SINGAPORE - Cosplay - a portmanteau of costume and play - has a lot more in common with fashion than you might think. The parallels may not be immediately apparent, but both dabble in elements of fantasy and the power of dressing up.

Both trade in the idea of becoming somebody else. In fashion, we renew ourselves every season and year with the propositions and invitations from the runway. In cosplay, you step quite literally in the shoes of another character. Both achieve this through the transformative powers of how we look: our hair, make-up and outfits.