Maral Agnerian was honored with the International Costumers’ Guild Lifetime Achievement Award during the virtual Single Pattern Contest and Future Fashion Show on April 12.

Here are highlights from ICG President Kevin Roche’s announcement of the award:

This costumer and cosplay legend has had a career spanning longer than some con attendees have been alive.

They have been costuming since 1999, compete at the Master level, and their work has been widely recognized in costuming communities world-wide. They have won numerous awards at local, national, and international competitions, including their most recent triumph as the winner of the U.S. National Crown Championships of Cosplay.

Well-known for their deep and abiding love of beautiful fabrics, beads, and all manner of shiny things, this year’s honoree relishes the challenge of bringing a 2-D design to life, but also loves the creativity inherent in original designs.  They are always looking for, and sometimes creating, new sewing and construction techniques to learn and experiment with. In addition to execution with stunning craftsmanship, their creative presentations onstage bring her costumed characters to life.

On the community front, our honoree strongly believes in spreading knowledge and information throughout the greater costuming community. They are in high demand as a teacher, and regularly offer courses and workshops at conventions and other venues. They also author articles and present webinars highlighting their work and the techniques they have developed.

In addition to teaching and presenting, they have served our costuming community for many years by running conventions, serving as a masquerade director, and judging costume competitions in North America, such as at Costume-Con and Anime North, and internationally. In October 2024, They were invited to serve as a judge for masquerades, the Variety Show, and the World Cosplay Summit qualifiers at Comic Con London.

And on a purely personal note, this year’s honoree brought me tears of joy with her rendition at Costume-Con 39 of a design I also once recreated and presented, in drag, at Costume-Con 23:  the Le Jazz Hot dress from Victor/Victoria.

It is my honor and privilege to announce that the recipient of the 2025 International Costumers’ Guild Lifetime Achievement Award is Maral Agnerian.

Learn more about her at her LAA award page.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0Vi8HbQ67k&t=1s