[Alice Cosplay] Touhou Project: The Wondrous Puppeteer in a Vintage-Style Room

The location chosen for this shoot was a room rich with vintage wooden textures, where the warm twilight glow filtered through sheer curtains over an antique globe and vintage books—perfectly echoing Alice's subtly mysterious and melancholic Puppeteer ambiance.

For the wardrobe, great emphasis was placed on recreating the multi-layered texture of the Western dress: the lace collar of the white blouse, the cascading ruffles of the slate-blue skirt, and the draping pink waist sash. Getting in and out of the outfit took considerable effort, but it was completely worth it for the optimal visual effect. Paired with golden wavy hair and a headpiece, and holding that heavy tome and marionette, I truly felt like the wondrous maiden living deep in the forest, crafting magic.

During the shoot, we explored various standing marks and poses. For instance, utilizing backlighting to catch the glowing halos piercing through hair strands and sleeve cuffs, as well as the ethereal, delicate pulling motion while holding the suspended puppet. The lighting atmosphere across this set was incredible; the photographer's command of light sources was very inspired, preserving rich shadow details without crushed blacks, which heightened the vintage mystery. The shot sitting on the floor reading a book was especially delicate, where spreading out the skirt train allowed the lace patterns to be illuminated by the light.

Posing in so many layered skirts and platform boots was physically demanding, especially keeping balance while twirling. Yet the moment the skirt flared up, that classical romantic charm emerged effortlessly. A great deal of care also went into the props and set dressing—such as the tea set on the wooden desk and the ballerina puppet hanging nearby—making it much easier to immerse myself in character and evoke that fairy-tale ambiance. This collaboration was an absolute joy, and I hope this work conveys the charm of this character in a Vintage style I've long aspired to shoot.