Kelsey Ryan and Jade Raza named Best in Show at Supanova Comic Con and Gaming cosplay competition

The two 25-year-olds, best friends Kelsey Ryan and Jade Raza, spent months painstakingly making their costumes.

They went as druids from multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft, Kelsey with a Heroic Tier 19 armour set and Jade sporting Tyrannical Gladiator's Dragonhide Refuge set.

The duo have been attending the Supanova exhibition at Sydney Showground for three years. They also attend various other pop culture expos, and Kelsey said this was her fifth go at making her own costume, and Jade’s sixth.

“It took me about two months to make my one, working on it fairly solidly. It took Jade about one month to make hers because we were both helping out on it. A lot of time and effort!” Kelsey said.

“All the armour is made from EVA foam, and there’s a little bit of Worbla, a thermoplastic - a hard material that’s really durable. That’s the filling part of it.”

There was also sewing involved, and a little bit of facepaint.

“This was my first time sewing something entirely by myself that was as big as this dress, with all the detailing on it,” said Kelsey.

“The only reason I know how to sew is because I needed to for cosplay - I literally taught myself to sew because I needed to for cosplay!”

Kelsey went to Bede Polding College and met Jade through their mutual interest in gaming. They also both love reading, and Kelsey writes her own books, while Jade streams her gaming and runs her own business making novelty cat and fox ears.

“All of my cosplays are from games, either League of Legends or Warcraft,” Kelsey said.

After putting all that effort into her award-winning druid costume, Kelsey is hoping to put it through its paces at the Oz Comic Con cosplay competition at Darling Harbour in September.

“But I haven’t decided yet, because it’s big and scary!” she said of the competition.

“All the best Australian cosplayers go to this comp and if you win, you could potentially go to Chicago, which is terrifying!”

Kelsey has already started working on her costume for next year’s Supanova exhibition, where she will portray a character called Irelia from League of Legends.