Getting ready for Fantasy Fest with costume creator Guy Hermelin

Fantasy Fest 2024, with its theme, “It’s a 90s NEON Cosmic Carnival!” doesn’t kick off until Oct. 18, but costume fabricators like Guy Hermelin have been immersed in the creative realms for many weeks, conceptualizing and crafting their designs. We recently caught up with Guy for some insights into his creative life and a peek into what he’s planning for this year.

Where were you born, and what brought you to the Keys?
I’m the oldest of five kids, all born and raised in Key West and home schooled by our parents. My dad moved here in the 70s and kind of loved the hippie lifestyle. He made these hand-painted candles and had a candle shop on Duval St.
 
Can you tell us a bit about your artistic background and how you developed your creative chops?
I started drawing as a child and at six or seven started painting lessons with Rick Worth, continuing with him every summer into my teens. I’ve loved virtual games since childhood; loved the fashion and design elements that go into creating them, so when I discovered it was actually a field of study I applied to a conceptual design school in L.A. and was one of 17 students accepted into their program, which encompassed numerous areas of design, including costuming, creating characters and environments – whole worlds.

Following school I was hired to do 3D engineering at a foundry in L.A., working as a “ghost artist” on monumental bronze sculptures that are on display all over the world. After that I attended the Italian fashion school in L.A. where I learned bespoke tailoring and patterning. I’d begun integrating my 3D knowledge into my designs, and was working on my brand and building up to the release of my first collection when the pandemic hit.

What brought you back to Key West and what year did you first bring your talents to Fantasy Fest costume creation?
I was feeling homesick, so came back in Feb. of 2022 and that was the first year I created for Fantasy Fest. The theme was “Cult Classics and Cartoon Chaos” and I made a Glinda from “The Wizard of Oz” costume for the Key West Business Guild Headdress Ball competition. I didn’t place that year, but I learned a lot.
 
What did you make for 2023?
2023 was a disco unicorn creation called the Derby Dazzler for the “Uniforms & Unicorns” theme, and it won the Headdress Ball second place prize.
 
Any particular challenges or memorable mishaps from past years?
Yes, the two “w’s” - walking and wind. For the Derby Dazzler’s hooves I used big paint buckets with industrial Velcro covered with glitter fabric and strapped them onto my shoes. I walked in those massive hooves through the whole Masquerade March and the Fantasy Fest Parade; five hours of walking each day. It took time to recover from that! And during the Parade, because of the size and shape of the headdress, the mane kept catching the wind like a sail and I needed two people to hold me down at some points!
The most memorable mishap occurred at the 2022 Headdress Ball. I was standing backstage, waiting to go on and trying not to be in anyone’s way, when I felt someone yanking me from behind. But it wasn’t someone. There was this big industrial fan that had pulled in the ribbons from the back of my costume and was twirling them around like spaghetti on a fork! I thought that was going to be my “Final Destination” moment. Thankfully, production host Erin McKenna pulled the plug and saved the day!

Will you share with us what you’re cooking up for 2024?
I love all the elements of this year’s theme! I'm a big sci-fi nerd, was born in the 90s, and carnival outfits are really fun. So currently work-in-progress is DJ Time Warp, a time-traveling DJ and his band of Power Ravers. People can actually come and watch me working on it at The Studios of Key West, 533 Eaton St., from now until the start of Fantasy Fest. The public construction is a component of my new exhibit that just launched at TSKW, called “Cosmic Colors and Costumes,” which is open Tuesday’s through Saturday’s through Oct. 31. The exhibit features a fusion of my work, including abstract paintings, fashion illustrations, and elaborate carnival costumes.
 
Favorite thing about Fantasy Fest?
I love that so many people get involved and into the spirit of the themes for their costuming. I feel very lucky to come from a place that's so creative and fun.
Fantasy Fest 2024 is presented in part by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council and We’ve Got the Keys. For a full calendar of events, schedule updates, and a downloadable mobile APP visit http://www.fantasyfest.com.