This collection was inspired by the idea of bringing cosplay to everyday life, which is one of my favorite concepts to explore as a designer. Everyone has a character or hero they look up to, that they imagine being would give them confidence and empowerment.

Modern Otaku was based off of one of my favorite anime’s Sword Art Online, where the main characters get trapped in a virtual world and the only way out is to defeat all levels of the game. They go through many trials in the two years they are stuck there and are forced to mature and find the courage to continue on so they can get back to the real world. One of anime’s greatest qualities, I feel, is despite the sometimes extreme storylines, it is always relatable and helps people to feel less alone.

With the designs in this collection I took elements from the main characters’ outfits throughout the series, which have a futuristic aesthetic. Within the silhouettes, I tried to keep them sleek and simple, putting more characteristics into the details like the buttons or fabric textures. I also wanted to keep a monotone color palette with one pop of color to use for different design details.