SubscribeNote: Project: Rooftop is built on the idea of good super-hero costume design — and sometimes we find something a little outside the norm but is amazing: and this is one of them. Artist Katrina Navarro has been taking the design and style of her favorite super-heroes and translating it into wardrobe choices any of us could wear. The selection below sticks to DC, but she promises more Marvel-themed attire in the future. Sweet! – Chris A.
Wonder Woman
Robin
Raven
Miss Martian
Green Arrow
Kid Flash
Jason Todd
Impulse
Green Arrow
Black Canary
Here’s what Katrina had to say about these designs:
As you can tell, I love comics and superheroes. At the same time I also love fashion.
I thought wouldn’t it be great if I could go out dressed up like a Superhero but in a not so obvious way where people would ask me: Why are you wearing a cape? What’s the the mask? …Etc. Yes I could simply go out wearing a T-shirt with Batman’s symbol. Don’t get me wrong, I love my superhero tees but why not extend it even further?
I soon started drawing up fashion sketches based off specific Superheroes and Villains with keeping things in mind: Clothes that a person can find in their closet or easily at a store with some to no alterations. When I have trouble finding a type of clothing that could work, I often scour magazines and online clothing stores for items.
I draw these sketches for fun of course, but I also draw these to share with people who also have a love for comics and fashion. The Superhero inspi sketches are for people to refer to just in case they want to closet cosplay as their favorite Superhero for the day. You don’t even have to totally replicate the clothing in the designs. It can simply be referenced, altered, switched, or whatever they like. That’s why I try to mention optional clothing that could also work in case someone doesn’t want to wear a skirt or heels. Most the sketches I draw up are for women. I am a girl after all, it’s a lot easier for me to come up with girl-like fashion sketches haha. But lately I’ve been getting request for guy fashion sketches which I am also more than happy to draw up.
Also, being a comic lover myself, I know how many others feel about them. My other friends would say reading comics are for nerds.
Yeah, so what if comics are for nerds? Nerds are awesome and can be fashionable too you know. It’s fun being fashionably nerdy.
dnwilliams
/ May 9, 2011Really cool, I love it.
S.Matt
/ May 9, 2011This is one of my favorite articles yet! I would absolutely wear that first Green Arrow outfit, and I’m a huge sucker for Rule63! Heroes. All of these are fantastic!
Jay
/ May 9, 2011The Robin one stands out to me. These could easily be outfits the heroes themselves wear when the gender is the same anyway. Some strike me as good sidekick costumes…hey there’s an idea for Project Rooftop, sidekicks for heroes who don’t have them. Tough for DC characters as most do have sidekicks but might still be interesting. Or what would sidekicks for villains look like?
Sorry, off topic! I like these “fashions”
Ellie
/ May 9, 2011I love these. They are so inspired, but don’t look too costumey or gimicky. Raven, Wonder Woman and Kid Flash are my favorites!
Mikey Terror
/ May 9, 2011These are great! I think they could work in a real-life scenario without looking garish. I mean, tights are classic superhero, but if one of us were to hit the streets full-time as the hero we all wish we could be – I’m betting it’s not in tights.
Bill Walko
/ May 9, 2011These are super-cute and smartly designed! Love the art style, too. Nice job!
Wayne
/ May 9, 2011these are really beautiful… loving the colours & shadows!
Daniel Heard
/ May 9, 2011Brilliant work. A terrific eye for fashion details and retaining key identifiers. I designed my Captain America costume similarly, trying to make everything he wore a referential item of period clothing.
Katrina, I want to see some more menswear please .
elala
/ May 9, 2011Green Arrow girl attire.
DO WANT
CC
/ May 9, 2011Love these outfits, but whats with all the dodgy legs? the art is lovely with the exception that each character looks like their pelvis has been shattered and badly reassembled. i wouldnt mention it but it just keeps catching my eye and distracting from the design. Fashion A- / Human anatomy C-
maxime
/ May 9, 2011this is so good ! you should launch your own brand of clothes, i would totally buy them (but i am a man , so yeah, bring on the menswear !)
i would love to see some take on marvel characters as well.
urtiga
/ May 9, 2011Oh my god, this is awesome. I did something like this once, but with swimsuits… Gotta try doing regular clothes, this looks fun to do!
Chris
/ May 9, 2011@CC They are fashion and cartoon inspired drawings. Get over dude or dudet. The whole “anatomy” thing is silly and impedes the creative growth of the industry. If you are familiar with fashion drawings they are not very anatomically correct. Great artwork and sensibilities. More please.
Whitney
/ May 9, 2011I would wear all of these! (And yes, even the male Green Arrow one. It looks awfully comfy and fun) She did a brilliant job breaking them down in a way that they’re recognizable as being the hero they’re from, without looking costumey (for the most part).
dan
/ May 9, 2011Really inspired work.
BobDobolina
/ May 10, 2011The female Green Arrow, the Black Canary, and the Jason Todd designs are all especially inspired. All brilliant.
Marcel
/ May 10, 2011Anyone else think that the Green Arrow looks like Shaggy wearing a hoodie?
Jay
/ May 11, 2011Marcel – I thought the same thing! Zoinks!
Blondie
/ May 12, 2011these are amazing, more men please!
Angela
/ May 13, 2011I love these. The ladies’ green arrow outfit is wonderful (as something I would wear) and the wonder woman, too (as something I would not wear, though maybe pieces of it). I totally “closet cosplay ” bat man. I have a new favorite yellow tanktop and black button up that look great together. Gray skirt. Black heels. :)
I would also love to see more!
Meredith
/ May 14, 2011So fun!! I would wear the Wonder Woman outfit in a heartbeat and may actually have to assemble something similar.
Scadilla
/ May 14, 2011These are really cool. They’re inspiring me to try some of my own.
Rolando Garcia
/ May 15, 2011These are amazing. Impulse and Miss Martian are my favorites, followed by Robin and Kid Flash. She should have done the designs for Smallville!
ESCgoat
/ May 20, 2011All of these design are very smart and well-executed. I could tell at a glance whom each was based on (with the exception of Red Hood, which is understandable because I’ve barely seen much of that character due to incidental avoidance). Bravo! I wanna see more!
Maya
/ May 28, 2011Wow, these are fabulous! I would actually really wear some of these outfits! And the idea of closet complying as a character without anyone really realizing it is really neat, haha. Next time I go shopping I will definitely keep this in mind! Looking forward to seeing the marvel outfits! Such a cool, chic idea!
Reese
/ October 27, 2011I love it so much!!!! If I could buy one of the outfits right now…I WOULD!!!
Sky
/ March 17, 2013I am completely in love with the designs for Kid Flash, Impulse and Robin. I would wear them in a heartbeat!