreaming of being a professional chef and of creating food that made people feel the way I did at our family table.
Bringing that feeling into this avatar was a fun challenge! I wanted to honor the craft without veering into cartoonish territory (because it's difficult to find food items on Gaia that aren't cartoonishly large or flying around in the air). I also didn't want to choose a kitchen as the backdrop because that felt a little too on-the-nose, and the kitchen item that I DID like had a counter in the way and a broken egg that would make the space seem unsanitary. When I found the tiered dessert table, everything clicked. It gave me just enough space to show Jae at work: composed, focused, and deeply proud of her culinary craft. Just like my mom used to be (and still is!)
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2025 4:07 pm
Challenge #4: 9 To 5
Status: Complete
Designer: nenone
Model: Bobbi
The Unseen Angle
โThere is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment.โ โ Robert Frank
Description:
To dream is to hope:
Quote:
"Hey Bobbi! Look up for a sec!"
Bobbi hears the shutter click as she locks eyes with her friend, taking a photo of her just as she's lining up to take a shot of her own of the people milling around the night market.
"I better not look weird!" Bobbi calls back.
For just a moment, she can feel the old memories bubbling back up, see mother's furrowed brows and sharp question: 'why would you want to take photos for a living? Do you even know any successful photographers?'
Bobbi didn't know any.
So she started reading books from the library, studied photo compositions, and as she got older, started mapping out how she could turn a dream into reality, starting with small freelance jobs focusing on local culture that brought her to that marketplace.
Her friend sends her the printed photo of that moment a few months later and Bobbi at first glance doesn't like the way she looks. She can tell she's just starting out, trying to crouch down to capture a photo, wearing boots when she would later figure out the benefit of sneakers.
She pins the photo to the board behind her desk and takes a step back to get a better perspective.
She finds that she is starting to become fond of the girl looking back at her...because after all, she's working towards her dream, and wasn't that the whole point?
On the designer:
Challenge #4 brought to mind a memory for me. When I was a kid, I told my mom I wanted to be a photographer and I got met with: "well, name a photographer". I couldn't do it. The response to me not knowing was more of a "I told you so" than a "you should go out and learn more."
That seemed to be the end of the matter to me, and looking back on it, I wish I had stuck up for what I wanted. But I was a kid, and I felt like adults knew best...but it did feel like a quick end to what could have been a creative beginning. The lesson I got in that moment was that if I wasn't naturally good at something, then there isn't any point in pursuing a dream like that further.
I didn't have a strong family support system growing up, but I would consider myself very happy with the life I made for myself as an adult because of the secondary lesson I learned: no matter what I choose to do in life, if I show up for myself, even when I don't feel like it, at least I'm still moving forward.
What's in a design?
What I loved about photography as a kid (and now) is these photos that show "in-between" moments of other people going about their lives where a moment in time is captured with a kind of raw vulnerability.
What I set out to do with Bobbi's look was to structure it as a newbie at her craft/profession attempting to work her camera for the perfect shot. I included a photo frame around the ends to give the look the perspective of a friend taking a candid picture of Bobbi. The photo her friend takes ironically has the essence of what Bobbi is working to find in other people at that moment.
Photographers don't really have a set uniform like other professions do, it varies based on the event being photographed and also on the individual photographer's style. Bobbi's style to me reads as warm, affectionate, and cute, so I worked to give her duality with this look - she's taking pictures of the people at the night market but could also blend into the crowd if she wanted. She's also new at the whole photographer business, and she doesn't yet have that experience that comes with doing a job for a looong time just yet (sneakers instead of boots, for example).
I went in by blending in some pastel hues by layering a looser white shirt with a pink neck scarf, and pairing that with boho flower earrings. I wanted to diversify how I layered with her look, and added a pendant, a good luck charm for her.
On what leg positioning would work here, I was thinking of how photographers will crouch to get that perfect angle. Her leg positioning is the closest I could to translating the image in my imagination to line up with the items Gaia had available. With the coloration of the boots from the leg mod, I leaned towards a black pair of shorts with white buttons for contrast.
Bobbi's hair has bangs (as do I). I can confirm that one of the most annoying things is when the bangs & hair combine forces to get in the way of seeing what I'm doing, so I used a headband to keep the hair looking stylish. Bobbi has a black hair pin holding that headband in place so it doesn't move when she's moving her head or shifting her body for that perfect image.
