Madame Mirage captivated me. One look at her classic beauty, dangerous curves, and ever-present air of mystery – illustrated to perfection by the talented Kenneth Rocafort – and the hook was set.

The intriguing tale woven by Batman: The Animated Series scribe Paul Dini ensured the story was as good as the scenery, and by the time I turned the last page I was consumed by thoughts of wanting more. Alas, an ongoing series wasn’t in the cards.

Naturally, I felt the best way to pay tribute to my brief tryst with the comic was through cosplay.

The costume itself was fairly simple to pull together. I purchased the dress on eBay after weeks and weeks of searching – eventually finding something suitable in an exotic dancer boutique. Go figure. To ensure modesty (and a seamless silhouette), I purchased a nude body stocking to wear underneath.

I commissioned the bolero, as I wasn’t sure enough in my sewing skills to work with such a heavy fabric in an equally difficult pattern.

I already owned the boots from my Zatanna costume, and picked up the hat from a thrift store. I attached a handful of black bows to dress up the hat and boots, and some netting to drape across my face. Lastly, I added a few metal accent pieces to a small plastic handgun I owned, before spray-painting it gold.

I finished the costume for SDCC back in 2009, but only just found time to shoot it with LJinto at NYCC 2011. We shot outside after the convention finished, finding some dark alleyways and other intriguing areas that played with shadow and light.

I’m actually very happy with how the photos turned out, but have officially categorized this costume as retired. Honestly? It’s nearly impossible to take a flattering image in. The skintight dress doesn’t allow me to properly breathe, which makes having a good time at a show difficult.

Still, I consider this costume a success! Hope you enjoy the photos!

Madame Mirage Portfolio