More fans across Australia are turning to affordable platforms like Temu to fuel their cosplay dreams.
Livia Clubb had her heart set on cosplaying Padmé Amidala.
The 22-year-old Star Wars fan from Sydney was prepping for Comic Con, where she wanted to channel the iconic senator-slash-style-icon from Attack of the Clones.
Looking for the right pieces, Clubb turned to Temu — an online marketplace with a vast range of items that has become a resource for different kinds of DIY projects. Rather than buying a pre-made costume, she built her own version from the ground up: a long skirt, shawl wrap, silver headband, and arm sleeves. The mix-and-match approach gave her more freedom to interpret Padmé’s look in her own style, and everything arrived in time from a local warehouse.
“It’s all about creating it piece by piece so that you represent the character accurately and do it justice,” she says.
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She’s far from alone. Across Australia, cosplay is booming — from major conventions like Comic Con and Supanova to local meetups and digital communities. According to recent estimates, more than 30,000 Australians actively participate in cosplay, with numbers growing each year.
Many fans, especially younger ones, are looking for ways to express themselves and bring their ideas to life. Temu has become a favourite because it offers access to a huge variety of costume pieces, props, and accessories that make it easy to experiment and create unique looks.
“It’s probably my first port of call now. It’s easy to visualise the full outfit while shopping online. And I can afford to have a range of looks for different events,” Clubb says.
For cosplayers, that flexibility matters. Whether they’re building armour for a gaming character or sourcing delicate details for a historical look, sourcing individual items can be both fun and cost-effective. Many are moving away from pre-made costumes and embracing DIY styling with affordable materials — wigs, jewellery, fabric accessories — all easy to find through platforms like Temu.
Her Padmé transformation was inspired by the character’s strength. “She’s a strong female protagonist—smart and often underestimated.” Clubb went on to say, “Padmé was a senator in the Star Wars universe, advocating for peace and doing so much for the resistance.”
As cosplay culture continues to grow, platforms like Temu are giving fans more ways to explore their creativity. She encourages fans to “focus on the fun, the details, and just getting involved in the event.”
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This article was made in partnership with Temu.