Positioning her arms with the camera was a challenge for me, because I didn't want the pose of her arms to block off too much of the outfit, so I structured her arms to look like she's stabilizing the camera.
Additional notes:
With this challenge, I got back a moment in time where I didn't get a chance to start dreaming, and translated that into a more positive outcome for Bobbi. For that, I'm grateful. heart
nenone
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bad wolf bae Captain
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Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2025 7:38 pm
Designers, great work this week! You all thought of unique and creative jobs that made the judges so happy to see. We also loved how many of you brought the personal element to your descriptions! You are setting the bar high for the rest of the competition and I can't wait to see what you all do with it.
John โ Moxie โข This was a hands down favorite for the judges this week, and you should be especially proud of the background you were able to construct and the details at every level. โข There were odd pixels/sparkles here and there that drew the judges' eyes, but that was the only semi consistent downside for any of us.
immortaljelly โ Vanity โข This was a near perfect look, and you had that judges obsessed. The face is gorgeous and such a lovely change. The colors are amazing. Just a fantastic look. โข The post is a tad static in the arms, and the description is a tad long.
Endless Endeavors โ Jae โข Great look and vibe, and the pose was truly perfect. This was a look that the judges kept talking about which is always a good sign. โข We wish there was a little more to the entry, specifically because we saw past iterations as you were working on them. And some of them were better.
SoggykittenART โ Olivia โข Adding the bun was a risk, but it really paid off! This was a lovely look, and while perhaps not the most creative, it was extremely well executed and looks great! โข The background is a little busy, and the lighting seems wrong on Olivia's face.
nenone โ Bobbi โข The pose immediately screamed photographer in a great way, and Bobbi looks good. One judge said this is the best Bobbi has looked yet! โข The earrings could have been a different color, and maybe one additional photography element to really sell the job.
torimani โ Mathilde โข The color incorporated in your look this week was super lovely! And Mathilde also reads as working scientist which is a success for the challenge. โข Most of the judges did not like the fact that there were goggles and glasses, and it just needed a few more details to really make it shine. To take it to the next level.
xXAcid_FreeXx โ Emerson โข This was a good look, the apron really makes her eyes pop and is just flattering. We also really love that you went for a male oriented job for Emerson. Damn the patriarchy! โข Judges were torn on how this works with Emerson's hair, but mostly the look just feels empty. There needs to be more to it, it is too simple.
kaekie โ Willow โข A lovely look, a beautiful aesthetic for Willow. The colors, pose, everything about the look is just lovely. โข It is just lovely. And this look doesn't really read as job. Just feels like leisurely writing, journaling maybe. Needed to feel more like a job.
Eziara โ Delilah โข This was such a creative idea and the entire formatting of the entry was great! โข We can't see the shorts, and Delilah looks like she's got teeny tiny legs that just don't work with the look. Verges more on costume.
nyphente โ Sunny โข Sunny is cute! A sweet and lovely description, the color palette is really flattering. โข This look was fine. Sadly there is another designer that went for a photographer look and did it better. There were also odd proportions where Sunny was top heavy.
lucifer eats pizza โ Tamara โข You stayed true to the idea of Tamara as an eco warrior, and we admire that. โข This was - by far - the weakest look of the challenge. Had Rosey not had to drop out, you would have been eliminated. It just wasn't a well executed look, and even by your own description it isn't Tamara's job. Doesn't meet the challenge. I know this sounds harsh, but I really want you to understand the situation this challenge. You gave us such an amazing audition look, there was never a doubt you would be the designer for Tamara. We know you can do this.
Well, it's nice to go back to your roots for a change of pace. Delilah and I have discussed about our favourite characters growing up, someone we both remember fondly with those nostalgia lens. Delilah taps her chin, then excitedly waves her hands together, forming that iconic sign: Winx Club! Personally I grew up first with the comics, and only knew about the animated series later on. Either way, we both agree that we gotta go with our redhead firecracker teen, Bloom! (Not sure why, that scene where Bloom turns up the heat in the restaurant she works part-time for, to get customers to order more drinks... it lives rent free in my mind to this day, haha!) I think Bloom matches Delilah's innate vibrant side. I like that she has a stubborn streak with some flaws, but still does her best to pick herself off her feet and be a better person.
