About

Who: Jamila aka Black Bettie

What: Creator / Cosplayer / Photographer / Designer 

Where: Portland, OR

How long: Since 2008

Why: Because the world needs more fun, magic and a lot more diversity.

I’m an animation-obsessed, movie and book loving escapist that gets super excited by bringing the fantastical to life in the real world. I always love a challenge – so projects with tight deadline and learning a new skills are kind of my weakness. Come join me for the adventure!

Check out my FAQ below or contact me if you have any questions.

FAQ

Commissions? At the moment, I am currently not taking commissions.

Do you make your cosplays? Yes, I do. Most of my cosplays are patterned and made from scratch. Occasionally, I will modify them from thrifted or purchased items. I do purchase accessories like wigs, shoes or minor accessories – and sometimes I create wigs from scratch. You can see more details about each of those costumes in my costume gallery (coming soon).

How long have you been sewing? I’ve been sewing since I received my first sewing machine at age eight. I began creating costumes for theatre in highschool and did costume design/costuming for productions in college. I started with altering thrifted items and deconstructing them to learn how they were made and then worked my way up to patterning and constructing them from scratch.

What’s your photography background? I’ve been shooting film since I was eleven and digital since 2006 when I got my first dSLR. I studied photography in college as part of my Studio Art major and have a background in editing, styling and studio lighting. I do some cosplay photography, but my main focus is conceptual art photography – you can see my work here.

What was your first cosplay? My first cosplay was Angelina Johnson’s POA Quidditch robes from Harry Potter in 2008 – although this was not my first costume. I really didn’t know about cosplay before then or they were for theatre productions.

How long does it take you to make a costume? It varies depending on the complexity of the costume. More detailed ones, like the Dora Milaje uniform, took 3 months (and still isn’t complete), while first-fusion Garnet only took a few days.