Hi! My Name is Dayna, and I create cosplays, costumes and props. Since I was a little girl I have had a love for dress up, making many costumes from a young age with my sister and grandmother. I am very interested in video games and films because fantasy has always been a passion of mine. I am a huge Lord of The Rings fan (tattoo included), and have spent many hours playing games like the Legend of Zelda series. I am currently a university student in Toronto studying media business, and I hope to get a marketing job, particularly in the gaming industry. Cosplay was introduced to me for the first time when I attended Anime North 2014, my first convention, with a group of friends from my high school. Earlier in the year my friend and I had dressed up as characters from Adventure Time and I decided to wear my Fiona cosplay (which had been thrown together in one night my my mother and I). I had no props and the costume was not very accurate but people came up to me all day anyways! I made so many friends on that trip and it was from that moment I fell in love with conventions and cosplay. Throughout high school I was a 'drama kid', directing several plays and musicals and competing in national Improv competitions for three years. I made many of the costumes featured in my plays and applied special effects/stage makeup to my actors as well. That time was very important to me because it helped me break out of my shell and become a very outgoing person. This would later be very helpful as I stepped deeping into cosplay and learned to become my character. As a child and a teenager I was definitely a geek and a tomboy. I identified a lot with characters from my favorite video games and idolized Jade from the game 'Beyond Good and Evil'. I spent a lot of time writing stories of all genres, but I especially liked to write about fantasy worlds and horror. As I grew up my creativity did too, I started experimenting with makeup and dying my hair. It was around this time that I started hand sewing my own clothes and even halloween costumes, two of which one 'best costume' at my high school. I have always been a very creative person.
I attend as many conventions as possible in the GTA, and as a relatively new cosplayer on the scene it excites me so much to meet people who enjoy and support my work. I have a dream of working with Worbla and crafting bigger and better armour and prop pieces, making more impressive and accurate cosplays.
"I started going to conventions and cosplaying because of Dayna! She is always full of energy and excitement about creating new and unique cosplays. I have seen her grow as an amazing creator and entrepreneur for the past three or four years that I have worked alongside her. Dayna continues to impress and amaze everyone who works with her or sees her cosplays. She is constantly coming up with new, and creative solutions to improve her craft and is always willing to help those who ask for tips and tricks to help with their own projects. Dayna inspires me to be a better cosplayer, not just in the craftsmanship, but also in how easily and flawlessly she manages her social media and networking. She effortlessly keeps her viewers and followers engaged and excited about her work and her upcoming projects by posting about her progress and involving the audience in the development and creation of her cosplays. Everyone who works with Dayna loves working with her because she is professional, engaging, and always has an amazing cosplay for people to see and enjoy." -Faraway Cosplay
Faraway Cosplay
In recent years I have become much more involved in the cosplay community. I have attended over 30 conventions since my start in 2014 and every time I strive to bring a bigger and better cosplay. I rarely re-wear a costume and I always have a project on the go. As I enter my 20's, my cosplay style has matured and I find myself gravitating towards costumes that are more challenging. I enjoy constructing armour in particular and I will continue to push myself with every build. I hope to improve my sewing abilities and one day offer commissions for that aswell. My involvement in the community has given me many opportunities to teach and learn. I have done multiple interviews on my thought and experienced making and wearing cosplay, and have been honored to be covered by a few journalists and news broadcasts for my work. The latest edition to my cosplay resume is my brand new, shiney spot on the Share My Cosplay Street Team! I will be working with SMC to interview cosplayers, cover convention events and share my growth as a cosplayer. This is a very exciting opportunity and I encourage you to follow my journey on Share My Cosplay's social accounts.
About Me
Reviews and Testimonials
Above is a photo of my certificate and ribbon (now placed proudly in the center of the family fridge) that I received for my Darius (League of Legends) armour build. This award was given to me at Toronto Comicon 2017. This was my fourth cosplay of my own design based off a character and my 16th League of Legends cosplay! I am excited to design more armour builds and bring them to life to more conventions in 2017.
"I’ve been shooting conventions with Dayna for about 3 years fairly seriously. I met Dayna at Fan Expo Canada about 3 years ago. Since that time Dayna’s cosplay has gotten increasingly more detailed and complex. She has graduated from basic clothing style cosplay to well-formed armor using EVA foam and Worbla. The level of detail in her costumes has increased significantly. Her makeup is also done very well. With larger sensors on the cameras they show all of the small details and there is rarely any touch up that needs to be done with Dayna’s makeup. Shoots with Dayna is always a treat. She has a great attitude and she has fun with the character and her friends. She only takes on a serious look for the photos when needed and other than that is relaxed and smiling. As noted above her costuming is expert level. Her makeup is masterful. Her creation of props is very good and having her friends surround her makes the photo shoot a more enjoyable experience for both the photographers and I believe for her. The end result of the photos is always positive and I’m always more critical of my execution than her delivery of the character."
-KJ Burke of OOC Photography
"I met Dayna at Fan Expo 2015 for the first time and I found her so lovely, we had our first photoshoot there and it was pretty good. We started doing more stuff together at conventions, and got to know her better, we became friends. She is very driven and she's very talented in crafting armor and weapons that are related to a particular cosplay. She is very good at modeling, never had a problem with her, she's also very patient with me and always available if i want to shoot. "
-Joseph Manfredi of Joe's Garage Photography
"Working with Dayna simply put, is awesome. She puts a lot of time and effort into creating such amazing costumes which I’m excited to see when they’re finished. We’ve worked a lot together over the past year or so. Every time I’ve photographed her she’s been ready with a new pose in an instant. If any adjustments while shooting is needed she’s really co-operative and super great about it. I really like working with Dayna because it’s always fun to do so. I can’t wait to see what designs she comes up with next. I’m for sure going to be photographing that."
-Nigel Murray Photography