This challenge was quite tough, considering I'm not one for cosplay, inside and outside of Gaia. Bloom went through lots of transformations across the years, but I decided to stick with her iconic original Fairy outfit. Quite a lot of layering was needed for her top, as I couldn't quite get that exact diamond cut on the bottom. Somehow we managed to work it out with some hope and magic! The skirt was actually the easiest, haha. As for her blue sleeves, I decided to compromise with some blue gloves as a substitute. The same for her boots as well; I decided to make a executive decision to give her winged heels to highlight Bloom's long legs. And let's not forget the important touch for Delilah: a Princess of Dragons needs to have her tiara!
Speaking of dragons, I too wanted to showcase Bloom's fire magic with her iconic fire dragon. Delilah channels her magic. She conjures a flame circle, a barrage of embers rising up to form a dragon summon. That's it! Sparks fly around her body as she twirls in the sky, fluttering her newly formed wings. Magical sparkles burst as if like fireworks.
Delilah poses confidently in the air. Time to save the world with the Winx Club!
๐ฟoday, while I was painting the corner wall again, I caught myself staring out the window. The sunlight was just so golden โ it danced on the trees below and sparkled on the river far away, and suddenly I wasnโt in the tower anymore...
In my daydream, Pascal and I were out there โ really out there โ running through fields of wildflowers and laughing as the wind tugged at my hair! The grass was soft and the air smelled like freedom! Pascal rode on my shoulder like the bravest little explorer, pointing the way toward the horizon.
We followed a trail that led to a tiny village by the water. The people there smiled as they passed us, and a woman selling flowers tucked a daisy into my braid. I think I couldโve stayed there forever โ meeting villagers, listening to music, watching the lanterns rise in the distance!
And thenโฆ Pascal nudged me awake. My paintbrush had dripped all over the floor again.
Someday, Iโll see all of that for real โ the fields, the villages, the lanterns. But for nowโฆ my dreams will do.
๐ค๏ธ๐น๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐: โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ ๐บlivia who? Oh, you must mean Rapunzel!
While her outfit seems simple, it was anything but. Every piece had to be chosen and layered with care. The bodice I selected matched the color palette beautifully โ while the center panel doesn't display visible lacing, its design suggests it convincingly. To soften the neckline, I added delicate lace trim, enhancing her sweet and curious charm.
Her puffed sleeves were the perfect addition, framing her arms in an expression of wonder. Though they lack visible stripes, the color perfectly matches her bodice and the pose conceals detail in a way that the pattern feels implied rather than missing.
The skirt presented another challenge, as it needed to drape naturally behind the bodice while still capturing Rapunzel's distinctive vertical embroidery. The posed legs in Fleur de Rรชve Sombres offered just the right movement to suggest the intricate flow of her gown's fabric.
And of course, Rapunzel could never appear without her companion, Pascal! The item used for him has a slightly longer tail than canon โ so a touch of atmospheric whimsy helps conceals this little secret.
A soft trail of magical sparkles hints at the power within her golden locks, while the background evokes the warm, romantic glow of thelantern scene. Finally, the filigree frame is a subtle nod to the tangle and twists of her luminous hair.
Equipped Items:
Light Curled Up (Wheat) Pale Humaniki (Tone B) Zodiac's Eyes on You (Herse's Heterochromia) Everybody Nose (Skintone B) Briar Rose Petal (true loves kiss) Celestial Starset (eye shadow) Strong Feelings (Creamsicle) Divided Stars Cursed Celestial Moon (ripples)
Trigger the Caiman Maid Mischief (neckline) Heavensent Blushing Gladiolus (Arms v1) Luxurious Charmed Rose (bodice) Fleur de Rรชve Sombres (sitting skirt) Holographic Sleeping Willow (Willow Background) Sprinkles Usa Usa Chan (Filter) Memorable Aocha Nights (Filter) Meow Meow Chan (Nouveau Border)
I grew up on the movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The design of the characters in the movie and the beauty of the world created within it had me obsessed.
Helga Sinclair is the secondary antagonist, and she appears for the first time at the beginning of the film - and boy oh boy, she was my first crush before I even really knew what a crush was.
