[Hime Shiratori Cosplay] Starlight Texture and Vintage Princess Style in Aikatsu Stars!

A lot of thought went into today's photo set, from the initial makeup test to the completion of the shoot. The character I am cosplaying this time is the senior Hime Shiratori from Aikatsu Stars!.

While preparing this look, I was thinking about how to present that gorgeous yet elegant vintage princess vibe. The most crucial part of the makeup test phase was the makeup and hairstyle. Choosing the wig color took a long time; to present that soft, pale golden-white hue, the hair strands needed to be incredibly smooth to embody the character's high-end feel. I reinforced the high bun on top of my head so it wouldn't tilt when wearing the crown. Though the pink heart-shaped crown accessory looks light, the metallic part actually has some weight, requiring it to be securely clipped onto the hair bun so it wouldn't fall off.

Adjusting the combination of the entire outfit also took a lot of effort. The main body of the skirt is a pink satin fabric, which reflects light strongly. Therefore, when shooting this set of scenes by the window, the photographer specifically adjusted the position of the softbox to avoid harsh highlights, allowing the layers of the dress folds to look softer. The neck ornament with a green gemstone at the collar is key; I handcrafted and fine-tuned it using resin material paired with a silver metal frame, ensuring it has volume on my chest without being too heavy and pressing down on the neckline. The ruffles are packed with dense pleats, and before putting it on, I had to carefully iron the layers of white tulle and pink fabric flat so that the captured silhouette would look crisp and upright.

This outfit actually features a great deal of pearl bead decorations on the skirt hem and cuffs, all of which were hand-sewn. While shooting the second standing photo, the transparent glass bottle with a silver lid that I held in my hand was also a pretty interesting little prop. When lifting it, I needed to control the angle of my wrist to prevent the folds of the gloves from piling up together, while also letting viewers clearly see the necklace on my chest and the negative space design around the shoulders. This off-the-shoulder style demands high standards for the neckline and shoulder lines, so I did some shoulder stretching exercises before the shoot to ensure a more relaxed and natural posture under the lens.

For the shooting scene, we chose a room decorated with many white cabinets and pink floral arrangements. The composition of the sitting posture in Figure 1 heavily tested the placement of the skirt hem; since the skirt takes up a huge area when spread out, I intentionally arranged the petticoat inside the skirt a full round, letting the outer layer of the pink and white dress ruffles spread out like a flower. Such a composition allows both the dress details and the crown details to be fully taken in. However, from the perspective of choosing a cover, I lean more toward the second standing photo. The second photo utilized the very abundant natural light by the window, even creating a slight high key, overexposed feel from backlighting. The reflection on the face is incredibly soft, and the gaze appears clearer. The posture of holding a perfume bottle in hand not only adds a narrative feel to the frame but also lifts the overall center of gravity upward, visually making me look taller. The character is basically centered in the composition without the edges being blocked by cabinets or clutter, making it highly suitable for the cover photo.

Many times, when people shoot this pink and white dress palette indoors, it's easy to make it look too flat or dark, so I intentionally chose this bright location. During post-processing, we didn't deliberately suppress the highlights but preserved that bright, radiant feel of the window, giving the overall image a very translucent sense of breathing room. Wearing a colossal dress like this is actually very exhausting—even turning around requires absolute care not to step on the skirt hem—but seeing the accuracy in the final photos made all the energy spent earlier on modifying the clothes and styling the wig completely worth it. This cosplay photography experience gave me a deeper understanding of the character; perfecting the details is truly a crucial step in delivering an exceptional character.