In photos: Kids kitted out in punky Nana-core looks at Comic Con

  • Dazed Digital

Hysteric Fashion photographer Daisy Davidson captured Nana-obsessed guests cosplaying their fave characters at the London event. ✍️ - Emma Elizabeth Davidson

For plenty of anime-obsessed kids, Comic Cons across the world are the pinnacle event of the year – a time to come together with friends usually only kept in touch with via the internet, debut full looks as they cosplay their fave characters, meet their idols, and cop exclusive merch not found anywhere else.

These hotbeds of earnest creativity and unbridled joy lured in Daisy Davidson a long time ago, and over the course of the last few years, the photographer has been documenting the people that attend, and publishing them via her Hysteric Fashion Instagram account.
Earlier this month, the annual Film and Comic Con rolled around in London, with the three-day extravaganza taking over the Olympia events space. On a line-up were meet-and-greets with Harry Potter’s Rupert Grint, Bond girl, Starship Troopers, and Drop Dead Gorgeous (watch it immediately) star Denise Richards, and… Ray Winstone (lol), limited edition merch drops, and an event which saw fans of cult anime Nana come together in their best tribute looks.

In case you’re not familiar with the cult series, a brief synopsis: two very different girls called Nana meet on a train to Tokyo, where each is moving for very different reasons. One is naive but carefree, living in her own little world, while the other is an uber-cool enigma with a penchant for Vivienne Westwood, punk music, cigs, and coffee. The two surprisingly hit it off, with the show chronicling their ups and downs – from failed relationships, to international stardom, to battles with depression and suicides.
Needless to say, it’s a show with wardrobes ripe for riffing on, with the Nana stans attending the Comic Con event falling into two camps. There were the ones kitted out in punky tartan mini kilts and boxy leather biker jackets, dog collars strapped around their necks, and the ones opting for demure, librarian-chic a-line dresses, ruffles, and parasols – and Davidson was there to capture them all.

Click through the gallery for a closer look, and revisit Comic Con 2023 here.