From MEFCC to Japan: How two friends took UAE cosplay to the world stage
Dubai: There are a few things you might expect to find in a cosplayer’s workspace: fabric, wigs, sewing machines and perhaps an alarming amount of glitter. What you may not expect is the toxic fumes, industrial quantities of disinfectant and, as Kalypso and Vin casually point out, “the decapitated heads”. They mean mannequin heads. The kind used to style wigs. “That's normal to us,” they laugh.…
Dubai: Cosplayers often work with fabric, wigs, sewing machines, and a significant amount of glitter. However, what might surprise some is the presence of toxic fumes, industrial quantities of disinfectant, and decapitated mannequin heads. These are the tools of the trade for Kalypso and Vin, a pair of Dubai-based cosplayers who have taken UAE cosplay to the world stage.
The two friends met by accident at MEFCC in 2017, both cosplaying characters from the same universe – Undertale. They briefly met, went their separate ways, and later crossed paths again when Kalypso performed with her idol group and Vin was in the front row. Their paths crossed again through Discord chats, Instagram messages, and mutual friends, leading to a creative partnership.
Their journey began with smaller cosplay competitions and performances before they aimed for one of the biggest stages in the world: the World Cosplay Summit. Representing the UAE in Japan in 2025, they finished in the top 10. For them, cosplay is more than just dressing up; it involves bringing characters to life through careful consideration of their mannerisms, personality, and storytelling.
Kalypso focuses on creating costumes that reflect the character's mannerisms and personality. She puts thought into the fabrics, textures, and techniques that can make the character feel more real. Vin agrees that storytelling is a significant part of cosplay. Her Link costume from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, made from scratch with hand-sewn eyelets and historically accurate fabrics, showcases this approach.
Research and authenticity are crucial when working on partner costumes. For their UAE representation at the World Cosplay Summit, they considered kimono fabrics for their outfit, believing it made sense for two Japanese girls to wear them at the same time. To them, cosplay is about immersing themselves in the world the character comes from and creating something that could exist within it.
However, the dedication and time required to bring this level of detail to life is immense. A single costume might take four hours to create, with multiple hours spent on a single side. Kalypso reflects on their World Cosplay Summit costumes when discussing the process.
Written by urgent.news from Gulf News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
