Patron Spotlight: Valkyrie! (Patreon)

I’m delighted to showcase Valkyrie (@valkyrie.sews on Instagram) in this week’s patron spotlight. She is a cosplayer, costume designer, artist, and photographer who is currently double majoring in costume design and marine biology. “Working with my hands on cosplays calms me down in a way that nothing else really can,” she shared, “It’s a really comforting activity to de-stress and relax.”

She’s been cosplaying for five years and started with Astrid Hofferson from How To Train Your Dragon. For Valkyrie, making an Astrid cosplay was a classic case of do I want to be her or be with her? She told me, “I loved her as a character and I also probably had a closeted bi crush on her! At this point I had no idea that cosplay was a thing, I just loved this piece of media and decided that I wanted to try to bring a piece of it to life any way I could.”

Bitten by the cosplay bug, her next big build was Beau from Critical Role. The details on her Beau costume are beautiful. Dying fabric can be really tricky, but Valkyrie’s ombre-dyed cape and dyed pants perfectly capture those Cobalt Reserve blues! Valkyrie really embodies Beau’s attitude in her photoshoots, and even designed a formalwear outfit for her a few years ago. I asked what drew her to Beau and Valkyrie cited Beau’s frank honesty and ability to say no. (That’s relatable... may Beauregard Lionett inspire us all to say no more in 2021!)

Speaking of Marisha Ray characters, Valkyrie is also working on a Keyleth cosplay! Because she’s designing her own Keyleth costume, it’s taken longer than working from existing art and her Keyleth has had at least three distinct design phases. The progress so far is fantastic and suits Keyleth’s druidic background. Valkyrie is currently refining the Mantle of the Tempest (I especially love the raven feathers at the shoulders!)

Valkyrie’s costuming is not limited to Critical Role, although she did make a stylish Mollymauk-inspired skirt. This summer, she made a Bakugou cosplay which required learning a new skill: EVA foam manipulation! Foam work is a challenging area (and one where I myself still struggle a lot!) but Valkyrie tackled it fearlessly. The structural design of the gauntlets and the foam hairpiece are super impressive!

She also does photography and illustration, but cosplay fulfills a different need. Valkyrie opened up about how meaningful cosplay is to her: “I used to be a big athlete, but due to injuries, I haven’t been able to really compete in any sort of sports for about four years. I’ve found that sewing and making cosplays helps me release the energy I would have used in sports.”

If you’re excited to see what Valkyrie makes next, follow her cosplay work @valkyrie.sews, TikTok @xhorhas, and art @valkyrieofberk!