The Fifth Elemet – Leeloo cosplay tutorial.

Hi! This year I made one of my cosplay dreams come true: cosplaying as Leeloo. I’ve been wanting to do this for years!

Long time ago I saw the wonderful Jia Jem suspenders tutorial. I made mines thanks to her explanation although I eventually changed some little details: I used less amount of silicone to make them thinner and I used another kind of pigment.

Picture by JLM fotógrafo.

So let’s begin this tutorial.

I downloaded the template from Jia Jem’s site and I printed them in a reprographics shop. In the PDF it says you have to print it at 300% scale, but I used the original size and it came out perfectly from the plotter.

To make the molds, I used two insulation foam sheets. I used one sheet as a base and I cut out the shape of the suspenders in the other one. I glued them together using wood glue.

To finish the molds, I glued pvc pipes and I made the wider oval pieces for the holes.

Then it was time to cast the silicone. I used Dragon Skin® 10 slow mixed with Smooth On ignite orange pigment following the instructions. After some tests, I decided to use the slow silicone because this way it had more time to spread and get even inside the mold. I used 360g of this mix for each suspender respectively. At first they look very thin, but this silicone tends to expand when cured, so it eventually gets some nice volume.

It cured for 7 hours, then I unmolded the suspenders. I cut their ends to adapt them to my shape. It doesn’t matter if you cut it too much, because this material is very stretchy and it will fit you anyways. In fact, this template I used can be used for almost every size.

One of this material’s great advantages is that it sticks to itself using some fresh silicone. So, to join the suspenders together, I put a little amount between the edges, I pressed and let them cure for another 7 hours. I put a heavy object on it to avoid getting lumps in the visible part, though it’s pretty dificult to make it perfectly invisible.

I cut the remaining edges using a pair of scissors. And the suspenders were done!

I actually made three pairs of suspenders. The first ones came out well, but a little thicker than I’d like, the second pair came out with a lighter colour (they’re also sold)) and the third pair is the one I kept for me.

Leeloo’s clothes are very simple. I bought a shirt with that striped fabric and I altered it. It was vey difficult for me to find something similar to the original one. That fabric was impossible to find for me.

I just adjusted the waist and I altered the sleeves.

Overlock sewing machine, I love you.

I used this copper shiny stretchy pleather for the trousers. I don’t quite like this colour but I didn’t find anything better. I don’t like the nude colour for pants and other fabrics I found were too golden or too shiny.

I made a trouser pattern whithout lateral seams, so I obtained one piece for each leg. I sewed the black elastic tape using the zig-zag stitch in my sewing machine. Then I joined the pieces together. I added an elastic tape in the waist and I covered it making a black pleather belt with that big buckle.

I wanted to make her boots, but I didn’t find any clear reference. So I finally used a pair of boots I had at home. Saving money!!

Leeloo has this orange hair and some very visible blonde roots. As if she hadn’t gone to the hairdresser’s in a while. She doesn’t need it, she is perfect.

I bought a blonde wig, I styled it and I dyed it using orange permanent marker ink mixed with 70ºalcohol in a bottle. I sprayed this mix all over the wig avoiding the roots.

Afetr that, I shaped the wefts with hair gel to get this endearingly disgusting hair look.

Prueba de maquillaje absurda en pijama / Stupid make up test in my pijamas.

And, last but not least, the multipass. I made a paper stencil, I drew it on PVC foam (syntra), I cut it out with a cutter, I made a couple little details, I glued a printed ID and it was done!!