Croft Couture #9: Jessie TR
The Tomb Raider fandom is full of talented artists, entertainers, and perhaps most notably, phenomenal cosplay talent. “Croft Couture” aims to showcase these lovely and dedicated ladies, and give Lara costumers a spot to share their experiences while dressed as gaming’s leading lady.
Jessie’s fandom shines through in all of her Lara Croft cosplay photos, and as she represents Lara in costume at conventions throughout Brazil. As with most Lara cosplayers, Croft inspired Jessie to challenge herself with more adventurous activities, and to get in shape! Check out Jessie’s photos above, and interview below.
Fast Stats
- Name: Jessie TR
- Country: Brazil
- Occupation: Secretary & Translator
- Fan Since: 2001
- Favorite Tomb Raider Game: Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
- Favorite Non-Lara Tomb Raider Character: Doppelganger
- Favorite Tomb Raider Villain: Natla
- Number of Lara Croft Costumes: 10
- First Lara Croft Cosplay: Tomb Raider: Underworld (Shorts)
- Favorite Lara Croft Cosplay: Underworld Shorts
- Future Lara Croft Cosplay: I have five to finish, but the next will be the TRU wetsuit!
Website | DeviantArt | Facebook
What first drew you to the Tomb Raider franchise, and what initially inspired you to cosplay as Lara Croft?
The news about the Tomb Raider movie made me curious about the game, and when I found a demo on an old CD for PC I finally meet Lara. I guess that everyone knows the expression “love at the first sight,” Which was exactly what happened to me! When I was falling in love with the game I started to look for information, and I also found lots of pictures of girls dressed as Lara. At that time I didn’t know what it was, but at that moment I wanted to cosplay Lara Croft! I always wanted to become her and this was that hobby that would make my dream come true. I start to look for information about the cosplay in my country to know if it would be possible to realize, and then started to think about what to do. I let time pass so my hair could grow together with my courage.
What Lara Croft costume did you tackle first?
Tomb Raider Underworld (shorts). I chose this one because I really like it, and also I was playing TRU at that time!
What is your favorite Lara Croft ensemble?
I love the TRU costume because it makes me feel more like Lara, maybe because it was my first costume.
What Croft costumes are still on your roster?
All that I didn’t make yet! I’m about to finish the TRU wetsuit, but I really want to finish the classic one and also the catsuit
Which Lara costume was the most difficult to construct? Was it due to a particular garment or prop?
Tomb Raider Underworld for sure! It wasn’t just because of the props itself, it was also because I didn’t know how to sew and even how I would make all that stuff – that’s why I had some help for the sewing part. I like to say that there was a Jessica before and after the TRU costume, because I learned so much that now I make all my costumes by myself (even sewing by hand).
Lara Croft’s lifestyle is full of intrigue and adventure. Do you have any memorable photoshoots or convention appearances that pay tribute to Lara’s lifestyle?
Intrigue! Yes, it’s always present! But lets talk about better things…My first photoshoot was at an art school/park in Rio de Janeiro, it is just below the Redentor Christ. We chose the location to get some of the original jungle of our city, and there I saw some wild animals like apes, and we entered an amazing cave that I would never imagine existed! That was, for me, a little bit of Lara’s adventure feeling….The discovery! Also, once at a game convention, I was walking dressed like Lara and suddenly a young girl stopped in front of me and wasn’t even breathing. She was a big fan of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider games, and she was almost crying and her hands were shaking as she came to take a picture with me. That was amazing for me! It showed me that I was on the right track, not just the cosplay itself, but that I had become Lara in essence.
Along the same lines, what’s the most exotic location you’ve traveled to?
Once I went to Fortaleza, another state in Brazil, and there were amazing beaches and historical places. But I just stayed there for a few days, so I couldn’t explore too much.
What about Lara’s physical strength or mental prowess most inspires you? Has this, or your desire to cosplay Lara, influenced your daily life?
Lara is the most amazing woman I’ve ever met! She is smart, strong, and sexy, what more can I say? She does things that I always wanted to do…travel the world, speak lots of languages, find relics, and discover new and magical places! For sure something that was a child dream for me is speaking all the languages of the world, so when I was visiting a country I could speak their own language. So today I’m finishing college and the course I’m making is Languages – it’s just the first step to keep learning other languages.
Also, Lara was one of my inspirations for lose weight. In my teenage years I was an overweight girl and didn’t have many healthy habits. Admiring Lara inspired me to go to the gym, play sports, and eat better. It wasn’t the body that I was looking to achieve, but was a healthy life! The body was just an amazing consequence!
Photos by Luíza Carmelo
