Costume Con 14 Report
by Eleanor Farrell
The annual costumers' convention, CostumeCon, was held this year from May 24-27 (Memorial Day weekend) at the SeaTac Marriott Hotel in Seattle. Around 400 costumers largely ignored the uncharacteristically sunny weather to join the denizens of Oz at a Friday night reception, attend workshops and panels, enjoy the competition of the two evening masquerades (Science Fiction/Fantasy on Saturday, Historical on Sunday), shop in the Dealer's Room, and view the exhibits of stunning work by a variety of talented fabric artists.
The CC14 committee put together a solid weekend of programming, beginning at 10 am on Friday. A large assortment of limited-attendance workshops, offering instruction in such techniques as making beaded hat pins, Japanese braiding, Princess lace, creating cosmetics from historical recipes, and more, as well as several different ribbonwork classes taught by well-known fiber artist Candace Kling, were well-attended and received rave reviews from participants. An innovative and hugely successful program was the Eighteenth Century Focus Salon on Saturday afternoon, during which convention members could attend short lectures and demonstrations on wigs and makeup, interspersed with musical and refreshment interludes as well as opportunities to view the exhibit of reproduction 18th century garments, try a bit of snuff, or indulge in general gossip. On Sunday afternoon, the space was used for a Jazz Era Tea Dance with music provided by a period Victrola, preceded by a ragtime dance workshop and a display of vintage garments.
The Emerald City Social was the focus of Friday evening, with the Seattle location providing the inspiration for an Oz theme. Though well-attended by costumers who haven't seen each other since last year's convention, the Friday night reception doesn't always work as a themed event. This year, however, everyone seemed to be inspired by their memories and images of the Land of Oz, and the costumes were wonderful! The 1939 MGM film version as well as classic book illustrations were both well-represented, with several good-humored confrontations between Good and Bad witches, and many more obscure Baum characters appeared as well.
Both the Science Fiction/Fantasy Masquerade on Saturday evening and the Historical Masquerade on Sunday evening were filled with high-quality costumes and presentations, as well as smooth-running technical crews and delightful emcees (author Greg Bear on Saturday and CC14 committee member and magician Payne Fifield on Sunday). It was particularly encouraging to note the large number and wonderful work of many novice costumers in both competitions. The complete lists of awards for both masquerades, as well as for the Sunday afternoon fashion and design competitions, are presented on page 6 of this newsletter issue.
The Threads of Time Fashion Show on Sunday afternoon showcased garments from both the Futuristic Design and the Single Pattern competitions. Although only about a dozen outfits from the design folio were made and displayed, more than 30 entries of garments based on the Folkwear Tibetan Panel Coat or the Russian Cossack Uniform patterns were shown on stage, all of them taking a unique approach to use of fabric and techniques. The Single Pattern Competition seems to inspire both new and experienced costumers, and has become a popular and highly successful part of the "fashion/art to wear" aspects of CostumeCon.
This report can only give a very general impression of the convention. If other GBACG members who attended would like to send in their specific experiences, highlights, or comments, we'll print these in the July issue of the Scribe, along with a letter from the new ICG President and Royal Poobah, Joy Day, which will include the business items covered during the annual ICG meeting held at CC14.
Reprinted from The Costumer's Scribe 6:6, June 1996.