Meet Shappi Workshop!

CF: It is our utmost pleasure to introduce to you Aleksandra Tora, a cosplayer who you might recognize as Shappi Workshop! Tell us a little bit about your self…

AT: Hello! My name is Aleksandra and I am 24-year-old girl from Poland. I love traveling, watching movies and of course, cosplay!

CF: How did you get into cosplay and what genre do you cosplay the most? 

AT: I was attending manga and anime conventions since I was 13 and a few years later my friends took me to watch cosplay competition. I fell in love with all those amazing dresses and armors so I’ve decided to try to make something myself! My first costume was a dress but then I’ve drifted to armors which are my main way of cosplaying now. I mostly pick designs from games.

CF: What does cosplay mean to you?

AT: Various things! Mostly it is my way of expressing myself and my crafty side but it also is my gateway to meeting new people! The cosplay community is full of wonderful, talented people and I am sure I wouldn’t meet them if not for cosplay and conventions.

CF: What is your proudest moment when it comes to your cosplay work? 

- Probably when my work gets noticed at contests or by creators of the series that my costume is from. My biggest contest achievement is probably winning the 1st place in European Cosplay Gathering, where I was representing my country in the finals.

CF: What are some of the challenges and how do you face these challenges? (when crafting your cosplay character)

AT: Each character that I pick to cosplay has something new and unique in their design that I’ve never made before. This way I am learning new techniques every time I make new cosplay! The biggest challenge for me will be always sewing - I am an armor type of girl so I sew less often. In this case I always take more time and patience with the fabric based costumes - it doesn’t come easy to me but taking your time and calming nerves helps a lot!

CF: What’s important to you when it comes to finding the right materials for your character? 

AT: For sure I need a good reference picture - the biggest resolution the better! Thanks to that, you can see the colors and textures best. I also need to think about physics - if the fabric should be stretchy, heavy, light. Knowledge about materials comes with time I guess!

CF: What are the conventions you visit the most - where can fans find you?

AT: I am visiting cons all over Europe and my schedule changes every year! The cons I am visiting yearly are Gamescom, IEM Katowice, Pyrkon or often MCM and Japan Expos.

Thank you for your interest in my work! :)

CF: Aleksandra, thank you so much for sharing your story with CosplayFabrics.com! We truly appreciate you taking the time to talk about your cosplay experience. Your work is amazing and serves as inspiration on many levels.

For those looking to get more information about Alexandra’s work, definitely check out her Facebook page. 

Photography: Studio Zahora