Horizon Zero Dawn - Aloy Nora Survivor Heavy Cosplay

So this idea has been in the back of my mind for the last two years now. Last year (almost to this day) I moved into a new flat in London with my partner, thinking I could get back into cosplay once and for all. I started a new job and all was looking up until Covid struck the world. I have continued to work from home all this time, which I am truly grateful for, but my mental health took a hit. Now I feel in a better head-space and want to dedicate my free time to doing something I have always loved, crafting.

So my third big cosplay will be Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn. Yup..daunting to say the least. Even more so when I've decided to go with the armour I wore in game which happens to be extremely detailed. So where do I start? As you can see from the image to the left there is a LOT going on here in this outfit. Many layers, a lot of detail and many techniques look and feel quite overwhelming. This is where my problem has been from the start. I've tried breaking it down into small chunks and then have got overwhelmed and stopped. So what have I done so far? I'd already started drafting up the pattern for the top. It's not there yet, but I know roughly how I want this to sit and look. I also have the wig and wefts ready to go which is exciting. Having short hair I never was any good with hair styling..so that will be a whole other learning process for me. What I do know if the headdress in the photo wasn't something I actually had Aloy wear on my play through, so I won't be making that. (That's one thing off the list!)

I've also looked into what weapon I wanted to make to go with this cosplay. Of course, the bow I used also happens to be pretty crazy looking so that's for another post. (It's also something I have plotted out and done some work on already so I can post this up at a later date.) Rather then make this too text heavy however, I will end this post and start my first progress one and walk through my thoughts. 1, so anyone who wants to can read it. 2, so I can keep track of everything and feel more in control of this build. I'd like to say I want this to be ready by October, but you know what? This year is probably going to be just as hard as last years, so I'm going to have fun with it and not put too much pressure on myself. Cheers for reading! - Charlotte