Shell (Shellanin), is an award-winning cosplayer most famously known for her Curly Cosplay. She reimagines each character with curly hair textures and cosplays them, creating curly-haired representations of characters we already know and love!

Shellanin is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and was born in Brooklyn, New York. She attended the Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta, where she completed a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and a Master’s degree in Motion Graphics. Now, she puts her design and branding skills to good use by turning her cosplay hobby into a full-on career. 

Shellanin’s entry into the world of cosplay dates back to when she was a young child obsessed with anime. In school, she would get together with other anime fans, and it was through these friends that she learned about cosplay. However, she quickly realized that black people and people with darker skin tones were extremely underrepresented in this domain, and she, therefore, took it upon herself to redesign popular characters to look more like herself, creating her hashtag #CurlyCosplay.

Shellanin has been featured on news outlets like Crunchyroll News, Vice, CBR, and Pop Insider for her curly cosplay. She has also worked with companies like Viz Media, Disney Plus, and Square Enix showcasing that you can always cosplay your own way! See more of Shellanin’s work and collaborations at shellanin.com.