I’ve always loved dabbling in the world of cosplay. I hadn’t grown up sewing but always dreamed of making my own costumes to transform myself into my favorite characters. Elf ears, wigs, contacts, accessories – you name it, I wanted it. But, like many of us, I had no idea where to start. So I ended up looking to professionals for some help. Thankfully, with the world of social media being what it is today – there is no shortage of inspiration out there. And because cosplay includes so many design elements, here are a few of my absolute favorite cosplayers, makeup artists, and costume designers to follow right now! (I’ve left out a lot of the “heavy hitters” to hopefully give the spotlight to some artists you may not follow yet).

Grace Clarkson @graciethecosplaylass

Grace is actually the newest addition to my cosplayer obsession. With spooky season upon us, I stumbled across her gorgeous mash-up of Pennywise and the Joker and swiftly fell down her cosplay rabbit hole. Let me tell you. This woman can make clowns, demons, and the bald head of Asajj Ventress beautiful.

Alyson Tabbitha @alysontabbitha

If you’re in the cosplay scene, I’m sure you’ve heard of her. Alyson Tabbitha has recently taken the cosplay/make-up world by storm. With her uncanny portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow going viral, she’s proven to the world time and time again that she can transform into anyone her heart desires. But, it’s not just her transformations that make her fun to follow online – her Instagram is filled with fast-paced content and a welcoming, friendly across her fan interaction. So, I can’t help but smile when her latest posts cross my feed.

Lady Leanan @ladyleanansidhe

If you’re into viking style, dark fantasy cosplay, Lady Leanan is a MUST FOLLOW. Her striking looks and quirky personality are nothing shy of entertaining and stunning. One of my favorite aspects of her work is the backgrounds and photoshoot sets that consistently remain on brand and create an immersive cosplay experience for her followers. Warning: her page has a lot of adult content directly posted to her Instagram (though this is typical of many cosplayers, I like to give a warning).

Lex Madeyewlook @madeyewlook

My current FAVORITE makeup artist. Lex’s complete, mind-bending transformations are outstanding and border on incomprehensible. What’s more astounding is that she was self-taught in the art of body painting. I encourage you all to not only check out her Instagram but take a peek at her “about me” section on her personal website. She makes it easy to want to support her and her art!

Firefly Path @fireflypath

I’ve followed Firefly Path Couture Designer for a while now and was ecstatic to see their dress show up on the most recent season of America’s Got Talent (worn by contestant Freckled Zelda). Their designs are everything a hopeful fairy or fantasy princess could hope for. I aspire to make fairy/elven costumes as gorgeous as these one day!

I hope you enjoy these creators as much as I have! I look forward to sharing more creators with you in the future!