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| Alodia Gosiengfiao |
Alodia Gosiengfiao : Cosplay Goddess~
Alodia Almira Arraiza Gosiengfiao (born March 9, 1988 in Quezon City, Philippines) is a Filipina cosplayer model and artist. She graduated in 2009 from Ateneo de Manila University with a BFA Information Design Degree. She has been called the "Cosplay Queen" of the Philippines and recognized for contributing toward raising the profile of cosplay.
She started cosplaying in 2003 at the age of 15 by joining various competitions in Metro Manila. Her popularity began in 2003 when she won in an event called the C3 Convention in 2003 as Gun Mage Rikku of FFX-2. Since then, she cosplayed over 40 anime, video game and movie titles, appearing in various local and international conventions as a participant, performer, judge or as a guest.
Her remarkable achievements in the cosplay community led her way to be recognized by various companies in the Philippines and hired her to endorse their products and services. She is one of the Ambassador and VJ For Animax-Asia known as the "Ani-mates", and the co-host of ABS-CBN's prank show called Laugh Out Loud. She also has been featured in various magazines, newspaper and TV shows locally and abroad.
Gosiengfiao also appeared on the Philippine FHM 100 Sexiest Women poll, ranking #87 in 2009 and #76 in 2010. She was named by UNO Magazine as one of the Most Influential Women in the Philippines.
In addition to her cosplay activities, for which she is most known, Gosiengfiao is also a blogger, performer, pianist, figure collector and BJD enthusiast.
Personal Life
Alodia Gosiengfiao lives in Quezon City and is fond of art, fashion, video games, photography, collecting toys and figures, gadgets and playing the piano. Her name was taken by her mother in a name book, Alodia means "love" and Almira means "princess". She is of Filipino, Chinese andSpanish descent, her father is a Filipino-Chinese while her mother is Filipino-Spanish. Her parents are Mariglor and Ed Gosiengfiao and she has a younger sister, Ashley Gosiengfiao, who is a professional cosplayer and model as well.
Gosiengfiao attended Assumption College (Makati) from pre-school to Grade 2; Miriam College from Grade 3 to 4th Yr High School and Ateneo de Manila University, where she graduated year 2009 with a BFA Information Design degree. As a High school student, she was a member of the Miriam College High School Pep squad. She also works on art commissions for international clients, illustrating both digital and traditional artworks.
Career
Gosiengfiao became involved in cosplay after contact with other anime and video game enthusiasts in an internet fan forum called Animé Club. Encouraged by her friends from the forum, she started cosplaying in 2003 at the age of 15, joining various competitions in Metro Manila. Her first cosplayed character was a Priestess from Ragnarok Online at Ragnalaunch in Glorietta. She began to attract attention when she won 3rd place in the 2003 C3 Convention as Gun Mage Rikku of Final Fantasy X-2. This led to her and her younger sister Ashley Gosiengfiao being featured on the cover of Issue 14 of Culture Crash Magazine, a Manga Magazine in the Philippines. Since then, she cosplayed a series of characters from over 40 anime, movie and video game titles including Witchblade, G.I. Joe, K-On!, Paradise Kiss, Evangelion, Final Fantasy X-2. As a multi-awarded cosplayer, she is now being invited to appear at conventions or to judge competitions locally and abroad. She started judging at the age of 18.
International Appearances
Due to her constant contribution to the cosplay community in the Philippines, Gosiengfiao has been invited into various international cosplay conventions and events as a participant, performer, judge or simply to attend as a guest. In November 2009 at Suntec Convention Hall in Singapore, Gosiengfiao, together with her younger sister Ashley, represented the Philippines as one of the finalist for theAnime Festival Asia Regional Cosplay Championship. Alodia and Ashley cosplayed as Masane Amaha and Shiori Tsuzuki from the Witchblade anime.
On July 3, 2010, Singapore, Alodia and Ashley Gosiengfiao were invited by the Mascot Parade supported by the Singapore Government to judge the cosplay competition. They both cosplayed characters from the romantic anime series Paradise Kiss. In addition to judging the cosplay competition, Alodia and Ashley also performed two songs on stage: Lonely in Gorgeous from Paradise Kiss, and Real Emotion from the hit Japanese roleplaying game Final Fantasy X-2. Animax also held "Meet and greet" sessions with Alodia in Camp Pong for Singaporean anime and cosplay enthusiasts.
On July 21–24, 2010, Gosiengfiao attended the annual San Diego Comic-Con for a cosplay gathering at Kotobukiya booth. She landed a big role in the San Diego Comic-Con documentary directed byMorgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) and produced by Legendary Pictures. The documentary team followed 5 different people from around the world to document what they did at the San Diego Comic Convention in the US - line up includes an artist, comic book enthusiast, cosplayer, etc. Part of the team was Stan Lee, the father of Marvel Comics. This led to a meeting with Legendary PicturesCEO/founder Thomas Tull and VP Alex Garcia, regarding their new upcoming movie called Warcraft. After this meeting,Gosiengfiao was featured in a very popular US-based website Kotaku. Blizzard Entertainment, maker of Warcraft, got in touch with Alodia regarding business and an endorsement deal for their new game, Star Craft 2. She also won the "Hall Costume Award", an award given by the Costume Designers Guild to convention members who wear exceptional get-ups inside the venue.
On October 31, 2010, Gosiengfiao together with Animax and Hong Kong Tourism Board held an event "Hong Kong Halloween Treats Party". Hong Kong Halloween Treats Party is the culmination of a one-and-a-half-month long campaign by Hong Kong Tourism Board and Animax to promote Hong Kong across South-East Asia as the dream Halloween destination. Cosplayers from all over Asia gathered to celebrate the event.
On November 13, 2010, Alodia was back again in Singapore for the Animé Festival Asia 2010 in Suntec Convention Hall, this time she was invited as a Celebrity Judge for the AFA Regional Cosplay Championship. The same event Alodia and Ashley attended as a finalist and representative of the Philippines way back 2009. Gosiengfiao graced the event along with the Japanese celebrity guests namely Danny Choo, Ichirou Mizuki, May'n, SCANDAL, JAM Project, Angela, Kana Hanazawa, Milky Holmes and the Cosplayers Kaname and Aira.
On November 27, 2010, Gosiengfiao’s Rei Ayanami Grimrock version cosplay made its first appearance at the 2010 Supanova Pop Culture Expo in Brisbane Australia, she was invited to guest judge the Madman National Cosplay Championship as part of the Supanova Cosplay Festival.
SOURCE :
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