Mirrorbright Cosplay

Daniel and Christi make up MirrorBright Cosplay, a husband and wife cosplay duo who have been creating together going on 8 years and married for 15. The couple, whose content varies through the realm of video games to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, share some insight into their most recent builds, Master Chief of Halo and Sylvie of the Disney+ Marvel show, Loki.

“I have played Halo since college and it was my favorite game for so long,” Daniel shared. “When I first discovered cosplay and saw that I could create my own costume, The Master Chief was the first one I wanted to do.”

Credit: Ryan Sims Photography

Though it was a long time coming, development on Daniel’s Master Chief build really kicked off in August of 2020 and has been a labor of love since its first completion in September of 2021, despite a pause due to moving houses. The materials involved in creating the iconic armor set Daniel put together are a mix of EVA foam and 3D printed materials. The foam mentioned is a popular, commonly used material in costume building, especially involving pieces of “armor.” The light weighted-ness of the foam makes for more comfortable wear than heavier items would normally be. It is also considered to be easier to work and build with because of its cost-effectiveness and moldable nature. Daniel also fashioned his own body under-suit with materials by Yaya Han.

Christi’s Sylvie costume includes hand-assembled fabric pieces as well. She crafted her own cloak after the character’s look and added a brilliant splash of color to the inside lining, giving contrast to the dark scheme and an extra dash of personality. The iconic broken-horned circlet that Sylvie is crowned with is a 3D printed piece in Christi’s costume, and her chest plate in EVA foam, which was patterned by creator Sayakat Cosplay.

Credit: @WorldForGwendana

Cosplay is often seen as a more involved hobby, and many creators can produce very complex works. Oftentimes, however, a cosplay can be effective in its simplicity, which is the case with MirrorBright’s Sylvie. An advantage they had for this costume’s build was the fact that “Christi’s look favors the Sylvie character,” Daniel said, “Christi even got her hair cut like her, so there was no need to wear a wig.”

With a name like MirrorBright, which is derived from the Star Wars novel “Bloodlines” and is the name of Leia Organa’s ship in said book, some of the more involved Star Wars fans might expect to see related content from the couple, and they would not be disappointed. Their love of the franchise is made very apparent in their work. Daniel has previously created a Grand Admiral Thrawn costume, complete with contoured blue face paint and red eyes, accompanied by Cristi’s black-bobbed Arihnda Pryce. The two have showcased a few more Star Wars inspired character costumes, including Mara Jade and Kylo Ren.

Credit: @ALeeStudios

Other costumes that hold a special place in the hearts of MirrorBright hail from the famed Blizzard game Overwatch. Daniel and Christi are highly recognized by many for their portrayals of the Cowboy and Ashe characters, which were also inspired by Christi’s childhood, growing up watching Westerns. Her nostalgia bled over into drive that led to becoming the outlaw-inspired character, no doubt a childhood dream-come-true.

Credit: ALeeStudios

Cosplayers like Daniel and Christi often tend to improve specific costumes over a period of time, creating a timeline of upgrades and improvements. Daniel plans to continue to evolve his Master Chief into what he plans to be a more “seamless” assembly, which includes utilizing magnets for weapon attachment and an improved chest piece using new materials.

Credit: @danielgrovephoto

What’s next for MirrorBright Cosplay? The couple doesn’t have specific plans to announce just yet, but posts regularly on social media, where their work can be followed. Daniel did provide insight into what may come soon: a return to Star Wars. Daniel and Christi can be found on Instagram @mirrorbrightcosplay.