Wastelander
The objective of this project was to make a full costume to go with the warthog mask that I made previously. It is for the Hydre LARP Aube, which took place in August.
I have always wanted to make a post-apocalyptic project, and have been accumulating random objects to do so: old electronics, fabric, leather straps, jewelery, etc.
So my challenge was to make the costume only with elements I have in my stash. It turned out to be really good as a limiting factor for my creativity and for the budget. Luckily, I have a large stash of rivets and studs, which is essential for a mostly no-sew project.
I create the pieces trying to imagine what the character would be thinking: I need a functional piece of clothing and have a limited amount of materials and tools, most of which are old, broken or worn down. However, I want it to look impressive and I have accumulated lots of useless ornaments over the years. I have also been spattered in dirt, mud and blood several times, but try to clean them off regularly.
Here is the fun part: weathering! Sand paper, black and off-white paint, and a spray bottle of blood colored paint. I also experimented with salt water and vinegar to rust the metallic elements of the costume. It worked better than I thought it would, but my kitchen reeked of vinegar for a week. Totally worth it.
Final touch: I painted a nerf gun to go with the rest of the costume.
I have the option to wear it with or without the warthog gas mask, as it's a bit claustrophobic, so I tried a few makeup looks to go with it.
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I'm so happy with the result, and had a great LARP with it. I can't wait to see all the pictures taken at the event!
Photography credits to my friend Natalie Borruat-Fehlmann.
