Teresa & Clare | 2012

Teresa & Clare | Claymore | 2012

About: These Claymore outfits are the most complex and technologically impressive costumes in my portfolio, and creating them was an experience I doubt I’ll have the chance to replicate! The project began shortly after I moved to San Francisco and met Linda Le (VampyBitMe) in person. We both loved the Claymore series and wanted to collaborate on a costume.

When determining how to make various parts of the armor in an authentic way I began chatting with a friend from work – Michael Poon – who offered some great advice and put us in contact with a friend with a fabrication shop up in Sacramento. We met the owners (Zack and Kris) a week or so later and immediately hit it off over debates about Star Wars, Gundams, and gaming. With that, our team began to assemble, which we would eventually dub “Mantium Industries”.

The best part of collaborating with a big group is the unique skills we each brought to the table. Michael, Zack, and Kris specialize in engineering and machining, while Linda and I offered up the more creative and aesthetic angle. In total, Linda and I made the drive up to Sacramento for five long weekends during the build, taking advantage of the massive shop and picking the brains of our newfound friends. The swords were plotted out in SolidWorks and milled out of solid aluminum, with carbon-fiber grips and high-quality automotive paint for the final touches. The pauldron were also made of carbon fiber from milled molds using a vacuum sealed technique and baking them in an industrial oven. The skirt pieces were wire mesh and urethane. Everything turned out quite heavy, but looked phenomenal on camera. You can read more about the construction in this interview with CompositesWorld magazine.

Photography: Photos by James Ellerker, Ljinto, Joseph Chi Lin, and Elysiam Entertainment.

Collaborators: Mantium Industries includes Zack & Kristine Spencer, Michael Poon, Linda Le, Meagan Marie, Scott Trauthen, and Robert Maurer! Also thank-you to Nadia Spencer for joining one of our photoshoots.

Construction: Check out the construction gallery here.

Click to expand /view photo credits in the gallery below!