The Junky Backstory Of A Viral Stained Glass Costume Image

I knew something was up when my inbox was flooded with variations of "Paige, check Reddit. It's Abbey." So I did. A candid photo of my 'Abbey' costume project was climbing the front page of Reddit. It wasn't passing r/wallstreetbets, but her stained glass look was definitely being seen. And talked about.

Most of the comments were variations on the imagined weight of costume, the dangers of wearing so much glass, the high cost of crafting such a complex work. And there were simply too many posts to respond with the truth. Abbey is mostly recycled plastic, paper, and garbage.

Almost all of my costume projects are constructed with thrifted cast-offs, salvage and actual trash. 'Abbey' is an illusion. She was not heavy, not dangerous, and cost less that $60 to build.

The 'stained glass' is pages from coloring books, thrifted for 25 cents each. The elaborate lantern shoulders are plastic wall decor from the 1970's. Yard sale scarves, an old prom dress and clearance tassels clothed Abbey. Dollar store earrings make up the fancy fingers. The mask, a broken yard light, plucked from the gutter. She's everything that no one wanted.

Watching this project reach new eyes through her viral spread, has been a welcome validation for what began as a cheap experiment in trompe l'oeil costuming. I hope that sharing the true junky backstory of this costume doesn't diminish any viewer's enjoyment of the image. But I do hope that knowing what's possible with recycling for cosplay, this reveal may encourage others experiment as well.

One more truth: The viral photo was from 2014. 'Abbey' was crushed in a shipping accident in 2018 (RIP). I didn't expect her to last four months, but 'Abbey' exhibited for four years. She had a good run. I've saved her parts, though. 'Abbey' will resurrect in a new form this year, a continuing testament to revision and recycling.

Who knows? Maybe one day, there will be another flurry of messages...'Paige, check your inbox. It's Abbey... She's back."

For more on recycled costume building, my junky journeys can be found @costumeartist (Instagram) and CostumeArt (Facebook).

Paige Gardner, CostumeArtist