Kinpatsu Cosplay — Kinpatsu to K/DA Akali transformation via Secret Lab!

Inven Global and Secret Lab partnered with Canada-based Cosplayer Kinpatsu to create the mesmerizing transformation into popstar K/DA Akali from League of Legends! After, we had time to ask Kinpatsu a few questions about her cosplay passion and craft.

1. What inspired you to first start cosplaying and what keeps motivating you to produce such high-quality builds?

Initially, I was inspired to start cosplay after I'd gone to my first convention and seen others going it! I didn't know it was really a thing and I had always loved dressing up. So I wanted to give it a try! I needed up doing my first cosplay in 2012 and haven't stopped since. Now my motivation for creating high-quality costumes is because I love to craft, but also because I love to help others. Every costume we make now we create a tutorial and pattern set for to make it easier for other cosplayers to make costumes and learn to cosplay too! So being able to help people is a huge motivating factor for me now.

2. What was the most difficult challenge of this K/DA cosplay?

For kDa Akali it was definitely her wig that was most challenging. She has a crazy hairstyle with different colours and spikes and doing a pulled-back ponytail is one of the hardest wigs to style! It took me 14 hours alone to create the realistic hairline at the back of the wig and add in the blonde sections in the front. Then I had to style the wig back, tease it, spike it and airbrush it! It was a lot of work but I am really happy with how it turned out.

3. What are your first impressions of Secret labs K/DA chairs? Any details that stand out?

I really loved the design on the back of the chair. Aside from loving KDA and being a huge fan of the skins, the iridescent colour scheme and geometric designs on the chair is something that really appeals to me outside of my love for league of legends! It's beautiful! And when I sat down in the chair it was incredibly comfortable. Especially the lumbar pillow it comes with. I struggle to sit at my PC for long periods of time. My back tends to hurt a lot so this has helped with my posture and I can work longer now!

4. What advice might you have for someone who wants to get started with cosplay?

The best advice I can give is just to do it! It can be very intimidating and if people are like me then you can spend forever thinking about something and how to do it but never ACTUALLY doing it! So if you are considering starting don't overthink it, just dive in and start and try it out and see where it goes from there.