Characters rooted in History
Inuyasha is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from November 1996 to June 2008, with its chapters collected in 56 volumes. The series begins with Kagome, a fifteen-year-old middle school girl from modern-day Tokyo who is transported to the Sengoku period after falling into a well in her family shrine, where she meets the half-dog demon, half-human Inuyasha. Through their quest, they are joined by the monk Miroku, the demon slayer Sango. Together, they journey to restore the Shikon Jewel before it falls into the hands of the evil half-demon Naraku.
The series takes place in the Sengoku Jidai "Warring states period" which was an unstable period of time in Japan from about the 15th century to the 17th century where political, social and military unrest was common place. It was a time of war and chaos and constitutes the latter part of the "Feudal era" of Japan common known as "Feudal Japan". The character Sango is a demon slayer, adjacent to the occupations of a Japanese ninja, and the character Miroku is a monk with spiritual healing powers.
Design Inspiration
I chose to reimagine the designs of these manga characters to have more historical references and interest in the overall silhouette. For Sango the demon slayer, I incorporated her black body contouring bodysuit from the animated reference into my design as a foundational piece. Layered on top I've designed a boned corset with beaded applique along the neckline, a draped chiffon skirt, paneled pink armor, and red tassel accents. For Miroku the monk, I've designed a multi-layered kimono with contrasting sleeve colors and shapes, a draped purple Kesa with shoulder detail, and worn over a pair of pleated blue hakama pants.
I wanted the designs to be fantasy interpretations of the characters while still being rooted in history. I've incorporated traditional garments with more conceptual pieces such as the beaded elements, tassels, and modern silhouette. Completing the look are props that resemble an oversized boomarang and "Shakujo" staff.
Completed Costumes
I constructed these costumes to wear to an International cosplay event, the "ECG" Extreme Cosplay Gathering, held in Paris 2024. Keeping comfort in mind, I designed the pieces to be separates so that the costume would allow for a full range of mobility, and this would also allow for them to pack well into a suitcase.
For the female ninja look (Sango), the main undergarment is a black full body leotard in a stretch matte jersey with a center front zipper closure The overskirt is made of two layers: a solid red poly chiffon on top and an ombre red-to-pink poly chiffon on the underside. I love how the pink ombre color peeks out and can be seen from the front side of the costume! The bodice is a spiral-steel boned corset made from a black faux leather and has applique detailing along the neckline with red beads. The undershirt is a gathered red chiffon V-neck crop top that crisscrosses in the back. Finishing the look are fabric armor pieces out of custom dyed pink floral brocade which cover the shoulders, elbows, midriff, and legs, all embellished with beaded cords and Japanese-style tassels.
The Monk look (Miroku) consists of multiple layers of kimono robing layered on top of one another and stitches into place to hold the draped shape. The undersleeve layer has custom printed textile design (pictured below) that was applied with heat transfer vinyl and finished with a decorate wrist bracer made of woven satin fabric and finished with a brocade bias binding. The sash also features the vinyl design and has strands of beads and crystals across the front. Under the kimono robes is a pair of pleated Hakama pants and the look is worn with purchased tabi socks and geta shoes. To complete Miroku's look, I designed the head of the staff prop (pictured below) and a friend 3-D printed the piece for me.
Textile Design & Props
For Miroku's monk costume, I've illustrated the below "smoke" design to be printed on his right black sleeve and tail ends of his sash. I've also created a vector file of the Shakujo staff head for 3D printing. The print and staff files were made in Adobe Illustrator.
