Steampunk Cosplay Spotlight: an Interview with Steamy Leia Interview
Previously in Jonathan's Blog
Recently I did my first Steampunk Cosplay Spotlight post, featuring the gorgeous and talented Steamy Leia. This is the follow-up post. You see, I got to sit down with Leia afterward for a personal interview. (We didn’t really sit down. It was over holovid, puffing out steam as it kept us connected.)
Leia was smart, gracious, and forthcoming with interesting facts about her cosplay and herself. Basically, she's really cool and gave fascinating answers.
The Interview
Jonathan Fesmire: Who is the woman behind Steamy Leia? What can you tell us about yourself?
Steamy Leia: I have always been a very quirky person; I truly march to the beat of my own drum (and I'm tone-deaf, so the marching is a little unconventional!) I especially love dressing in a manner that is out of the ordinary. Even when I was in high school, I would wear 6 inch stilettos, ruffled skirts and blouses, a waist cincher corset and from time to time, a quirky hat or hair accessory. I have been told by friends that I "can't tell the difference between clothing and costumes; they seem to be interchangeable words.”
I am inspired by drag queens due to the way they portray hyper-femininity and whimsy in one's personality; I like to incorporate that mentality into my daily life. But most importantly, I love to have fun with how I dress and cosplay.
JF: Why Princess Leia, and why Steampunk?
SL: Actually, I started off on the steampunk side of things... I have been a steampunk enthusiast for over 4 years. I love the aesthetic, the creativity, the history and literature associated with the genre. It wasn't until I met my boyfriend Shaylor (who cosplays as Baron Von Maul), that I became engrossed in the world of Star Wars. So, by creating steampunk-Star Wars personas the two of us have been able to share and bond over our shared nerdy interests.
JF: As for "why Leia"? [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
SL: Simple: She's an icon. When I was thinking about characters in the Star Wars universe, who better to choose than the heroine? Some of the characters I really enjoy are a little less recognizable such as Asajj Ventress, Asohka Tano, and Aura Song. Leia just seemed like the best choice to add a steampunk twist to.
JF: What do you like most about cosplay? [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
SL: I love having the ability to step into another character's "life" momentarily to escape from the monotony of day-to-day life. By putting on the outfit, one is able to put on that character's confidence and fame for a little while and have fun.
JF: What do you like least?
SL: Having so many ideas, but so little time and money to do them.
JF: Who are your heroes, in cosplay, modeling, or otherwise? [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
SL: I admire the well-known drag queen RuPaul because as a performer, Ru has faced a lot of adversity that pertains to being a female impersonator. And if someone who has faced so much "hate" from the masses, just for being who she is, and she still preaches love, acceptance of peoples' differences, positive attitude, and confidence in oneself; so I feel that is certainly something to be admired and adopted in my daily life.
I also look up to a personal friend: Mrs. Stori Nagel (Also known as Alassandra Volta of "Haus of Volta"), who has won her battle with breast cancer after undergoing intense chemo-therapy, a double mastectomy, and two reconstructive breast surgeries due to post-mastectomy complications. She is truly an inspiration to me, because throughout the ordeal, she was always extremely positive, hopeful, and always tried brightening the lives of others with her delightful sense of humor, unparalleled personality, and "warrior" spirit. She is an amazing woman who is such a blessing to everyone she meets.
JF: How much do you get into character when you cosplay?
SL: Haha what a great question! [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
Typically when I cosplay, I like to familiarize myself with the character in order to converse with fellow fans on an in-depth level and maintain a believable persona.
What's interesting about the Steamy Leia development as a cosplay is, by utilizing the steampunk concept of alternate timelines and history, I have a certain level of artistic liberty with the classic "Leia Organa" character. While there are certain traits that can't be compromised, such as: she was raised as a Princess on Alderaan, she is strong-willed, and the true daughter of Darth Vader, there are truths that can be "bent" with the steampunk genre.
For example, when cosplaying/roleplaying in public, one may notice that I only refer to Dude Vader as "Dad," and he often jokingly banters with me as if I were his stubborn, willful, teenage daughter. I also like to play the Steamy Leia character as if she is still choosing between the light and dark side of the force (after all, a gal can change her mind can't she?). Thus, you will see photos where Steamy Leia is torn between the affections of Captain Solo Seekerman and Baron Von Maul (both suitors displease Dude Vader, as he wishes to see his daughter rise to power and revitalize the Empire in the name of steam).
