Judges
Alycia Hirani
Alycia’s brand Emiah Couture specialises in bespoke bridal, corsetry and boudoir, featuring highly detailed craftsmanship.
With a background in fine art, Alycia is a very tactile person. Delicate textures, rich embellishments and sleek lines are signatures of hers. Through years of honing her craft, her ability to cut patterns and drape expertly has given her the perfect canvas on which to display these vibrant and romantic pieces of wearable art.
“I can’t wait to see what beautiful gems we see in this year’s Competition. To see what inspired people, what they learned and overcame, what stories they created through fabric.”
Anna He
Anna He is a Han Chinese American whose pronouns are she/her. She has worked extensively in the fashion industry as a designer and a wide-ranging experience working with different materials, creating high-quality, award-winning costumes. You can find her in cosplay groups, judging contests, helping younger sewists become more skilled, and providing a career example to be in the fashion industries.
“I feel really honoured to be one of the judges of this year's Foundations Revealed competition. I represent a diverse point of view into cultural translation, fitting in different body types and overall expertise into the world of costume construction.”
Barbara Pesendorfer
Barbara is a corset and costume designer, based in Vienna.
After her master tailor's exam she founded Royal Black, specializing in one-of-a-kind couture pieces.
Perfect fit, exquisite fabrics and highest quality workmanship are the trademarks of Royal Black creations, whilst a mixture of classic couture, tailoring techniques and new technologies like laser cutting, engraving or 3D printing turn each garment into a unique piece of wearable art.
After several years of working for private clients, Barbara now focuses on bespoke pieces for singers, actors and photo productions, and teaches her skills and knowledge to an international audience online. She is also a Mentor at Foundations Revealed.
Brooklynne Michelle
Brooklynne is dedicated to creating high quality bespoke clothing made to your style and your body. She over 20 years of experience making clothing and costumes on demand and to the highest quality.
She understands how important clothes can be, they are the armour we put on to face the world. Clothes are the flags we wave to say, "Here I am, this is me."
Brooklynne’s greatest joy is seeing how excited people get when their dream garment becomes a reality.
Daniel See
Daniel See is a Living Historian with over 10 years of experience working in public history, historical clothing and research. Previously, Daniel has worked at Colonial Williamsburg and later on at Claudemoore Colonial Farm, and has volunteered or partnered with other historical organizations. He graduated with a History degree from the College of William and Mary in 2016 and has a Master's degree from American University. He currently splits his time researching Asians in the 18th century and promoting Asian and Asian-American history.
Advice to beginners: “DON'T STRESS OUT. Really, I am serious. “
Emilee Shield
Emilee (@OurShieldMaiden) is a Pacific Northwest cosplayer who loves competitive cosplay, genderbending, and cosplaying for under $100. She believes cosplay really should be for everyone and that inclusivity makes the cosplay community a brighter place.
Emilee's work as an activist and advocate within the cosplay world touches on reclaiming narratives, civic engagement, and sustainability.
Her cosplay of Angelica from the Tonyaward winning musical Hamilton was retweeted by Hamilton the Musical's social media accounts, and her creativity for reused and recycled materials inspires worldwide.
Emilee's cosplay work has been featured in Insider Magazine, Cosplay Central Magazine, Good Housekeeping Magazine, Netflix, and more.
Erika A La Mode
Erika A La Mode spent her childhood surrounded by vintage sewing machines and palaka fabric in her family’s tailor shop on the North Shore of Oahu.
She learned to sew at a young age but truly found her passion in 2017 when she began sewing costumes inspired by stage and screen. She has since pursued education in fashion design and apparel manufacturing to learn formal pattern drafting, draping, embellishments, and more.
Erika is dedicated to meticulous recreation of fantasy costumes and using her platform to discuss diversity and representation in media and the struggles of costuming with chronic illness disabilities.
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Jessica Domingue
Jessica Domingue is 38 years old, married, and a mother of three. They are Native American (Chickahominy, Blackfoot), Creole and Ashkenazi Jewish and a Navy veteran living with PTSD and Bipolar 1. In their free time, they like to make indie games and 3D art. Their costuming interests include cosplay armour, Native traditional arts, historical costuming, couture, and using 3D software to prototype designs.
“I am excited to judge this Competition because I was part of the 2021 Diversity panel and I am eager to see Foundations Revealed rise to the occasion”.
Kiyoshi Sugiyama
For as long as Kiyoshi can remember, they’ve loved dressing up. As a child, they’d wear blankets like dresses. In elementary school, they got an American Girl doll, and their grandmother taught them to sew for her. In high school, they started sewing for themself and made their own prom dresses and cosplays.
Since then, they’ve made costumes from 1830 to 1920, and some other eras. They also love kimono, and since moving to Japan they’ve begun learning how to make them.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to judge this Competition, and I’m looking forward to seeing many amazing submissions!”
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Lowana O’Shea
Lowana O’Shea is the designer and corsetiere behind celebrated slow fashion label Vanyanís, specializing in exquisite corsetry, bridal couture and luxury ready-to-wear fashion.
Lowana has been creating for over 19 years and her meticulous attention to detail and ability to get the perfect fit has helped to make her a pioneer in the field. Driven to preserve the art of corsetry, Lowana opened the Vanyanís School of Couture in 2015 where she empowers her students with knowledge and confidence to express themselves through making bespoke clothing.
Lowana is a Mentor at Foundations Revealed, where she passionately supports members to create their dreams.
Minji Lee
Minji Lee is a costume YouTuber who specializes in fantasy and historical fantasy costuming. She blends aesthetic and educational sewing videos, and aims to inspire and help others grow in their skill and creativity.
In 2020 she completed an MFA in Costume Production at Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama.
Upon graduating into nationwide industry shutdowns, she started making YouTube videos to share her knowledge and as an outlet for showcasing her work. In addition to making her own creations for YouTube, Minji occasionally takes on freelance work in theatre and television costume production.
NamiSparrow
NamiSparrow is an Indian cosplayer from the United States who has been sewing since she was a child, and cosplaying for 14 years. She finished her first full historical project last year, and has been including historically inspired aspects to her costumes for the last decade.
Nami is a jack of all trades in costuming with experience with design, pattern drafting, sewing, corset making, armour making, wig styling, prop making, embroidery, appliqué, and jewellery making. She is especially excited to see pieces inspired by unconventional sources.
Sophia Khan
Sophia is a historical costuming enthusiast focusing on Mid 18th through Mid 20th Century fashions, recreations, and research. Her side project Garment Guts showcases garment details and construction. She is a professional pattern maker and technical designer for Walt Designer Parks and Resorts. Sophia received her B.F.A in Fashion Design from School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
“I am so happy to be judging the Foundations Revealed 2023 competition. As a multi-time entrant it will be great to relax and enjoy everyone’s beautiful creations. “
Follow Sophia on Instagram