A Little Bit About Us

What, exactly, is First Stop Cosplay all about and how did we get our name? Read on to find out!

Our Vision

Our vision in starting First Stop Cosplay is to create products that allow aspiring and existing cosplayers to make their own costumes by learning new skills and improving upon what they already know.

Behind the Name

“Several years ago, I helped one of my best friends, Jun, make her first cosplay. Whenever I could, I would try to explain to her what I was doing and teach her how to do it herself. It always caught me off guard how excited she got whenever I showed her how to do something new.

An in-progress photo of a trial run of her pleated skirt.

An in-progress photo of a trial run of her pleated skirt.

I already knew at this point that I wanted to open my own cosplay store one day. Originally, I wanted it to serve as a one-stop-shop for all things related to cosplay, and I planned to name the store ‘One Stop Cosplay.’

That all changed, however, when June put on her completed cosplay for the very first time: she saw herself in the mirror, turned around to look at me, and the pure joy on her face—the way she positively beamed—absolutely stunned me. That was the moment I realized that I don’t want to sell people cosplays; I want to help them make their own.

Jun in her finished cosplay.

Jun in her finished cosplay.

I believe that cosplay is more than just the finished costume. I believe that it is an experience, one that starts the second that someone decides on a character, and that continues long after construction on the costume has finished.

Once I realized that what I wanted to do was to find ways to help people make their own cosplay, I immediately knew that I didn’t want my future store to be any cosplayer’s only stop. Instead, I wanted it to be their starting place, the first stop among many on the road to making their cosplay by themselves. And thus, ‘One Stop Cosplay’ was changed to ‘First Stop Cosplay.

However, although First Stop Cosplay is meant to be the first stop among many, we will still gladly follow and support any and every cosplayer during the rest of their journey.”

Amanda Mari Gregory (Founder)

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