Costume Competition

WHERE

​Costumiers' Fantasy Masquerade Ball 2025
Millennium Hotel, Rotorua, New Zealand

WHEN

​Judging One :  Creatures of Atlantis
Friday 4 July 2025 - EVENING

Judging Two :  Fantasy Masquerade Ball 
Saturday 5 July 2025 - EVENING

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

To register & enter this competition you must hold tickets for the event / night for which you are wishing to compete. 

Costumes must be at least 60% self-made/constructed by entrant/wearer. 

In the case of a couple or group all costumes must be at least 60% self-made/constructed by at least one person in the group. 

If parts of your costume/s have been made by anyone outside of those entering, you must declare this on your competition form.

PRIZES & CATEGORIES

The prizes and categories will be decided / allocated by the judges, based on best fit..  Prizes and awards list above may change without notice, with new categories or prizes added and/or changed

​WISH TO SPONSOR A PRIZE ?
Email Rozanne at Costumiers NZ Charitable Trust

REGISTRATION

2025 entries now open

Only limited number of entry places available per event.
Register early to avoid missing out.
Entries close two weeks prior to the event OR once spaces have been filled.

You don't need to have finished the costume/s to enter but you will need to have a good idea of what and how you are going to make it to describe this to us on the form.

You will be advised of your evening interview / judging time via email at least one week prior to the event.

JUDGING

Make sure you are at the judging area on the evening at least 10 minutes prior to your interview time.

The interview is a chance for the judge to meet you for a quick and casual chat, and gives the judge an opportunity to get up close and look over your costume and/or accessories. 

​Judging locations
Friday - Millennium Computer Suite
Saturday - Millennium Computer Suite

WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT

Winners for the Friday and Saturday evening will be announced as follows: 

Friday - at 10.30pm at the main pool area 

Saturday - at 11pm in the main foyer 

Supreme Winner will be announced on Saturday evening

USE OF IMAGES

By entering this competition, you permit your images taken on the evening to be used without limitation for any marketing, social media, advertising, web or wherever seen fit by the organisers and sponsors.

SHAE COOK

Shae has been working as a professional costumier for just over a decade, creating and managing costumes and props for everything from stage performances to film and tv, and even live action events and historic re-enactment.

She started her costume journey making her own cosplays and medieval costume for re-enactment and LARP, but very quickly discovered an affinity for multimedia textiles, working for a time guiding costume development for experimental performances with the NZ Ballet, which in turn led to a short stint with Weta Workshops stage production division where she truly discovered a love for designing and crafting with leather and mixed medias to create niche fantasy and medieval armoring and costume.

From there, she made her foray into armory and costume for film and screen and is now director of Wildhart Workshop in the mighty Waikato, providing design, creation and resources for all things (and all facets) of costume for stage, film, festivals and real life. She has a huge wealth of knowledge when it comes to all the nitty gritty details that go into designing and making your amazing costumes and can’t wait to see you all in the judging room.

FIONA TARLTON

Returning for her fourth year as judge for the Groove DJ's Costume Competition, Fiona brings to this event her years of costume and judging experience, including

Oamaru’s Victorian Fete’s Best Dressed 2018

Miss Rotorua for 3 years

NZ Beard & Moustache Contest 2019.

As the daughter of Kelly Tarlton, Fiona continues her father’s legacy of Scuba Diving and Marine Conservation. She is an Ambassador for the Endangered Species Foundation of NZ.

Fiona is an adventurer with a life of diverse, exciting experiences