I was too young to understand her character as a kid, but I loved Atlantis so much, I went back to re-watch it at different points in my life. I began to understand not only the appeal of Helga, but also what made her so iconic to me, even now. She's labelled as an antagonist, but underneath her facade is a woman who still deeply cares. One of the last things she does is to help take down the Big Bad in the movie, and what's more iconic than that? One of the last things she says is "Nothing Personal", hence the title.
gaia_crown Why Helga for Challenge #5? gaia_crown
Looking back as an adult, all of the women depicted in the movie were wonderfully complex and imperfect, and none more so than Helga. I understood what it was to put forth a confident mask, to hide the emotions that I thought made me look weak.
The challenge this week immediately brought Helga to mind for me for designing Bobbi. I really love Bobbi's base features, and each challenge has been a learning moment for me in how to lean into her duality as a model.
At first, what I saw in Bobbi was a natural brightness to her features which immediately gave me the impression of a warm, cute style (and personality!). Challenge #5, with Helga as my icon, I framed Bobbi this week as the inverse of my first impression. What happens when the light she exudes is more like the light from a flame that draws a moth closer? Helga Sinclair is a femme fatale, and I decided that's where I wanted to go with Bobbi this week.
This look is probably the boldest I've ever gone with Bobbi's styling (and it's the most outside my comfort zone) but I cherish Helga as a character and wanted to expand the way I view Bobbi as a model and her potential.
gaia_crown The Look: gaia_crown
I had to go with the first outfit that Helga wears in the movie, because, honestly it's still seared into my brain even now. Unfortunately this was the best image I could find online, I could not find one with her standing upright in her black dress.
Helga does have longer hair, but in the reference photo, she has it up in the fur cap she's wearing, and since Bobbi has her hair shorter, it seemed the best look of Helga's to try and replicate.
Helga wears a simple black dress with a slit going up the side but as I was piecing together the look, I realized that what Bobbi would need is serious layering to portray that kind of style. I used the simplest black corset I could find and paired it with a black bra underneath so one strap would be visible, and an overlay of matching black lace over the corset to mimic how the shadows shape Helga in the photo.
I found that the leg mod which worked best was one of the "I Am Diva" recolors, and I maneuvered a black belt to cover up a little bit more of the opening of the skirt to create that leg-peek effect. I found that the arm mod that had not only the fur coat but also the black gloves as well, and underneath that I wove in two other white fur stoles to add more depth. For the hat, First Season was the closest I could get to matching Helga's hat.
With Bobbi's face, I played into darker eyeshadows to mimic Helga's makeup, blending a few different hues of blush under the eyes/over the nose to bring out a bit more contrast.
This week I broke away from my usual little snippet of Bobbi's life, because I was concerned the description would get too long if I included it. I thoroughly enjoyed this week's challenge and how Bobbi's look turned out at the end of it.
Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2025 7:45 am
Designer: John Challenge #5: She's An Icon Model: Moxie Title: Moxie Becomes Megara Status:Complete 10/18
If there's a prize for rotten judgment I guess I've already won that No man is worth the aggravation That's ancient history, been there, done that
When I tell you this theme had me stressed! I used to cosplay on Gaia all the time, but I was too much of a perfectionist so I ultimately left it behind. I have to say though, I had a lot of fun diving back into it once I picked the right character! I realize the specific instructions said that the character should fit the model, but I just couldn't find a single animated character that had Moxie's overall look. I did consider quite a few different choices (Esmeralda, TheMuses, Yoruichi Shihouin, Number Five), but ultimately I felt they were either too simple or just not up to the standard I normally go for. I know I shouldn't be posting other creations, but I just wanted to show that I have been actively working on my entry all week!
When I think of Moxie's hair and eye shape, Megara instantly comes to mind! Not only that, but Megara is just such an iconic character that I loved growing up, so it felt like the perfect choice. "I'm a damsel, I'm in distress, I can handle this. Have a nice day!" On top of that, Hercules just so happens to be my favorite Disney movie, with 'Won't Say I'm In Love' being my favorite Disney song! With that being said, I had to cosplay that specific scene. I combined three different dresses to create Megara's dress. Lady Unicorn for the color, Gaia Goddess for the shape slimming, and Lost Lunar Ascension to add length. After that, I used grace of aphrodite and purple ribbon cinch to emulate the deeper purple sash and cinch. I used Fallout Pilferer as well as Bronzen Genji for the straps and gold clips, as I feel they were too important to skip over! For her makeup, I added utile colorum and aurelian consort selene to make her eyes stand out more! I have to say, the purple goes great with Moxie. As for the background, whewwww! I am once again very happy with how it turned out. There was a cupid statue as well as a marble bench to help emulate the scene I was going for. I added Melancholy Hill and Adept's Sidequest for the flowery scenery, as well as Danse Des Mur to help darken the background. I'm hoping the water in the background does a good job emulating the water fountain she sits near in the music video, as that was what I was going for! To top it all off, I added Daydreaming Charmed Rose for the arms and rose, as they were the perfect fit! I'll be attaching the music video as well as still images as reference below!
