Thank you for visiting the CCXV Website. The convention committee is now recovering from the convention - we all worked hard to ensure that you had a great time during the weekend. After four years of planning, nail-biting and negotiations, the time has finally come and gone.
This site remains as a reference, a guide to future Costume-Cons, and a link to costume resources in the Baltimore-Washington area all rolled into one. In this site you will find the rules for all the contests, the dealers we had in our Dealer Room, who participated in our Exhibits, Doll Contest, panels and workshops, and a lot of other useful information about who we are and what this weekend was all about.
If you've never heard of Costume-Con before, don't worry - you're not alone. Costume-Cons attract participants from many areas. Quite a number of us are not professional costumers. We come from a diverse and colorful variety of areas - we are Museum Curators, Theatrical Designers, and Living History Docents, Physicists, Teachers, Computer Professionals and Doctors. We are also designers, drapers, craftspeople and actors. Some of us prefer Historical reproduction, and others of us like the originality and artistic outlet of Fantasy. We all have in common the need to share our collective experience (or just plain show our stuff off to the rest of the world). If you are new to costuming, or haven't had much experience with the art, don't worry. We were all there at some point and we each have something to contribute towards making the craft easier and more rewarding for you.
Costume-Con is not about competition, although we do provide several outlets for those who like to participate. CC's need audiences as much as we need contestants, and competition costuming is just one outlet out of many. You're not alone if you haven't planned to be on-stage. For a little more excitement (and a little less stress) you might volunteer to help out with one or more of the Masquerades, or the Single Pattern Contest/Future Fashion Show. It's a great way to see the costumes up close, and find out more about how they were done.
For those of you who have been to CC's before (I know you're here, too!); we think we put together the right combination of events, panels, workshops and demonstrations to keep you involved, learning, and active for the whole weekend. We had a lot of new people this year, and received many compliments for the convention as a whole.
And for everyone: Please try to remember that there is a world outside of your hotel room; Costume-Cons are generally held in major cities. Try to visit them once in a while. The sewing will wait! Each city has its own blend of interesting sites, shops and people outside of the convention hotel; try and take advantage of them while you're there. And above all, remember - this is supposed to be FUN! Have a blast!
Costume-Con is voted on yearly, and bid three years ahead of the event. Costume-Con 16 will be in Saint Louis, MO, 1998, Costume-Con 17 will be in Philadelphia, PA in 1999 and Costume-Con 18 will be in Los Angeles, CA in the year 2000. Costume-Con 19 (2001) is presently being bid for in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and will be voted on in Saint Louis, MO.
Check back here for further Costume-Con updates - this site will remain active for the time being, and will probably undergo several stages of reconstruction over the next few months. Thank you for visiting Costume-Con Fifteen's Website. See you soon!
Yours,
Betsy R. Marks
Chair, Costume-Con Fifteen