Interview with Katy Cartee Haile, Rainbow Brite Webmaster and Cosplayer

1: You have one of the oldest Rainbow Brite sites online, and have dressed as the character on multiple occasions. What is your first memory of your Rainbow Brite Costume?

Katy: I dressed as Rainbow Brite for the first time in 1985. I wore the costume for two costume contests (both of which I won prizes in), for my 6th birthday party (a Halloween party) and for Halloween that year. I absolutely loved it!

2: Who made it?

Katy: My mom.

3: Why was it made?

Katy: Halloween

4: How did it feel?

Katy: It felt great! The wig did itch a bit though.

5: Is there anything in particular you remember about the costume?

Katy: I loved the shiny material that was used on parts of it.

6: Your most resent costume was created by jADE at “ZapFashions“. You, however made the belt. How did the design of this costume come about?

Katy: I had an idea in my head of how I wanted the costume to look. I’m a terrible artist, but went ahead and drew a sketch of what I wanted and then emailed that sketch to Jade. She ran with it and it turned out even better than I had imagined! The original RB costume could be a bit “bulky,” so I wanted something trimmed down that looked a little more adult.

7: In making the color belt, what materials did you use?

Katy: I used colored foam sheets that I bought at Michael’s.

8: Why was it made? (Halloween, etc)

Katy: Halloween and comic conventions.

9: How did it feel?

Katy: It felt wonderful!

10: Was it comfortable, hard to clean?

Katy: Extremely comfortable and not hard to clean at all.

11: Did you make your sprite purse?

Katy: Yes.

12: How did you make it?

Katy: I cut a rainbow-shaped hole in his back, pulled out all the stuffing, sewed a liner into the hole and then sewed a zipper to it. For the strap, I simply tied a long ribbon to his arms.

13: Where are your costumes now?

Katy: In storage in my home.

14: If you could have a new Rainbow Brite Costume now, what changes would you make? (different belt, longer skirt, etc?)

Katy: I probably wouldn’t have my midriff showing, so I wouldn’t have to worry so much about my figure…lol

15: Would you consider dressing as a different character? (Rainbow Brite or Other)

Katy: Oh absolutely. I love dressing in costume.

16: Of all your costumes experiences, what would you say was your most memorable?

Katy: I would say it was wearing my latest RB costume at the Chicago Comic Con in 2005. SO many people loved it and stopped me to talk about Rainbow Brite. Even small children wanted their pictures taken with me. It was a surreal experience.

Content © RainbowBrite.Co/.Co.Uk/.Us 2009

Katy Cartee Haile’s Images used with permission