What's Pop Culture today was once just an indie niche
- Joseph R. Fraia
COSMODA’s Wall Street Fashion Show: A Fusion of Cosplay and Couture
Catherine Schuller-Gruenwald and Daniel Hort: Visionaries in Fashion and Cosplay
On September 7, Wall Street transformed into a runway for one of the most unique and groundbreaking fashion events of the season, organized by COSMODA, a brand redefining the relationship between fashion and cosplay. At the helm of this innovative brand are fashion icon Catherine Schuller-Gruenwald and arts events producer Daniel Hort, a duo whose vision and passion for artistic expression have made COSMODA a trailblazer in the industry.
Catherine Schuller-Gruenwald, a well-known figure in the fashion world, rose to prominence as a model, body diversity advocate, and event curator. She is also the widow of the legendary Marvel Comics editor Mark Gruenwald, which naturally fueled her interest in the world of comic books and cosplay. Schuller-Gruenwald’s work has long focused on inclusivity, creativity, and merging popular culture with high-end fashion. She has been instrumental in elevating cosplay from its niche roots into a form of wearable art, with attention to craftsmanship that rivals haute couture.
Her partner, Daniel Hort, brings a wealth of experience as an arts events producer. Known for his ability to orchestrate large-scale creative productions, Hort’s collaborations with Schuller-Gruenwald have pushed the boundaries of what fashion shows can be. Together, they founded COSMODA to create a space where cosplay and high fashion intersect, catering to both pop culture enthusiasts and those with a refined eye for fashion.
COSMODA: Blending Craftsmanship and Couture with Cosplay
COSMODA is unlike any other fashion brand. It’s a trailblazer in marrying the intricate detail and creativity of cosplay with the sophistication and style of couture. Born from the idea that cosplay can be as meticulously crafted and fashion-forward as any runway collection, COSMODA is pioneering a new kind of fashion that celebrates the artistry of costume-making while maintaining the elegance and quality of high fashion.
The company’s ethos centers around craftsmanship and storytelling. Cosplayers have long been recognized for their ability to bring fictional characters to life through detailed costumes, often requiring months of labor to create. COSMODA takes this dedication to another level by combining these elements with couture techniques. Their designs showcase the imaginative qualities of cosplay—vibrant colors, bold silhouettes, and elaborate embellishments—while grounding them in the fine fabrics, expert tailoring, and timeless design principles of high fashion.
COSMODA’s mission is to push the boundaries of both cosplay and couture, creating a new category of “cosplay couture.” The brand aims to introduce the mainstream fashion industry to the incredible artistry of cosplaying, proving that it’s more than just fandom—it’s a form of fashion that deserves recognition on the global stage. At the same time, COSMODA provides cosplayers with a platform to showcase their work beyond conventions and into the world of high-end fashion events, such as New York Fashion Week.
The event held in Wall Street further demonstrated the brand’s commitment to merging these two worlds. Models paraded down the runway in elaborate, yet wearable looks that seemed to come straight from the pages of a comic book or a fantasy novel, but with a level of refinement and elegance rarely seen in traditional cosplay attire. Each piece told its own story, making the fashion show a narrative experience as much as a sartorial one.
The “Alliance” Segment Featuring Adrian Alicea’s “Decades of a Living Legend”
The show’s crescendo was the highly anticipated “Alliance” segment, featuring celebrity designer Adrian Alicea. Titled “Decades of a Living Legend,” this portion of the evening was a celebration of Alicea’s legendary career in fashion, spanning over four decades of innovation, creativity, and couture excellence.
Adrian Alicea, a name synonymous with avant-garde fashion, brought a fresh and daring perspective to the COSMODA runway. Known for his theatrical designs and bold, high-concept pieces, Alicea’s work has always blurred the lines between fashion, art, and performance. For this show, he debuted a collection that not only paid homage to his past works but also introduced new haute couture and custom-made designs that pushed the boundaries of what cosplay couture could be.
The “Decades of a Living Legend” collection was a visual feast. Models strutted down the runway in futuristic armor-like pieces juxtaposed with fluid, romantic silhouettes, embodying the duality of strength and beauty. Alicea’s designs spanned various eras of fashion, with nods to gothic, punk, and baroque influences, all interpreted through his signature avant-garde lens. His ability to merge the fantastical with the sophisticated made his collection the perfect conclusion to an evening celebrating the fusion of cosplay and couture.
A Bright Future for Cosplay and Fashion Synergy
COSMODA’s Wall Street fashion show was a groundbreaking moment in the evolution of fashion. The event demonstrated that cosplay is more than just a hobby—it’s an art form with the potential to influence and reshape high fashion. With visionaries like Catherine Schuller-Gruenwald and Daniel Hort at the helm, and with collaborations with designers like Adrian Alicea, the future of cosplay couture looks bright.
