Whether you’re hand-stitching a historically accurate Regency gown, foam-crafting sci-fi armor in your garage, or figuring out how to make anime wig spikes defy gravity, you’ve found your people.
The Australian Costumers Guild is a community of makers, creators, and enthusiasts who share one thing in common: we love making and wearing costumes. From the elaborate to the everyday, from painstaking historical reproductions to imaginative fantasy creations, we celebrate all forms of costuming as the art form it truly is.
Who We Are
We’re a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging the development of costuming skills and sharing knowledge across every aspect of costume design, construction, and care. Founded in Melbourne during the mid-1990s by a group of costumers who wanted to formalize their costumed socializing, we’ve grown into a national community with members across Australia.
Our members are as diverse as their costume interests. You’ll find:
- Historical re-enactors recreating everything from ancient Rome to colonial Australia
- Cosplayers bringing anime, manga, and video game characters to life
- Science fiction and fantasy fans creating worlds from their favourite books and films
- Theatre costumers (professional and community)
- Fashion designers and dressmakers
- Prop makers and armor crafters
- People who just really enjoy making things and meeting others who understand why you’d spend six months on a single costume
What unites us isn’t a specific period or genre – it’s the love of the craft and the joy of creation.
What We Do
Share Knowledge
Costuming can be a solitary hobby. You’re in your workshop at midnight, fighting with a pattern that won’t cooperate, googling “how to attach boning without it poking through” for the third time. We’ve all been there, and we’ve all learned things the hard way that could save you hours of frustration.
Through our online forums, local meetups, and workshops, we connect costumers so you can learn from others’ experiences. Need to know the best Australian suppliers for specific materials? Want feedback on your work-in-progress? Trying to figure out how to transport a costume with a 2-meter wingspan to a convention? Someone in the Guild has probably dealt with exactly that problem.
Build Community
Costuming is more fun with friends. Our state chapters organize regular events – workshops on specific techniques, casual sewing meetups, themed photo shoots, and social gatherings where you can wear that costume you spent months creating and everyone will genuinely appreciate the work that went into it.
We attend conventions across Australia – from Supanova and Armageddon to smaller regional events – where you’ll spot Guild members both in costume and helping out at information booths. The costuming community is remarkably supportive, and the Guild fosters that spirit of encouragement and mutual assistance.
Host Events
Our flagship event is the National Ball, held annually and hosted by different state chapters. This is costuming’s night to shine – an evening where everyone brings their absolute best work, from historically accurate period pieces to stunning fantasy creations. It’s competition, celebration, and inspiration all rolled into one elegant event.
Beyond the Ball, chapters run their own events suited to local interests. Quiz nights, movie premieres, historical society collaborations, craft fairs, and convention appearances all bring the costuming community together.
Preserve and Promote
We believe costuming is an art form worthy of recognition. Through our events, our online presence, and our participation in the broader community, we work to promote costuming as a legitimate creative pursuit requiring real skill, dedication, and artistic vision.
We also preserve the history of costuming in Australia through documentation, photography, and maintaining connections with the international costuming community. The International Costumers’ Guild recognizes the value of this work globally, and we’re proud to be part of that larger conversation about costume as art.
Our Chapters
The Guild has a presence across Australia, with active chapters in:
- South Australia – Where our current national coordination is based
- Queensland – Active costuming scene with strong convention presence
- Victoria – Where it all began, still going strong
- New South Wales – Growing community in Sydney and surrounds
- Australian Capital Territory – Smaller but enthusiastic group
- Tasmania – Island costumers representing
Each chapter has its own character and runs events suited to local members’ interests. You don’t need to live near a major city to be involved – our online community connects members regardless of location.
Who Can Join?
Everyone. Seriously.
You don’t need to be an expert seamstress or have years of experience. You don’t need expensive equipment or a dedicated workshop. You don’t need to have won competitions or created museum-quality reproductions.
If you’re interested in costumes – making them, wearing them, learning about them – you’re welcome here. We have members who are absolute beginners asking basic questions, and members who’ve been costuming for decades with professional skills. Both are equally valued.
The Guild welcomes:
- All skill levels from complete novice to master craftsperson
- All costume genres and periods
- All ages (with appropriate supervision for young members at events)
- Professional costumers and dedicated hobbyists
- People who costume frequently and those who work on one piece a year
- Members who primarily create and those who primarily research
- Anyone with respect for the craft and willingness to learn
Our Values
Inclusivity: Costuming should be accessible to everyone. We support costumers of all backgrounds, abilities, body types, and experience levels. Your identity, budget, or physical capabilities don’t limit your right to create and wear costumes.
Respect: We respect the work others put into their costumes, the research behind historical pieces, the creativity in original designs, and the personal journey everyone takes in developing their skills.
Knowledge Sharing: Information shouldn’t be gatekept. We believe in generously sharing what we’ve learned, crediting our sources, and helping others avoid the mistakes we’ve made.
Authenticity: Whether you’re creating historically accurate pieces or pure fantasy, we value authentic effort and genuine passion over perfection. We celebrate work-in-progress and learning processes, not just finished masterpieces.
Community Support: Costuming can be competitive, but it doesn’t have to be cutthroat. We support each other, celebrate others’ successes, and offer help when someone’s struggling.
Getting Involved
Joining the Guild opens doors to a supportive community of fellow creators. Membership benefits include:
- Access to member forums and online discussions
- Invitations to chapter events and workshops
- Eligibility for Guild-specific competitions and awards
- Subscription to our newsletter with tutorials, member spotlights, and event information
- Connections with costumers across Australia and internationally
- Support for your costuming journey, whatever direction it takes
Visit our membership page to join, or contact your local chapter coordinator to learn more about what’s happening in your area.
Not ready to join yet? That’s fine too. Follow us on social media, attend events as a guest, and get a feel for the community. We’ll be here when you’re ready.
Our History
The Australian Costumers Guild started in Melbourne during the mid-1990s when a group of costumers decided to formalize their regular costumed gatherings. In those pre-internet days, spreading the word meant attending conventions – primarily science fiction events throughout Victoria – and personally connecting with other costumers.
Membership grew and waned through the late 1990s and early 2000s, as social groups do. A major boost came in 2002 when the Guild successfully lobbied to host the World Costume Con – the first time this international event had been held outside the USA. The interest generated by hosting this prestigious event energized the Australian costuming community.
In 2004, the national committee moved to Adelaide, bringing fresh energy and a commitment to building chapters across Australia. The creation of online forums in 2005 revolutionized how members could connect, share knowledge, and support each other regardless of geographic distance.
Today, we’re a truly national organization with active members in every state and territory. We’ve weathered changes in technology, convention scenes, and costuming trends, but our core mission remains unchanged: bringing together people who love creating and wearing costumes.
Looking Forward
The Australian costuming community continues to grow and evolve. New techniques, materials, and technologies expand what’s possible. Conventions grow larger and more numerous. Historical research becomes more accessible. Online communities connect costumers globally.
Through all these changes, the Guild remains committed to supporting costume creators at every level. We’re building resources, strengthening connections between chapters, and working to make costuming more accessible and recognized as the legitimate art form it is.
We’re excited about the future of costuming in Australia, and we’d love for you to be part of it.