Photos by David Ng

One of the best things about having cosplay as a hobby is that, in addition to having fun, we learn new skills from costume design to metal-working – skills we can use in other areas of life, even in business.  This week's column will be the first of several looking at cosplayers who have gone beyond making costumes for themselves and their friends and turned their work into a business, so others can use them as a model to start their own cosplay businesses.

Left: The "Frost Fairy" party wig, one of the original creations of Katie Bair's Wig Shop.

Katie Bair's Petting Zoo Wig Shop

(http://www.pettingzoowigs.com/wigs.html)

Katie's wig business started after her second cosplay, one of the most challenging hairstyles in the anime world: Shiva from Final Fantasy X.  "Needless to say, any wig seemed easy after that.  It weighed 30 lbs and took 5 months to make.  It's also the reason I started my wig business...  After making my Shiva wig, and being barraged by literally thousands of people asking how I made it, I figured, maybe, someone might be interested in having me make them a wig.  Maybe."  Katie started up shop accepting wig commissions.  "The first month I got three orders.  The next month it doubled.  Then tripled.  By the end of the first year, I had personally made 150 wigs."  As she started experimenting and learning more about wigs, Katie also started selling the styling supplies she found herself using most often, including hairpins, gels and glues used to achieve anti-gravity spikes and other styling effects.  She also developed a special wig conditioner useful for detangling wigs, since we all know a con can turn even the most beautiful hair into a rat's nest by the end.

KATIE'S SYNTHETIC WIG DYE

Perhaps Katie's most unusual contribution to the cosplay community is her synthetic wig dye. Thanks to cosworks.com and other cosplay supply sites it is now easy to get party wigs in a variety of basic colors, but they usually offer only one or two shades of each color, so it can be hard to find the precisely correct shade for any given character.  Ordinary hair dyes like Manic Panic work fine on natural fiber, but won't take to the plastics used for most costume wigs.  Many cosplayers try to color wigs using ordinary fabric dye, paint, even sharpie markers, an effective but extremely time-consuming technique which Katie used to use herself before the overflow of commissions led her to experiment.

"Each of the first six colors of wig dye was made to fill a specific need that wasn't being met.  For instance, Powder Blue was made specifically for Rei Ayanami (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Cloudy Grey was made for Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7), Sea Green was made for Sailor Neptune (Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon), and Sun Yellow was made for golden blonde characters like Rikku (Final Fantasy X2) or Riza Hawkeye (Full Metal Alchemist)."  Katie developed the dye herself, through long experimentation with chemicals at home in her wig styling lab, which has now taken over every corner of her house.  She now offers more than a dozen colors, and since they can be combined or used on colored wigs as well as synthetic ones, they can achieve almost any color seen in anime.  "I think Coal Grey wig dye is my favorite.  It's a very hard color to mix without it turning brown, or being so pigment heavy that it doesn't stick to the fiber.  100% black isn't possible with a translucent dye, so Coal Grey is as close as I can get." 

Right: Sailor Neptune's distinctive shade of blue (not sold in stores) was made by dying a blonde wig with "Sea Green" wig dye and sharpie markers.

HOW DOES THE WIG DYE WORK?

I tested Katie's wig dye myself, while preparing a Speed Grapher cosplay group for Otakon 2006.  The costumes required two unusual wigs, one a very dark midnight blue, the other that shade of "bishounen silver" which is universal in anime but which no regular wig company yet offers.  The dye works by having the alcohol soften the strands of the wig just enough for the color to seep in, then get locked in when it hardens, so it doesn't rinse or rub off.  Since Katie has to mix every batch by hand, the dye is not cheap, a big bottle necessary for long wigs costing more than $40 on top of the price of the original wig.  The dying process was described well in the instructions and took only a couple of hours to complete.  Since the wigs were dyed by first-time wig dyers without Katie's expertise, they wound up with a little bit of streaking, which made them look more organic than professional wigs which have a flatter look.


Left: Test successful: used on a white wig the "Cloudy Gray" dye developed for Sephiroth achieves that distinctive glowing metallic silver color favored by angst-ridden bishounen everywhere.