Oh At least out loud I won't say I'm in love~
John
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lucifer eats pizza
Feral Phantom
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2025 9:43 am
Designer: lucifer eats pizza Challenge: Sheโs An Icon Model: Tamara Progress: Finished Oct 14
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Tamara spent every morning of her youth in front of the tv. You might not be able to tell from who she is now, but morning cartoons and specifically educational cartoons have made her who she is. Her favorite of these such shows was Magic School Bus. A show that never talks down to you, and is educational, in a highly entertaining way. Nothing gets her heart racing like "come on the magic school bus!" set to its ska beat typical of kids shows in the 90's. Ms Frizzle is never afraid to show her kids what's what and really take them into the heart of the science at hand. When Tamara was young she wanted to be Ms Frizzle. Evidentially as times have changed and time has gone on, she sees education is important, but action and protest is also very important. Working in education just didn't pan out for Tamara, and modeling seemed to come more naturally to her. But the idea of education was important to Tamara and so she kept that as an element of her modelling.
This challenge was challenging for me but I persevered. I couldn't make it match the theme I had been working on for Tamara, and I think the theme seems to have made my entries weaker so I will likely move away from it anyways. I spent a long time (and multiple sources) trying to get a dress that worked for the look. I could have sworn there was a Frizz dress on here?? Is it a retired item?? But I eventually settled on the combo of the qi of twilight and Cosmic Sidra. It gave the look of an interstellar dress. Ideally I would've pinned Tamara's hair up, but I know we're not allowed to use cutters so her hair is in the way of any star earrings (which would have to stand in for the Frizz's Saturn earrings). I used a star hairclip instead. I also added her lizard....who I want to say is name like puzzle or gizmo (his name apparently is Liz Ard...thanks I hate it) because he is a semi important character.
Emerson Quartz "I need you to know that every moment you love being yourself, that's me loving you, and loving being you... Because you're going to be something extraordinary. You're going to be a human being."
For this week's challenge, I had played around with a few different red and pink haired ladies, but nothing had captured the essence of Emerson. She basically looked like she was wearing cosplay.
But then, I got inspired by Rose Quartz from the cartoon Steven Universe. I watched it as a teenager, and love love LOVED the themes and characters and vibe. About the character:
When the show begins, we learn that Rose died when Steven was born. She's beloved by her friends, but she's an enigma to her son. When she is remembered by others in the show, thereโs usually rose petals that seem to swirl around her, like a romantic moment in a comic.
Throughout the show (without too many spoilers), we find out that Rose Quartz used to fight in a war between alien gems to protect earth and the human race. We find out that she has a lion that she turned pink with her powers, and is essentially her familiar. Rose Quartz is feminine beauty and grace, but is also a 7ft tall thicc baddie with pure strength.
When googling Rose Quartz, I came across some fanart for Rose that shows her with her lion, relaxing in the magical place she created to store her things. The sky is blue, the grass is green, and petals are falling everywhere. This photo felt so true to the character, I wanted to recreate it.
The process:
The first thing I did was use some contouring to help Emerson have a square nose. She had the hair, so I wanted to make sure I matched the face with some shading. Spiritual Blush helped create a pink tint to her face and shoulders.
For the dress, I layered 3 different wedding dresses and overskirts to make Emerson seem bigger and match the body of her hair. Rose Quartz has 4 different tiers to her dress, with shades of pink on the bottom that match her hair. I used a lavender/dusty pink for the bottom layer to match Emersonโs hair, so that this was in line with the character but also complimented Emersonโs features.
Roseโs gem is on her stomach, but I struggled to find any gems that would show through her clothes. I chose a star gem shape as an homage to the star shape rose quartz has, exposing her belly.
Carnelian is a kindred companion item that I brought in to copy Roseโs lion from the show.
