[Alice Margatroid Cosplay] The Seven-Colored Puppeteer in Touhou Project

Alice Margatroid's fanon design from Touhou Project has always been something I really wanted to try. Before this shoot, I specifically selected this blue and white multi-layered Lolita dress based on this concept. The design of the skirt hem is very meticulous: the base layer is a slightly thick light blue fabric, layered with a semi-sheer tulle in the middle, and covered on the outermost layer with eyelet embroidered white lace trim. Every layer underwent repeated pleat heat-setting to achieve this fluffy and breathable visual effect. The large pink bow at the waist paired with paneled pale pink pleated fabric, along with 3D fabric roses that echo the collar line, injected warmth into the originally cool-toned blue and white color scheme.

Beyond the costume, the props also required careful attention to detail. For this thick-bordered book in my hands, decorated with deep red cross straps and gold starburst ornaments, the production team considered both the real-world weight and rough surface texture during printing and binding, making it look not like a flat backdrop board, but a true grimoire that has been flipped through for years. The exaggerated white bell sleeves are remarkably eye-catching outdoors, gently swaying with the breeze, which not only enhances visual grandeur but also facilitates more natural bodily extension during posing. For shoes, I paired them with black lace-up chunky-heeled boots, balancing out the outfit's sweet feeling and allowing the character to project a neat puppeteer persona equipped for battle.

The shooting location was chosen at a garden featuring rustic wooden cabins and lush vine trellises. Sunlight filtered through branches and leaves, casting dappled light and shadow over the white gravel ground, and this natural contrast highlighted the costume details on the character even further. Light purple and light blue hydrangeas blooming in flower pots, along with the rabbit sculpture wearing a hat resting quietly to the side in the third photo, inadvertently completed the narrative picture. The photographer, George, had his own distinct vision for capturing shutter moments. In terms of visual language, he caught both the tranquil static moment of me closing my eyes in the sunshine and the dynamic clip of me lightly lifting the skirt hem to step forward—poses that wonderfully showcased how the garment changes between rest and motion.

We faced quite a few challenges during the shoot. Because of the strong wind in the outdoor garden, the multi-layered skirt hem was easily blown back or stuck to my legs, requiring frequent pauses for the assistant to help arrange the skirt layers and ensure every photo had a neat, perfect silhouette. Meanwhile, the huge bell sleeves could easily obscure the face during gestures, so while posing, I had to intentionally control my upper arm height to allow the sleeve hem to fall into a natural drape rather than a lumped pile of fabric. Regarding makeup, to preserve the character's slightly aloof and mysterious temperament, eyeshadow was applied with a very subtle earth-tone smudge, focusing key emphasis on curled eyelashes and a soft lip shine so my face looked expressive without appearing overly heavy or unnatural under the lens. Set against a wooden backdrop, this light-colored 2D fanon theme outfit appeared particularly bright and breathable.

In the final stage of the shoot, I also tried some casual walking candid shots to capture the movement of the puppeteer strolling through the garden. Throughout this process, George was adept at using low-angle low shots or moderate high-angle shots to emphasize the proportion of the skirt's spread, increasing the tension across the photos. When preparing this work, I hoped to preserve visual softness as much as possible under harsh lighting conditions; under the outdoor natural light this time, the final results achieved a well-balanced state. Through this rendition, I gained new understanding and imagination regarding Touhou Project character designs, and I hope the presented images allow viewers to feel this character's unique charm.