Alena has been a Methos fangirl since she watched Highlander as a teenager in the 1990s (which is 100% credited to the Queen theme music). Unfortunately, a character whose wardrobe consists entirely of shapeless sweaters, ill-fitting coats and one notorious pair of red slacks leaves little room for recognizable cosplay. The only really distinctive costume Methos gets in the whole series is his Death persona, shown only briefly in flashbacks with the Four Horsemen. And it includes that godawful wig they put on Peter Wingfield’s head (WHY??).
Matching the coarse wool material from the screen costume proved a challenge, so there was plenty of inventive substitution. Base clothing is a linen blend; cloak, cowl and hood are upholstery chenille; armor is flooring vinyl, treated with several kinds of paint and distressed to look like aged leather; bracers are faux leather with metal studs; mask is thermoformed EVA foam with varnish and paint; and the hideous Bronze Age mullet was recycled from a damaged wig discarded by a local theatre. The costume also incorporates dismantled earrings, the lids of French onion dip cans, a de-blingified thrift store belt buckle, and an old purse converted to a belt pouch (for carrying phone and wallet).
Unfortunately, it’s not a costume that gets recognized. In fact, in all its outings to nerd conventions, only two people so far have known the character (though periodically someone asks if it’s Rule 63 William Wallace…). O_o
Characters
- Alena as Methos
