Meet Amanda McGinnis.
She's a community manager by day, gamer by night and the brilliant mind behind Console to Closet – a site that melds together the very separate worlds of gaming and fashion.
The idea behind Console to Closet is bit like cosplay but instead of creating an exact replica of a character’s costume, Amanda translates video game icons into fashionable outfits appropriate for every day wear. She's covered everything from Lara Croft to GLaDOS to the city of Rapture, and there's not a single outfit I wouldn't include in my own wardrobe.
Amanda was kind enough to talk with me about her inspiration, video games and what’s in store for the future of Console to Closet.
So how did you come up with the idea behind Console to Closet?
"I started Console to Closet almost two years ago. I was just messing around on Polyvore late one night, making a TON of Mass Effect outfits. I probably made 15-20, it was insane. I called my fiancé and told him about my outfits and he recommended putting them up on a blog somewhere. So the next day, I started my first Tumblr blog and put some of my favorite outfits up there. Within a few hours, I had a couple hundred followers and was so shocked that people actually enjoyed video games AND fashion. I spent the next few weeks creating lots of outfits, figuring out the site’s name, and basically got Console to Closet up and running."
What's your usual process for creating an outfit?
"I always look at what makes the character unique and try to bring in fashion trends that represent those elements. It’s definitely an art that took me a long time to perfect. I find the easiest characters are ones who are abstract, like Pokemon, because I can really run with them and have fun. The hardest ones are the characters that already look stylish, like Faith from Mirror’s Edge, because I have to re-imagine them equally as stylish but different, so it doesn’t look like a costume or cosplay. "
C2C is also open to requests - Have you ever received a request for a game you weren’t familiar with?
I frequently do requests for games that I haven’t played (I’m only human!). I usually research the game by reading up on it, looking at screenshots, playing a demo if possible - but to be honest, it usually doesn’t effect my process too much. Most of the time, I want to play the game once I’ve researched it!
Do you incorporate video games into your own everyday wardrobe?
I always buy clothing that I could wear in at least one gaming inspired outfit. I try my best to wear gaming inspired outfits as frequently as I can, but it can be difficult to do all the time. I also love gaming merch - probably half of my wardrobe is gaming merch.
The site’s anniversary is coming up this May. How has C2C changed since you started two years ago?
Console to Closet has changed so much, it’s crazy! When I first started, I had no idea what I was doing or why I was doing it. As the first year went by, I realized how important Console to Closet was to me and that I wanted to see how far I could go with it. I tried to grow the blog and have had some amazing opportunities the past year and a bit that I would’ve never thought I’d have been able to - probably the biggest one was having a panel last year at PAX East.
Do you have any big plans for C2C’s future?
Oh I definitely do! I can’t give away too much right now, but I’ve got some big YouTube things happening, I’m expanding some of the content on C2C, and will be working with some new brands and games. I’m always trying to improve the blog and can’t wait to see where it goes.
Thank you so much for your time, Amanda!
For more of Console to Closet's video game-inspired fashion, check out the site here.
