“Meet the Artist” is a subsection of articles written by The Hidden Triforce administrator and writer Hannah Fortney. Any reviews written have been authorized by the artist indicated in this article. If you would like to be featured in our “Meet the Artist” segment, please message the Facebook page directly.
Midna is undoubtedly one of the most unique and interesting characters in the Zelda series. From helping you escape a jail cell, to stopping Dark Beast Ganon in his tracks, Midna was an invaluable partner throughout Twilight Princess. Cosplayer Lauren Philipps did an impressive job bringing her to life through the art of cosplay.
Lauren has been cosplaying on and off for many years. Her first convention was four or five years ago which she attended as a “hybrid dragon.” Donning blue makeup across her face and kid’s dragon wings, she was blown away with the experience and its friendly cosplayers. Lauren recently decided to cosplay Midna because she wants to be like her in regards to her strength.
“Having everything taken away from her forces her to do whatever it takes to save her kingdom and her people, but not in a good way. But even through all that, she sees the kindness of Link and Zelda and she sees the goodness in the world of light. She realizes that there’s another way. She comes back from a dark place and I admire her for that.”
All parts of Lauren’s cosplay, from the helmet to the suit, mimic the imp superbly. Her headpiece was built by Brett from BB props. The body suit, styled to accurately resemble Midna’s black and white body, was made by Living Dead Clothing. According to Lauren, the company is Australian made and owned, their clothes are all she wears nowadays.
Lauren purchased the wig, but built the ears and eye herself. Upon checking out her photos, I assumed the eye piece was created through makeup. To my surprise, Lauren created the eye by cutting out an image of Midna’s eye before pasting it onto an eye patch. She then cut a hole into it so she could safely maneuver around the convention.
A closer look at Lauren’s imp Midna cosplay.
Other cosplays Lauren has done include Suicune from Pokémon and Princess Hilda from A Link Between Worlds. Her next big plan is to pursue her dream cosplay as Yoshi from the Super Mario series. Her goal is to visit hospitals and charity events to make both big and little kids smile. “That’s why I cosplay,” she says. “I just wanna make people happy.”
As someone who used to cosplay often, there are many aspects that make cosplay and the convention setting enjoyable. It gives people a chance to take pleasure in a community of people who like dressing up as their favorite fictional characters along with those who share similar interests. Lauren is the kind of cosplayer who both acknowledges this and is proud of their talents.
“Cosplay gives you the chance to be someone/something else. I put on my headpiece and I’m a cheeky, mischievous, dark little imp called Midna with a smart mouth – and who’s a total badass. I get to be my hero, even just for a day. Who wouldn’t want to dress up as their hero?!”
You can check out more photos of Lauren’s cosplays below. The Midna photos were taken by Snap Happy Ian. What are your thoughts on her awesome Midna cosplay? What other cosplays would you like to see from her? Feel free to share in the comments below.
