The Magical Land of COZ

Walk into any modern convention hall and you are bound to be hit with a wave of contemporary gaming icons and current box-office superheroes. But if you look a little closer, past the sea of modern trends, you’ll find the creators who anchor the entire subculture to its roots. They are the ones who remind us that the magic of dressing up didn't begin with the internet.

Meet Michelle Lea Cook. To her community and her followers online, she is affectionately known as Itsfiscosplay.

At 52 years old, the Clarksville, Tennessee native has been making costumes, quite literally, since before the word "cosplay" was even part of the cultural lexicon. While she has earned a stellar reputation for her stunning, vibrant take on DC's Poison Ivy, Michelle’s true superpower lies in her brilliant curation of vintage pop-culture royalty. From Jessica Rabbit to classic TV legends like Jeannie and Samantha Stephens, Michelle is on a deliberate, joyous mission to keep the golden age of entertainment flying high.

"My Aunt let me make my Halloween costume when I was four years old," Michelle smiles, recalling her very first spark of creative independence. Using items scavenged straight from her grandmother’s closet, she pieced together a charming Holly Hobbie outfit—and promptly walked away with the grand prize at a costume contest that very night.

That early taste of victory blossomed into a lifelong passion for fabric and character. For decades, Michelle became the go-to maker in her community, quietly crafting intricate costumes for her kids, her friends, and eventually, her friends' children. Fandom was simply the language of her household.

When she officially stepped into the convention circuit as an adult, she brought that lifetime of domestic engineering with her. But as she has grown older, her focus has beautifully shifted toward a specific form of community legacy. "I appreciate doing more of the classic TV shows because I like to introduce the younger generations to the characters," Michelle explains. "I like to bring a character off the screen to life for the people who love them—or haven’t discovered them yet!"

To look at Michelle’s flawlessly tailored portfolio—which spans from the glamorous lines of Marilyn Monroe and Lucille Ball to the sleek intensity of Marvel's Hela and Black Widow—it’s easy to assume the process is seamless. But behind that effortless elegance lies a deeply personal creative hurdle that many veteran makers know all too well: the trap of perfectionism.

"I can be a bit of a perfectionist," Michelle admits candidly. "I had to learn that compromises will still work. Also, when making a cosplay, it’s okay to give yourself some grace."

Learning to balance a sharp eye for detail with the reality of structural engineering has been one of her greatest lessons along the way. That hard-earned artistic maturity is exactly what gives her the courage to tackle bold, high-drama characters without a shred of hesitation. When asked what sets her apart from other creators in the over-50 community, her answer is delightfully punchy: "I’m not afraid to pick a crazy character and go for it!"

"When making a cosplay, it’s okay to give yourself some grace."

Michelle has no plans to slow down or relegate her sewing machine to the closet anytime soon. When asked how long she intends to keep walking the convention floors and embodying the characters she loves, her philosophy is beautifully unwavering: "Until I can’t."

Up next on her cutting table is a villainous masterpiece that perfectly suits her flair for theatrical vintage fashion: the one and only Cruella De Vil. It’s a project that promises to bring her signature blend of crisp tailoring and larger-than-life personality to the forefront.

Through her relentless creativity, Michelle continues to prove that age isn't a limitation in the cosplay world—it is an asset. It brings a depth of experience, a wealth of technical skill, and a vital bridge to the characters that built the foundation of modern fandom.