A 49-year-old man named Jiang Keqin from Taixing, Jiangsu province runs a tailor shop specializing in cosplay costumes. Jiang has gained an excellent reputation among local cosplayers after years of working in this field.

Coming from a family of tailors, Jiang started his Shanghai tailor shop in 1994. Later, he turned to costumes as a specialty when the general tailoring business experienced a recession. He made a name for himself among cosplayers after he created an elaborate pirate costume for a female coplayer. Soon, as more cosplayers hired Jiang to make costumes for them, he became the go-to local tailor for cosplay costumes.

"Tailoring such costumes is not easy," said Jiang, who reads comic books in his spare time to study the latest designs of animation costumes. Indeed, cosplay has become a huge industry, encompassing publications, props, dancing, costumes, art and more, explained Jiang.

"I'm only one part of the industrial chain," he added.

In addition to individual cosplayers, Jiang has also begun tailoring costumes for small-scale game companies. Currently, Jiang earns more than a 10,000 RMB per month ($1,477) from his business. He believes the industry will continue to grow.