As Destination Trek 2023 gets underway, it is time to look back to the last Destination event in 2021. Despite the disappointment of cancelled guests it was one of my best conventions, and by far the best reception I received for a single costume.
Believe it or not this was actually the second incarnation of the Q costume. The first was created for a Star Wars vs Star Trek party hosted by one of my meetup groups. Obviously I had to represent Star Trek in this pending conflict, and what better champion for Trek than arguably the most powerful entity? Among Q’s many guises, only one I could think of really said “Q” unambiguously: The Judge Q from Encounter at Farpoint and All Good Things.
The costume itself was actually not difficult to put together. Black and red choir robes, red gloves, a livery collar and black head sock were readily available to order from Amazon. The only piece I could not find was the hat, which suited me as I like to make at least one piece of each costume.
The hat involved finding screenshots of Q and using pixel measurements to estimate the dimensions. I measured my own head to scale the resulting design, then made it using black fabric and 3mm foam. I made it using a truncated cone of foam hot glued together, sewn inside the same shape made from black cotton fabric. The first version of the hat was actually a bit too tight and the fabric didn’t quite sit on the foam correctly.
I wore the costume for the party, which went down well, and then some time later I decided to throw the costume out. I have limited space in my flat and I had more costume ideas to work on, so it was sadly time to let the Q costume go.
Roll the clock forward a few months and I get asked if I could use the costume for a planned Star Trek LARP game. Alas I no longer had the costume, but I figured I could make it again without too much trouble. Plus I would have a chance to improve on the hat. Alas the pandemic struck in 2020 and the LARP game got postponed, so the costume sat unworn in my flat awaiting its calling.
When I decided to attend Destination Star Trek 2021 I figured I already had the costume, so why not wear it? I’m glad I did, it was something of a hit on the Saturday. I don’t think I’ve ever been in so many photos!