For the background, I chose the โEyes on Youโ field of flowers to copy the fanart photo, but to also compliment Rose and her lion, so they didnโt blend into the background.
The Sakura leaves and branches help create the moment of her sitting under a tree in peace, and capturing the romantic tones of what people imagine when they remember Rose Quartz.
Towards the end of this challenge, when all the pieces came together, I think Emerson successfully became the icon that is Rose Quartz. She is a giant, beautiful woman, having a moment with her giant cat.
Itโs not entirely necessary, but I also included a video below that shows Lion, his magic mane, and the video that first introduces Steven's mom, Rose Quartz. This is the first time we saw her speak in the show, and it was a huge reveal. (Full video time 5 minutes, 12 seconds. You can skip with 1:15 to see the weird subliminal space in Lion's mane, and then skip to 2:17 to see the video with Rose Quartz.)
Photo is in the spoiler, hidden, because it's a little large.
Designer: torimani Model: Mathilde Challenge #5: Sheโs an Icon Title: Call Me, Beep Me Status: complete!
Description:
So for this challenge only one person stood out to me, and it just so happened to be a girl with a similar style to Mathilde! I chose to do the one and only Kim Possible, who is a staple in most of our childhoods if you are around my age! Sheโs an icon to me because she is a superhero in her own right, without all the powers and insane mechanics. She is a normal girl, one you could easily be friends with, who just so happens to be a cheerleader with insane flexibility and flips, and has her friend Wade to help her with any cool devices to help her out with her missions. Sheโs an average girl, which makes her even more iconic. She has crushes, she gets bullied, she has homework, and yet she still manages to save the world and fight evil.
So finding the right clothes and overall vibe for this challenge was truly an actual challenge! You would think, hey, Kim has a pretty basic wardrobe, this should be easy! Well, absolutely not apparently! I wanted her to have an action stance first of all, but it was hard to find one that actually matched with her outfit. You see, she has long black sleeves, and fingerless gloves, but I could not find many items with fingerless gloves! The ones I did find also did not have long sleeves. So, I had to opt for an armmod without the gloves but with the long sleeves. Also, for her cargo pants, it also was difficult to find green ones like the ones she wears that has an action stance. There were plenty of good standing ones, but since she is a spy/secret agent type of hero, I wanted her to at least showcase that, so the one I chose was the closest I could find! Also, sadly no pink naked mole rat items (sorry Rufus!)
In terms of the background, I wanted it to encapsulate several of her usual places where she finds herself trying to take down any of her nemeses (Like Dr. Drakken's lair for instance!) So she is standing in front of the lair trying to dodge the robots that he has programmed to attack her! Keep in mind, Kim used devices and traps, so she has to call Wade, her computer loving friend, to help her with her missions! So she is talking to Wade on her secret earpiece to help her in this scene. Also, she has her utility belt, which also is where her Kimmunicator is.
Overall I am very happy with how this turned out, and I am relieved because i spent SO MUCH time trying to find the right items! Cosplay generally is difficult for me to do on here because finding the right items on Gaia for a cosplay can take forever or they may not have the items you are looking for. Cosplaying in real life is easy for me though at least (I am a cosplayer irl!) If you watched Kim Possible growing up I hope I did her justice for you, because she truly is an icon!
When we were given the challenge to dress our avatars as cartoon women, I knew that I wanted to choose a character that utilized Jae's iconic bob. I almost went with Velma from Scooby Doo or Tina Belcher from Bob's Burgers, but I ultimately landed on Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service! I knew that she was going to be a challenge, especially given the type of portrayal that I wanted to replicate, and a challenge, she was.
First came the broom! Finding just the right one that felt both functional and a little bit whimsical was an unexpected scavenger hunt. Then there was the pose. I didnโt want her to just hold a broom. I wanted her to soar, or at the very least, look ready to. That meant experimenting with various leg mods and arm mods, which introduced a myriad of issues, from clipping errors to outfit distortion. Also, finding items that fit her navy outfit was surprisingly difficult, and I looked absolutely everywhere to find garments that has the same sleeves, cut, and color, all while avoiding conflicts with arm mods. And while I wouldโve loved sleeves for accuracyโs sake, I had to choose between sleeves or expressive hand poses. I opted for the latter, and in hindsight, it was unquestionably the right decision. Despite all the technical hurdles, Jae emerged looking like she could hop on that broom and deliver a package right into your heart. This week, she is Kiki, and I couldnโt be more proud of how she turned out!