As the lines between fantasy and fashion continue to blur, COSMODA is proving that there is a place for cosplay in the world of haute couture. This innovative approach not only expands the boundaries of fashion but also opens the door for new generations of designers and cosplayers to explore their creative potential. The synergy between these two worlds is only just beginning, and the possibilities are limitless.
Article and photos by Joseph Ralph Fraia - jrfstudio.com - @jrfstudio
THE ART OF FUN: ANIME NYC CELEBRATES THE LOVE FOR JAPANESE POP CULTURE
The fifth edition of the popular and beloved convention featured big stars and great premieres of the most successful animes and mangas.
NEW YORK, NY – November 21, 2022
What a phenomenal display of unconditional reciprocal love between fans and artists/creators was the 2022 edition of ANIME NYC. For three days, the Javits Center in New York City was filled with passionate and exhilarated visitors who were spoiled with several premiers and celebrity guests throughout the entire show.
The absolute acme of the convention took place on Saturday the 19th, when Hajime Isayama, the creator of the global phenomenon ‘Attack on Titan,’ made his first-ever appearance in the U.S. For almost an hour, the 2,000-plus exulting fans could hear directly from their idol the rollercoaster of challenges, successes, dramas, and gratifications Isayama-sensei went through to realize one of the most successful manga and anime of all time.
This event's fifth edition featured a few great first performances: the East Coast premiere of the short ‘Summer Ghost’ and the world premiere preview screening of ‘Kayuga-sama: Love is War - The First Kiss that Never Ends.’
‘Summer Ghost’ is an emotional, heartbreaking, and inspiring coming-of-age story produced by Flat Studio and Avex that represents the directorial debut of Loundraw. The short film, which I really can’t recommend enough, is currently available on Amazon Prime and is now also available in America on Blue-Ray.
On the opposite spectrum of emotions, I had the pleasure of joining the hilarious panel for the world premiere of ‘Love is War,’ a hilarious and amusing romantic psychological drama in which two genius students develop over the top and clever schemes to try and get the other to confess their love first. Because to them, love is war, and the first to confess their feelings loses. This event also saw the main hall filled with hundreds of ecstatic fans, who attended the screening and the panel with voice actress Aoi Koga, voice actor Makoto Furukawa, and director Mamoru Hatakeyama.
The rich calendar of the show presented an incredible number of panels, artists’ and vendors’ stands, and screenings.
Particularly interesting was the conversation held by Ultraman Connection, the new official international community for Ultraman fans all over the globe.
During the panel were announced two fantastic pieces of news that made fans drop their jaws: Netflix is working on a visually stunning and innovative animated series that is scheduled to be released in 2023/2024, and Marvel Comics has as work-in-progress a cross-over series between some of its most popular heroes and Ultraman.
The main floor of the Javits Center was filled with dozens of vendors, and the official stands of several production studios, in addition to being home to the ‘Gundam EXPO U.S.A. 2022,’ featuring two giant statues of the beloved mobile suits and many exclusive models.
In a time when, in America, entertainment has been, unfortunately, taken hostage by toxic woke activists and ill-intended corporations, it was refreshing to see so many companies focused exclusively on making good content and great stories, prioritizing customers, and privileging fan service. And, on the other end, to see the unconditional love of so many people for their beloved franchises, heroes, and heroines.
But, as always, the real protagonists of the show were the legion of cosplayers who colored the event with dozens of different costumes, bringing to life so many characters and interacting with each other.
To them must go our gratitude and admiration for their dedication and for making Japanese pop culture thrive more and more every day, so we can get more of the stories we like.
See you next year. Yatta!
Article and photos by Joseph Ralph Fraia
@jrfstudio - jrfstudio.com
@livein_magazine - livein-magazine.com
New York, NY (October 19, 2022) - Anime NYC Powered By Crunchyroll and Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC today announced Japanese manga creator mega star Hajime Isayama will meet fans and media for the first time in North America this November at the upcoming Anime NYC festival. Isayama’s Attack on Titan is one of the most popular manga series of all time and has created a $500 million media empire spanning manga, anime, live-action movies, stage plays, video games, and merchandise.
