There will be two costume programmes this year: Design Contest and Costume Show. In the Design Contest participants compete for the title of the best self-designed and executed costume, whereas the Costume Show format goes along the lines of the traditional costume contest!

Design Contest

Participation in the Design Contest can be done individually or in a small group (2-5 people). One can participate in the contest with costumes that are made by the contestant or a group member. One can participate in the contest with a costume that is designed by the contestant itself or designed by someone else, but there is no official source material on the costume or it has been made into its own version. These include for example literature heroes, role-playing characters, gijinkas or anything else your imagination has created.

Maximum of 10 groups can participate in the Design Contest and the group sign-up positions are filled on a first come, first served basis. The top three participants or groups will be awarded and are chosen by a panel of judges. The contestants are evaluated based on the technical aspects, details and the level of difficulty.

The participants have a chance to perform a small-scale performance included in their stage show. The duration of the performance can be a maximum of two minutes, with no minimum duration. The performance is not compulsory and it does not affect the evaluation done by the judges.

The contest includes evaluation in advance by the panel of judges, photography and stage show. The awards will be given after the contest.

Sign up will begin on June 17th 2024 at 7pm and closes on July 14th at 8pm or when 10 contestants or groups have been reached.

The sign-up is done by filling out the sign-up form in Google Forms. In addition to your personal information, the name and source of the character should be filled. More information about the characters and source materials are gathered separately from the contestants via online form we will email the participants.

Rules for the contest:

• Every costume must be made by the contestant or someone in the group. Small scale assistance from a friend or family member is allowed.
• A participating costume may not contain bought cosplay items that have been produced by a company, an entrepreneur or other professional.
  • Allowances from this rule can be made for small parts, such as jewelry, but these must be declared to the judges.
• A costume can include bought readymade clothing items that were not originally designed for this character. Readymade clothing can make up only up to 30% of the costume. These can mean a shirt, a pair of pants or a dress shirt etc.
  • E.g. If the costume contains 7 pieces: wig, coat, shirt, pants, shoes, jewelry and prop, the contestant may use only two readymade items in their costume to not go over the 30%.
  • If the costume contains a readymade wig that has been bought, but also modified, it will not be considered a readymade item. If no alterations have been made, a wig will be considered readymade.
• The contest may not be entered with a costume that has placed in similar competition. The costume is allowed to have taken part in a contest before, but not placed. 
• A contestant must deliver reference material of the character before the contest.
  • Reference material will be collected from registered participants on an online form.
  • The form will contain questions about the character, world and background.
  • You may attach images on the form. The images must be in PDF-files and can altogether be no longer than one page (A4). Several images on the page are allowed.
  • Please note, that the reference material the contestant provides will be the key comparison for the judges in this contest. 

Judging criteria for the contest: 

Costume has been designed to fit the person carrying it.

Materials in the costume have been chosen well to fit their purpose and they work well together.

The costume has been made using several different techniques that suit the outfit well. Execution of the techniques is careful and neat..

Costume make up fits the character well and has been done with care.

Wig or other headpiece (hat/helmet/etc) fits the character and has been modified with care.

Possible weapon replicas and jewelry have been built to last and resemble the real deal.

The costume presents accurately on the skill level of the maker.

The costume has been finished with care and is neat as a whole.

Costume Show

The Costume Show is Ropecon’s traditional costume programme where attendees get to showcase their costumes to an audience. The sign-up for the Costume Show is done at the desk near the photography point. In addition to signing up, all contestants will be photographed at the photography point and, if they so desire, may take part in the stage show.

The Costume Show sign-up is done on Friday from 6 pm to 8 pm and Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm. The Costume Show sign-up might occasionally be congested, meaning it is good to reserve some time for queueing. 

The Costume Show is not a contest, but the audience has a chance to vote for their favorite in the following categories: 

• Monster of the Year ~ The scariest, creepiest or most berserk character! 
• Cutest sight ~ Which costume makes you utter the classic “awww”? 
• Hope for the Future ~ Which costume makes you wish for more? 
• Beastly Bustle ~ literal, figurative or what will win this one?
• Natural 20 ~ This costume is overpoweringly best in Ropecon!

The voting is done on an online form. The form can be found on Saturday July 20th 2024 on Ropecon’s website and social media.

Got any questions? Please email our cosplay coordinator at cosplay@ropecon.fi