 

The results?  The silver wig is perfect.  The blue wig unfortunately turned out to be made of a special fiber used only in some New Look and Sepia wigs which rejects the wig dye – I could have detected this ahead of time if I had been a good cosplayer and tested the dye on a fiber sample first, but, as many of us do, I got carried away and skipped that vital step.

The verdict: wig dye is an amazing tool, but it's not for everyone.  If you are preparing a very important costume for competition, or just want to do an extra-good job on a costume for yourself, then hand dying a wig to make sure you get the precise color you want is an excellent choice.  However, the dye is expensive and always has a risk of going wrong, so it is always better to use a pre-colored wig if you can find one that matches your character.  If you plan to dye a wig for a con, make sure you do so several weeks in advance, so you have time for a backup plan in case it doesn't go well.

Right: In the wig dye laboratory, Katie carefully fills vials of wig dye samples for  disciplined cosplayers (unlike me) to test on their wigs before ordering larger batches.

HOW IS THE BUSINESS DOING?

After a few years and a lot of adjustment of her business practice, Katie's wig store is now making enough profit to pay for itself.  Katie works about 40 hours a month styling wigs, and spends the same amount of time filling and shipping orders.  Business is unpredictable, since the most popular colors change every time a new season of anime comes out.  "Final Fantasy (Rikku) and Full Metal Alchemist (Edward Elric or Riza Hawkeye) made Sun Yellow the most popular for a long time, but Kingdom Hearts II caused a big spike in Cloudy Grey (Riku or pretty much any Organization XIII member) and Cherry Red (Axel) sales."  As with most cosplay-related businesses, business tends to be extremely intense in summer, especially right before Anime Expo and Otakon, then drop off during the fall and winter months, with one quick spike just before Halloween.  It may seem grim that after all Katie's work she is not making a living from her wig business, but cosplay business is, like cosplay, about enjoyment more than money.  "I make enough to keep going, not just for myself, but also for my fellow cosplayers who are interested in improving their wigcraft.  I mean, if it weren't for wanting to help others improve their cosplay, I never would have started doing this in the first place!"

Left:  A curved sewing needle is used to layer colors into this party wig.

ADVICE FOR OTHERS STARTING COSPLAY BUSINESSES:

"A lot of failed commissioners make the mistake of being afraid to charge what they're worth, because they are worried people will label them as "snobs" or other negativity.  Sometimes they justify their unrealistically low prices by saying 'this is easy for me, so I shouldn't charge much', but don't compensate for all of the parts of the business that aren't directly related to the creation of the commissioned piece."  Katie herself fell prey to this trap at first, in the early days charging only $6 or $10 plus materials for a wig which might take her weeks to finish, working out to a wage of about twenty cents per hour for labor.  Eventually she started charging more depending on the complexity of a wig, trying to adjust it to earn at least minimum wage for the time spent on the commission, plus materials.  She charges less for her "party wigs," original creations not intended to imitate any specific character, since with these she gets to experiment as an artist.

Like Katie, I too have experience making costumes for others, so I know that it can feel awkward charging for labor, since a very elaborate wig or costume may take a hundred hours to make, so even charging minimum wage for labor puts the price at five hundred dollars or more.  Each commissioner has to make his or her own policy on what to charge, but my personal advice, similar to Katie's, is that if you undervalue your work you will find yourself taken advantage of.  Charge an amount that reflects what you really put into the costume and serious customers will pay it – if you don't feel comfortable charging what your work is worth, then do what I do and stick to making costumes and clothing for yourself and your friends, rather than for sale.

Another common problem which dooms cosplay entrepreneurs is a failure to prepare to deal with bad customers.  "It is vital," Katie says, "to establish clear payment and refund policies to protect the seller in the event of encountering a dishonest or delinquent customer."  Too many cosplayers are nice and want to be nice to their fellow cosplayers, which can lead to a costume designer letting a customer push them around or exploit them because they are unsure of their rights as a designer.   Companies like SquareTrade or Paypal can help protect you and your business.  Finding the most efficient ways to package and ship things is also important, since that can easily add many hours of work.  Katie finds that US mail has the best prices, and free boxes for priority.  She recommends automating as much of the ordering process as you can online.