Running November 18-20, 2022 in New York’s Javits Center (655 W. 34th Street at 11th Avenue), Anime NYC brings over 50,000 passionate fans together with leading creators and companies from the heart of the Japanese entertainment world. Celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, in addition to Isayama, Anime NYC will play host to Japanese guests of honor including Shuko Murase (Director, Gundam Hathaway), Setsuo Ito (Voice Actor, Mob Psycho 100), and Yoko Shimomura (Composer, FINAL FANTASY XV). Beyond Kodansha, major Japanese entertainment companies including Aniplex, Bandai, Crunchyroll, GKIDS, HIDIVE, VIZ Media, and Yen Press will showcase what’s currently hot from Japan to dedicated fans at the fete.
The 36-year-old Hajime Isayama launched his Attack on Titan in 2009, and it concluded after 34 volumes in 2021. A dark and gripping tale of humanity in a war with grotesque giants known as Titans, Attack on Titan has been praised by fans and critics alike for its combination of intense action and horror together with political intrigue and intricate world-building. The New York Times best-selling saga has sold over 100 million copies in print, and the series has won numerous awards across Japan and the US including the Kodansha Manga Award, Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, and Harvey Award. The anime based on this smash manga success will continue its final season in 2023.
"This is it - Hajime Isayama in his first U.S. appearance, and it's going to be at Anime NYC," said Alvin Lu, President & CEO of Kodansha USA Publishing. "After more than ten years of publishing Attack on Titan, we are very, very excited to help host Isayama-sensei and to see him meet the fans that have loved and supported this amazing pop-culture phenomenon throughout the years. This will be an Anime NYC to remember."
“Attack on Titan changed the world,” said Anime NYC Event Director Peter Tatara. “It told a startling story unlike anything else in Japanese or American entertainment and led to a new generation falling in love with Japanese comics and dedicating their hearts to Isayama’s incredible characters. We’re now absolutely honored to play host to Hajime Isayama and give his American fans their very first opportunity to meet the legendary creator.”
Hajime Isayama will conduct a rare signing for fans on Friday, November 18 at Anime NYC, and he will then appear on Anime NYC’s Main Stage on Saturday, November 19 for a talk about his masterpiece. Details on tickets for his signing and Main Stage session will be announced in early November. He will also be available for limited media interviews.
Kodansha will host a booth all three days of Anime NYC featuring a special Attack on Titan activation. Find them at Anime NYC at booth #1530.
Limited badges for Anime NYC are available at animenyc.com. To learn the latest about Hajime Isayama and upcoming Anime NYC guests, follow the event on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
About Hajime Isayama
Born in Oita, Japan in 1986, Hajime Isayama’s debut work, orz, received the 81st Weekly Shonen Magazine Rookie Award in 2008, and debuted at Magazine Special. He started serializing Attack on Titan in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. A global sensation, Attack on Titan received the 35th Kodansha Manga Award.
About Attack on Titan
A century ago, the grotesque giants known as Titans appeared and consumed all but a few thousand humans. The survivors took refuge behind giant walls. Today, the threat of the Titans is a distant memory, and a boy named Eren yearns to explore the world beyond Wall Maria. But what began as a childish dream will become an all-too-real nightmare when the Titans return and humanity is once again on the brink of extinction. Attack on Titan is the award-winning and New York Times-bestselling series that is the manga hit of the decade! Spawning the monster hit Anime television series of the same name, Attack on Titan has become a pop culture sensation. For more, visit kodansha.us/series/attack-on-titan/.
About Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC
A subsidiary of Kodansha, Japan’s largest publisher, Kodansha USA Publishing is the English-language publisher of some of the world’s most recognizable manga properties, including Katsuhiro Otomo’s AKIRA and Naoko Takeuchi’s Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, along with a robust catalog of English-language Japanese novels, cookbooks, craft guides, historical and cultural literature, and more. Today, thanks to recent fan-favorite and critically acclaimed hits like Attack on Titan, Battle Angel Alita, Witch Hat Atelier, and the popular MONOGATARI novels, Kodansha USA Publishing is one of the best-selling manga publishers in the United States. Kodansha USA Publishing’s print offerings are distributed by Penguin Random House Publisher Services, and their digital manga and select digital books are available across a number of digital comics, manga, and book vendors. For more information visit kodansha.us. Follow Kodansha USA on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and YouTube.
About Anime NYC Powered By Crunchyroll
Anime NYC powered by Crunchyroll is New York City’s anime convention! A showcase of the best of Japanese pop culture in the biggest city in America, Anime NYC brings anime fans and publishers together for three days of unique exhibits, exclusive screenings, extensive panels, and appearances by some of the biggest creators in Japan. The next event takes place November 18-20, 2022 in New York’s Javits Center, and we invite you to join over 50,000 fans for a celebration of Japanese animation, manga, cosplay, fashion, food, games, toys, and more in the heart of NYC! For more, visit animenyc.com.
For more information about Anime NYC
and to purchase badges for the convention, please visit:
