We had the good fortune of connecting with Clémentine Gelly and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Clémentine, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
That you should give up everything to follow your dreams. Social media is very good at spreading success stories, making many (usually younger) users think that if you really want it, it will always work out for you. The problem is that it gives you the false impression that everyone is succeeding whilst in reality you do not hear of the ones that failed.
It’s hard -even for me- to open up online about the struggles of my job, as you feel you always have to talk about the positive aspect of it to match the “social media success vibe” otherwise you will be seen as a failure.
Whilst you should definitely take risks and jump on opportunities if you think it will help your career, my personal opinion is that you have to think about the consequences, and possible back up plans first. What you see online is a mere fraction of what’s actually happening.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m not even sure it can be considered art anymore, it’s a bunch of screws taped together at this point. I’m not proud, being perpetually unsatisfied, but I am definitely excited.
I make…things. People still see me as a cosplayer, where in reality it’s not the bulk of my activity at all. I build costumes, weapons, wings, furniture, car covers, trophies…
I’m originally a physics major (equivalent of MSc, I guess), I’ve never studied anything related to art or design. I had graduated from high school at 14, was not able to pick a path, didn’t have a dream job either. I went to science (first engineering, then physics) as it was the default option. It was a bumpy road, as I kept quitting every time I had reached the end of a given period (any time I had to make a choice, basically). I left for good during my second year of master, as it represented the “end” and I had to pick a path after that (PhD or something else). Instead of finishing the year and then pausing to think about the future, I stopped everything and left.
I was already doing cosplay (dressing up as fictional characters for photos and events) at this time, and it took me two years to give full-time costuming a go, at a time where I had came back to my family’s place and had nothing to lose. I ended up going back to university 4 years later to complete my master degree as I felt like I had unfinished business dragging me down.
I didn’t earn anything for a while, which is the issue with custom commissions. Everything is new. You have to make new patterns, often learn new techniques, get new materials. If I actually calculated how much time and money it represents, it’s way over what I felt comfortable asking for. This is particularly true in the modern world where everything is mass produced and accessible for cheap somewhere, an people do not understand “why it costs so much, it’s just a costume”.
Payment barely covered materials, but I did learn new things. Then I switched to professional commissions only (music/film/event productions, game companies…) for several reasons. First of all, copyright. If you are known for cosplay, your main clients will be cosplayers as well, and they will usually ask for the outfit of licensed characters, which do not belong to me. Secondly, variety. Everything I’ve done since then has been insane, projects are wild. I also feel like I’m a part of something bigger: there is a crew, sometimes events or film where your creation can shine in an actual context.
A common misconception is that bigger companies have bigger budgets. Well, they do, but not for you. There can be a ton of money, not allocated to this particular project, or my particular field. This may change. If your proposal is very interesting, but out of the budget, it is possible that the pool might be increased. However, it takes time.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have no idea, it would depend on where they are from and what their interests are. In reality, I’m self-employed, there is no way I would have a whole free week. Most of my outdoors visits are to the hardware store…
If they were from another area, I would bring them to the ports (in Marseille and nearby cities) and the Calanques. If they were into motorsports, we would go to the Paul Ricard circuit. If they were into walking, we would go to the Massif de l’Etoile. If they were into cinema, I would show them the film studios in Martigues. If particular ships were currently in the port, I would show them and bring them on board when it’s possible. We could go to the Frioul islands as well.
This probably makes zero sense to someone who is not from this region. I would also be a very boring guide, as my whole life is dedicated to my job (not necessarily an example to follow). The actual tour would be hardware store -paint store – fabric store. This does not have to be interesting, I move all around town (industrial zone, historical centre, ports…) when I’m looking for materials, so they would definitely discover the actual face of this city.
If they had the time, we would also go around Cannes (where my family is) and Monaco if they have the motivation.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to introduce madsfive, who I was originally following online for her cosplay armours. This is a direct consequence of my comment on the rose-coloured glasses of social media. She seemed untouchable to me. I didn’t know anything about her life, if cosplay was her actual job, didn’t even know she lived in the same country as I did. She intimidated me as well (most people in my field do in any case…)
Our paths ended up crossing, on a photoshoot. Then I saw her lose her job, give full-time cosplay a go, work day and night on patterns and tutorials. When I say “I saw”, I don’t mean I was a physical witness of it, or that it was a private conversation, as we don’t really know each other. All this, the struggles, the reality of it, was public online, and this is what impresses me.
Website: https://arborealkey.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arborealkey/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cl%C3%A9mentine-varenio-gelly-ab603a113/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/arborealkey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arborealkey
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrUG7zicPTyfvOF7qjHah1g
Other: contact@arborealkey.com is my main address! Current portfolio is here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i1C9Wm1fLrxYXkBNe6yf3bF4qu63SSui/view?usp=drive_link
Image Credits
All photos by DrSparkeor, except for the far left photo on the portfolio cover, which is by DrCassbul.