I had the great pleasure of interviewing Australian Cosplayer Twerkin Gherkin, with over 10 years of cosplaying, she describes herself as a Bee lover and Big Ol' Nerd on TikTok. Twerkin Gherkin always strives to be accurate to the characters as possible and other than cosplaying she likes wig styling, embroidery and enjoys fire twirling.
Twerkin Gherkin - Photography by Shutter Light Photography
Hope you enjoy the interview.
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What inspired you to become a cosplayer?
I grew up obsessed with Hamtaro, Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball. While my mum and I were on an outing there must have been a convention on, I saw the most beautiful Sailor Moon cosplayer and knew that I wanted to be like her.
How long have you been doing this?
I started cosplaying back in 2011. So 11 years now!
How many characters do you cosplay and which is your favourite?
Oh my gosh.. so a few years ago I worked out that I'd done 70 costumes then, so...probably around 90 by now..? Character-wise I've done a few different versions of Harley Quinn so I think it's safe to say she's a favourite!
What inspires you to cosplay a certain character?
It's never just one reason, for me anyway. Most of the time it's because I adore the characters, however, if they have a cool costume then it's also a good reason. Sometimes it's just because my friends are dressing from the same series and I want to match them.
Tinkerbell Cosplay
Any character(s) you love to cosplay in the future?
Yes! I'm currently working on Howl and Sophie from Howls Moving Castle. I've wanted to me these ones for a very long time now.
What’s your favourite part about putting on your cosplay?
I love seeing the effort and work I've put into the outfits finally worn, seeing the pieces all together and what I've worked towards is such a great feeling.
Are your costumes an exact match to the character, or do you add your own interpretations?
I personally like making my costumes close to their source materials, however, I have a bit of fun with the fabric choices to add a little personal flair.
Photograph by Tashie Lee
Do you make your own, commission or purchase the costumes?
There used to be a big stigma in the cosplay community where "you weren't a real cosplayer" if you didn't make your costumes so I started with that mindset, I also adore sewing and styling wigs so try to do as much as I can by myself, but if I'm able to find the costume pieces work out cheaper or I'm in a time pinch I'll then buy the costume.
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If you can cosplay anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I'd love to visit an American convention like Katsucon someday!
Any cosplayers you admire?
There are so many, that I couldn't possibly name them all, but the cosplayer I've admired for the longest is Yaya Han.
Besides cosplaying, what are some other hobbies you have?
I really enjoy learning, with cosplay I have learnt heaps of skills and from that, I guess they're little branches of hobbies, like wig styling and embroidery. Unrelated to cosplaying I enjoy fire twirling.
Is cosplay a hobby or do you see it as a career?
Personally, I've made some money from cosplay, but ultimately I want to keep it purely as a hobby and escape.
What advice would you give a beginner cosplayer?
Have fun! There are so many different ways to cosplay, as long as you're having a good time doing it, don't worry about what anyone else says
You can find more of Twerkin Gherkin's cosplay journey on her socials:
I would love to thank Twerkin Gherkin for graciously giving her time for this interview for our little blog MovieRepliCars.net
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