Dee Volpe
Cosplay Collective
DeeDee Designs
Dee is a costume designer, replicator, educator, and Cosplayer. She has been costuming for and attending conventions for over 20 years. As an artist all of her life, she became fascinated with costuming early on and developed the skills to turn her dream into a full time job. While specializing in armor and prop making, she is also a seamstress and was awarded a scholarship to Costume College West. She teaches classes on foamsmithing, thermoplastics, and general costume design. She is a mentor for local and regional Cosplayers. She has been a judge at many cosplay contests on the con circuit and local events.
Nancy Arch
Cosplay Collective
Unique for Geeks
Nancy has been Cosplaying and participating in the theatrical arts since her early years of school. She is a renowned DIY Cosplay genius, particularly within the realm of repurposing old clothes/costumes/household items for new costumes. Nancy is extraordinarily and purposefully experienced in cosplaying on a budget, ensuring that this is a hobby in which anyone can partake. She is a mentor for many Cosplayers in Middle Tennessee and the gentle guiding hand that leads newcomers to become involved in the convention and Cosplay scene. She is a master crafter, making props and unique geek and nerd-centric items for charity.
Dee and Nancy, seeing a need within our community, founded a non-profit organization: Cosplay Collective.
It is an ever-growing Middle Tennessee cosplay group with a simple mission; Using creativity to bring positivity back into our communities. Cosplay Collective consistently accomplishes this by making appearances at local hospitals, assisted living facilities, local charity events, all at no charge. Their annual holiday toy drive has raised over $8,000 in toys and donations over the last 5 years! All gifts are hand delivered to the children’s unit of Tri-Star Children’s Hospital, (a part of Centennial hospital) in Nashville, TN every winter holiday season.
Furthermore, Cosplay Collective is integral in supporting Cosplayers in several ways: they assist each individual person during the initial foray into Cosplay, consistently help teach new skills, create social events, and promote not only the Cosplay community, but positivity within. Cosplay Collective originated the ‘Cospitality Suite,’ which provides conventions an extraordinarily creative team on hand throughout the day, along with all materials needed for repairing Cosplays at no charge to the Cosplayer. They frequently host and present panels and workshops covering numerous topics, customarily moderated by Dee, while Nancy holds down the Vendor fort.