It's all playful fun, and is a great way to give new life to a classic story.
JF: Are you working on any other cosplays?
SL: Oh, always. My mind runs wild with the possibilities.
At current, I find myself in the middle of constructing a Jessica Rabbit cosplay, a Laura Croft cosplay, and a Maleficent cosplay. I also plan to do a few new things with the Steamy Leia character to keep it interesting.
JF: How did your steampunk Star Wars cosplay group come together?
SL: Well, it's all thanks to Nathan (Captain Solo Seekerman), really. He and Chris Canole are friends, so when Lucasfilm asked Chris to be part of a "Star Wars: the Steampunk Universe" panel at Wondercon 2015, and a moderator for the panel at Star Wars Celebration 2015, Lucasfilm also asked for photos to promote the panel. Chris immediately turned to Nathan, and asked if he could get a group together for a Steampunk-style Star Wars photoshoot at a train museum.
Nathan and I have been friends for over a year now (we met on-set of a steampunk documentary, entitled Stream Dream filmed at University of Southern California), so when I got the call from him for the shoot, he asked if my boyfriend (Shaylor) and I could construct a costume and character for ourselves in less than 5 days for the shoot. I told him I would love to accept to challenge, and thus Steamy Leia and Baron Von Maul were created. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
We all arrived at the shoot, met our wonderful group photographer: Kansas Johnson of Kansas City Photography, and we all became good friends. It has been a fun, crazy few months, but I can honestly say that I feel so lucky to be part of such a talented, friendly group of artists.
JF: If you were a man whom would you cosplay? [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
SL: Captain America and Indiana Jones for sure. And I'd probably end up cosplaying Jareth the Goblin King and Spock at some point.
JF: You clearly stay in shape. What do you do for exercise? [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
SL: Actually, my lifestyle is somewhat inactive at the moment... I work a desk job from 8am-5pm and attend Barbering school from 5pm-10pm Mondays through Fridays. The weekends I have free to roam conventions and events with my boyfriend Shaylor, so I guess my weekends are where I get most of my walking in. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
Through the week, I wear stiletto heels, which do keep my legs in shape (if you don't believe me, try it sometime!), I also do a simple plank exercise on weekday mornings to keep my arms and torso toned. But mostly I am just very food-conscious when it comes to my daily diet.
JF: Can you tell us some details about your Steamy Leia costume that we might otherwise miss? [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
SL: My headpiece is a fun accent of my costume and probably one of my favorite pieces. Interestingly enough, the gold "fans" are not really fans at all... in fact, they are solid aluminum half-gears from an auto-mechanic's shop. A friend of mine works on cars at his work, and instead of throwing out these half-gears he brought them home, and asked if I wanted them. So I painted them gold, wrapped them in a little jewelry wire, added some little cogs and got a really unique accessory out of it!
JF: What's the side of you that the public never sees? [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
SL: Probably the fact that I'm actually pretty introverted... and that large crowds and new people make me nervous. But I am trying every day to get outside of my comfort zone, meet new people, and try new things. And I find that allowing myself to expand my horizons has led to meeting some pretty awesome individuals.
JF: If you could be any animal from the star wars universe, which would you be? [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
SL: Well, I'm pretty partial to the Tauntaun; they are cute, fluffy, and make the most adorable sounds.
Not to mention they represent an awesome metaphor for life: "Life is a tricky, unfair endeavor. Some days you are fortunate enough to come out on top, like Han... other days you feel like the Tauntaun. But either way, you have to deal with the snowstorm." [if !supportLineBreakNewLine]
JF: Thank you for a fascinating interview!
SL: May the force be with you!
- Eiraina "Steamy Leia"
Steamy Leia Online
I've had fun featuring featuring, and getting to know, Eiraina/Steamy Leia this week. For lots of pictures and updates, and to see how her cosplay progresses, follow Steamy Leia on her Facebook and Instagram fan pages!
What's Next?[endif]
I have another cosplayer interview coming up, though I still need to send her some questions. So, that will probably go live next week. However, I'm going to let everyone in my mailing list know who that is later this evening, so if you'd like to know ahead of time, join the list!
