Country: USA Noteworthy Characters Portrayed: Juliet Starling (Chainsaw Lollipop), Pikachu (Pokémon), Captain Edward Kenway (Assassin's Creed III) Makes Own Costumes: Yes Career Highlights: A repeated contest winner since she started in 2009, Nigri has been hired as a representative for Kadokawa Games, Ubisoft, and Warner Brothers. Nigri is also one of the most controversial models as many of her costumes have been considered exploitative (both of women and of consumers) and have been of characters where a portrayal with a revealing costume was not appropriate. The most prominent example of this was when in 2012 she was asked to leave a PAX convention where she wore costumes for the character Juliet Starling that were considered unacceptable. Considering that the costumes were of a type worn by numerous characters that were featured at the event, it presented an opportunity to discuss how sexuality is used in nerd culture and what is acceptable. So we say that it's ultimately beneficial that there's someone that pushes the envelope and gets people to discuss these things. Interestingly, she and Yaya Han were claimed to have started a rivalry in 2013 when Han was shown criticizing Nigri's style on the aforementioned show Heroes of Cosplay. This video was released in response: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLoE8XZX_Ck Because when you're one of the best, you don't have to be insecure and vindictive. Have some models you wish had been included? Have some issues with some of our choices? Let us know in the comments below!