Right:  This excellent Inuyasha wig is comparatively simple, but it reflects many hours of careful trimming, styling and sewing.

Katie's Successful Commissioner Checklist:

1. Establish, post, and STICK TO fair and concise policies, including ones for the refunds when necessary; require that your customers read and agree to these policies before beginning any work or accepting any payments.

2. Use written or digital (Terms of Service) contracts for all exchanges involving money.

3. Do not under-price yourself just to get more business.  Good customers will pay what they think you're worth, and bad customers are not the kind you want anyway.

4. Have GOOD images of your previous work available for potential customers to view.  Bad pictures make good work look... well, bad.

5. Do not be afraid to cancel an order if you are being abused or exploited.   Commissioning is not slavery, it is a service.  You do have the right to refuse service.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Katie is now working on a book describing her wig styling and dying techniques, which she hopes to sell at cons in future so others can learn her techniques.  She also appears on panels at conventions where she gives advice to other up-and-coming commissioners.  In the cosplay world, I am always happy to see businesswomen like Katie who doesn't try to guard her trade secrets and treat new commissioners as competitors, but thinks of them as friends that she can enjoy sharing techniques with.  After all, the otaku and cosplay community is only getting larger, and the number of cosplayers who take the step of becoming commissioners is very small.  There is far more business out there than Katie can accept, and even if a dozen similar cosplay wig commissioning businesses started up, there would still be more than enough demand to go around.  Commissioning costumes, weapons and other elements of cosplay is also a growing business with room for more.  Cosplay businesses may not pay as much as more mainstream businesses, but in return cosplay entrepreneurs get to work in a world of fans and friends, instead of a cutthroat business world, and for many that alone makes it worth it.

BONUS: an exclusive inside look at Katie Bair's Wig-Styling Work Area:

 

A. Styling products and equipment: Pomade, Styling Glue, Heat Sealers, and Wig Clamps.  I've gone through two heat sealers, and four blow dryers since I started this gig.

B. Cheap hairspray.  Lots of it.  We can easily go through a can and a half in a week.  You don't need special "wig hairspray" for wigcraft.  I just use Aqua Net.

C. Clean-up tools.  It's important to keep the cut-off wig fiber under control, or it can become a hazard.  Wig fiber on the floor is more slippery than oil.  (Imagine stepping on thousands of tiny free-rolling logs...)  Also, the super-short pieces can turn into very nasty splinters in your skin if you rub them the wrong way.

D. Safety goggles and dust masks.  When using hairspray, wig dye, spray paint, or other airborne chemicals in the quantity WE do in this studio, it's always a good idea to have some sort of mask or respirator. (Especially if you are using an airbrush or spray paint.)

E. Wig Dye: I keep my own collection of standard and custom blended colors for use on commissioned wigs.

F. Ree Ree the Mannequin.  While I don't recommend that every commissioner go out and buy a full-sized mannequin for their photography, she certainly is worth the investment.  It's much easier for customers to get an idea of what a wig will look like when they can see it on a "human" face.  (Opposed to those expressionless foam heads.)

G. Horizontal Extension Rack.  When working with loose extensions, it's very helpful to have something to drape them over that won't cause them to tangle.  I built this from pipe and fittings purchased at the hardware store.

H. The Blow dryer Cubby.  We have 10 blow dryers in service right now, two of them specifically for dreadlocks.  All are two-temperature dryers, and under $12 apiece. I tape the intake vents on the back to restrict airflow, since you don't really need the "blowing" as much as the heat.

I. Melanine Coated Craft Table.  I bought this at Home Depot for $99.  It came with a lamp and a chair.  Frankly, I just wanted the table.  (Anyone want a lamp and chair?)  We clean the surface everyday with rubbing alcohol, since that is strong enough to remove both wig dye and hairspray residue.  The melanine is especially useful for craft work, because it resists staining, and adhesive caulk can be peeled off of it with very little effort.

J. Wig Storage.  All customer wigs are labeled and left in bags until it's their turn to be styled.  The most common occupant of these drawers is the Femme Fatale style from Amphigory.com, comprising about 80% of the current stock.  The most common color is white.