Welcome to another profile in our Star Wars Costuming Groups series. Thanks to Alea from the Imperial Outlanders for chatting to us.
About Imperial Outlanders
Who are you and what do you do?
We are a non-profit Star Wars costume club whose main goal is to build a great community of costumed fans. We do events for charity as well as events for fun to get together with our fellow troopers.
Where are you located?
We are a worldwide club. The largest of our squads is currently in the UK.
How long has the group been going?
Our group was established in early 2015.
Group History and Members
How did you start?
We started as a small community on Facebook with mostly UK-based troops. Over time, we spread out into other squads across the globe.
How many members do you have and are you looking for more?
Currently we are at 1000 members and are always welcoming more people to join our Star Wars family.
How many events do you roughly attend a year?
Events vary depending on the country where a certain squad is based. Some larger squads have approximately 5 to 10 events a year.
Events and Charity Work
Is there a particular charity that your group supports?
Our biggest charity we support currently is the University College Hospital in London.
Characters and Costumes
What characters are in your group?
Given our name, we are mostly Empire but accept all kinds of factions.
Do you have Star Wars canon/non-canon, Legends characters?
Legends characters are accepted in our group.
What entry requirements do you have?
We are a very relaxed group. There are no costume requirements for you to adhere to. We accept any level of costume, from homemade and custom characters to completely screen accurate. You also do not have to be a certain age to join our group, but note that some events may not be able to cater to younger members.
Star Wars, Cosplay and Community
What do you love about Star Wars and cosplay?
Star Wars changed the history of cinema forever and created one of the most amazing fanbases to be a part of. The story, the visuals and especially the characters just captured our imagination. Cosplay allows us to feel like we are a part of that universe and bring a little more magic into our reality.
What’s the best thing about cosplaying for charity?
When you see the looks on the kids’ faces when they see their favourite character in the flesh for the first time. It makes the long months of costume building and the pain of wearing certain costumes so worth it.
What advice can you give for people looking to join a costuming group?
Look into what groups you think would suit you best. Certain groups go for high levels of accuracy with their costumes as well as the performance that goes along with it at events. Others act more as clubs that just allow you to get together with like-minded fans.
A lot of costume groups are involved with charity work and are very open when it comes to helping you reach a level that will allow you to troop with them, so it may be a case of just finding a group somewhere local to you that meets what you are looking for.
Contact Imperial Outlanders
Where can people contact you to join or request an appearance?
Through the Contact Us page on our website or through our Facebook fan page.
Website: www.imperialoutlanders.com
Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/ImpOutlanders
Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/ImperialOutlanders
Twitter: @ImpOutlanders
If you would like us to feature your costume group, please contact us for more information here.
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