I grew up watching Kikiโs Delivery Service and other Studio Ghibli films, and theyโve always been a part of my creative DNA. Kikiโs story, that of a 13-year-old witch leaving home to find her place in the world, is deceptively simple on the surface, but powerful underneath. She sets off with her talking cat Jiji (who makes a surprise cameo in my avatar), starts a delivery service, and gradually finds herself struggling with burnout, self-doubt, and even the loss of her magical abilities. In my eyes, Kiki's Delivery Service is one of the most honest and tender portrayals of creative and emotional fatigue Iโve ever seen in a film. Watching it as a child, it resonated deeply, and as an adult, it hits even harder.
The themes of independence, identity, imposter syndrome, and the quiet journey of rediscovering yourself are themes that I relate to. I still find myself circling those same questions Kiki faced: โWhat makes me me? What do I do when the thing Iโm good at suddenly doesnโt work anymore?โ Thereโs no grand villain in the movie... just life, growing up, and learning to trust yourself again. Recreating Kiki through Jae was not just a nostalgic throwback, but a reminder to myself to keep flying, even if that means gliding just above the ground.
Designer: immortaljelly Challenge #5: She's An Icon Status: Complete
Model: Vanity Title: How Far I'll Go
Description: This week, Iโm transforming Vanity into Moana. I chose to portray her in her Moana 2 ensemble, because upon my research I had come across a few Moana 1 looks on Gaia (on Runway/avis) so I thought it would be interesting to attempt recreating a different outfit of hers, one that she wore as a more mature version of herself.
I layered an ivory asymmetrical top below the red and white top from Seracila pendant. Like the last challenge, Iโm coming to realize that Gaia really has a long way to go in terms of clothing diversity, not just in terms of cultural motifs, but silhouettes too. Polynesian-related items were not aplenty and this was a look I came up with after "supergluing" some items together, and I didn't use any specific colour schemes this time.
I chose to dress her in an ivory linen wrap here because the pleats were somewhat reminiscent of the fringe along the edges of her dress, then used a red translucent sarong to cover part of it so that it still looks like a skirt. I like how flowy and breezy the sarong looks so I decided to just have that as the top layer. I chose these items because her clothing materials should resemble natural materials (it's supposed to be Tapa cloth or fibres from Pandanus). She is also wearing a chunky gold necklace here with a turquoise gem, meant to represent the necklace she has in the movie that contains the heart of the goddess Te Fiti, passed down to her from her late grandma. I then added body chains from the Mermade for You item to replicate the seashells that lined the top part of her dress. (the body chains are ivory with light pink accents, around her neck and across her chest)
I was torn on the setting that she should be in, and eventually decided to put her mid journey on a boat as I wanted to highlight her adventurous spirit of embracing the unknown for this entry. After a lot of deliberation, I ultimately chose to let her be next to an open fire holding grilled fish - because unlike other voyagers, Moana navigates with the stars due to her Polynesian upbringing, so there were not many items that she would hold that would make sense in context, and many arm mods looked out of place. (p.s. You are not supposed to have an open flame on board, this is for storytelling purposes only!) Moana has a magical oar, but there is nothing that remotely resembles this on here, so I opted to include 1 of her companions (Gaia edition) on board with her, her silly pet rooster, Heihei. I did choose a goofy pose of the rooster here because the original Heihei is very funny. I gave her an anklet, but chose to not give her any hair accessories since Moana actually wears her hair down as-is most of the time. I kept her makeup natural and only used brown eyeliner to make her eyes more defined, as well as some blush. I left the sky/sea background untouched except for adding the sun rays by Dangerous Rabu Rabu Deito because I wanted the clear blue skies to be a nice contrast to her red/white outfit.
Notes: This week was extra daunting for several reasons! Iโve done ~250+ avis on Runway, and maybe a maximum of 10+ avis outside of that (many of which are because of PC, as I rarely make avis outside of contests), and out of all of the avis Iโve made, this is my 2nd ever proper cosplay avi. Apart from a Sanrio Nouveau and a Pokemon Nouveau entry, my first proper cosplay attempt was for a character that only had vague descriptors, so this time round trying to transform Vanity into Moana was a steep learning curve! Do I prioritize colours? Silhouette? Textures? How much creative liberty does one take? So many questions.
When it came to choosing which icon I wanted to portray, it was definitely not a straightforward decision. I didnโt grow up with many cartoons & animes (or watch many as an adult), and I didnโt really have that many characters I looked up to, whereas the few that inspired me (e.g. Mulan) werenโt suitable for Vanity. I had considered Jasmine but didnโt go for it because her look would likely exude similar vibes to the bomoh entry I just did, and I decided against Pocahontas because I have strong feelings wrt Disney's version of the story, *gestures*. I later tried out a draft entry depicting Luz Noceda of the Owl House because though Iโve not watched the show, I do identify with her being queer and neurodivergent and would have loved to have representation like that growing up, but ultimately decided against it because the look felt too simple. I finally settled on Moana to explore a different aesthetic that I have yet to try. Afterall, I did really enjoy Moana 1, I even remember watching it twice in theatres when it came out back then. On a personal level, having spent half of my life away from home, the feelings that she has - the yearning that she has for exploration and venture contrasted with the expectations on her duty as a daughter, these are all reminiscent of my own journey. So it was fitting that I landed on her.
Last but certainly not the least, I really appreciate the extension granted by the crew. Under different circumstances, I might have gone with a different approach or character, but it is what it is and I am still glad that I was able to come up with this entry and hopefully did Moana justice through this interpretation.
editing to add: To be honest, another reason for not doing her Moana 1 look is because on Gaia, quite a few of the Moana cosplays used with skirts like / and after testing many many skirt + sash pairings, I don't think I could come up with anything better than these variants, so I decided to take another route altogether to not plagiarize.
๐ ๐ผ๐พ ๐๐ฟ ๐ฃ๐๐บ๐๐๐๐ฝ๐ ๐บ๐ ๐๐๐พ ๐ป๐บ๐๐พ, ๐บ๐๐ฝ ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐พ๐ฝ 
๐๐๐ ๐๐พ๐ผ๐๐
๐บ๐ผ๐พ๐ ๐๐
๐๐ 
๐ช๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐พ๐พ๐ ๐ณ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐พ๐ ๐๐๐พ ๐๐๐พ๐พ๐ ๐ผ๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐บ๐ ๐๐๐พ ๐๐๐. 
๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐พ๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐พ๐ ๐๐บ๐ ๐๐๐พ๐ฝ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐พ ๐๐บ๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐บ ๐ต-๐๐พ๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐พ๐ ๐จ ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐พ๐ฝ 
๐ก๐๐๐
๐พ๐ ๐ฌ๐บ๐๐ฝ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐พ๐บ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐
๐
๐บ๐. ๐จ ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐พ๐ฝ 
๐ข๐๐ผ๐๐บ ๐ก๐๐ป๐ป๐
๐พ๐ ๐ณ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐๐พ ๐ป๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
๐ฝ๐พ๐๐. ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐พ ๐
๐๐๐พ๐ ๐๐บ๐
๐ฟ ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐พ ๐ฝ๐๐พ๐๐, ๐จ ๐๐๐๐พ๐ฝ ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ ๐๐๐พ ๐๐๐ป๐๐พ ๐พ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐พ๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ 
๐ณ๐๐พ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐บ๐๐พ ๐ฃ๐บ๐๐๐๐พ๐๐, 
๐ข๐๐พ๐พ๐๐๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐พ ๐บ๐๐ฝ 
๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐บ๐
๐
๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐. ๐ณ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐๐พ๐๐พ ๐๐๐พ ๐๐๐
๐ฝ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐พ๐บ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐พ๐ ๐
๐พ๐๐, ๐จ ๐ผ๐๐๐ป๐๐๐พ๐ฝ 
๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐บ๐๐๐พ๐๐๐พ๐ฝ ๐ท๐๐บ๐๐๐บ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐ฝ 
๐ก๐
๐บ๐ผ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐พ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ผ๐๐๐ป๐๐๐พ๐ฝ ๐๐๐๐ 
๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ซ๐บ๐ฝ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ผ๐๐พ ๐๐ ๐๐๐บ๐๐พ ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐ฝ ๐๐บ๐๐พ ๐๐พ๐ ๐
๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐พ ๐๐๐พโ๐ ๐ฟ๐
๐๐๐๐.
