[Azur Lane Cheshire Cosplay] A Dreamy Interpretation Under Scrapped Design Blues

The editing for this set of photos featuring Cheshire's scrapped blue design is finally complete. Since the original advice was that these are best viewed in full screen, I fully took full-screen presentation into account when choosing between horizontal and vertical compositions. Now that the photos are ready today, I'd love to share my experience of this shoot with everyone.

Let's start with the outfit and styling. This time, I recreated the scrapped design concept of Azur Lane's Cheshire. The most eye-catching elements are definitely the massive ruffled sun hat and the blue-and-white gradient crystal tulle dress. The dress itself is incredibly layered; the outer layer consists of light, translucent white tulle, while the lining is a rich grey-blue. Complemented by intricate lace trims and lace-up details, the off-the-shoulder cut of the top and the pearl necklace around the neck perfectly break up the solid color scheme, adding a touch of luxury and elegance. For the makeup, I intentionally opted for a matte finish to pair with this grey-blue short hair with straight bangs. I wanted to evoke an aura that is dreamier and more ethereal than her original design, making it a perfect match for the European arched windows and cool-toned floral arrangements in the background.

During the shoot, we experimented with several different poses. The one I'm most satisfied with—and chose as the cover—is a composition where I'm sitting on the side of a white decorative pedestal with my legs slightly tilted and crossed. That specific angle beautifully avoids the awkwardness of the huge hat blocking my facial silhouette, while perfectly highlighting the slender strappy heels and the naturally elongated lines of my legs. Honestly, balancing the fluffiness of the massive skirt, the intricate lace details on the chest, maintaining an elegant posture, and managing the high-heeled sandals was physically exhausting. Although the dress looks airy, the layers upon layers of tulle combined with the inner support structure actually weighed over ten pounds. Wearing the hat while making sure my head didn't tilt in the frame meant standing continuously for over four hours from setting up to wrapping up, putting immense pressure on my knees and ankles. However, seeing the lighting effects made it all worthwhile. The light and shadow filtered beautifully through the translucent tulle, perfectly blending the cool-toned subtle glitters with the blue-and-white palette.

Speaking of recreating this scrapped concept art, the most wonderful aspect is that it carries a more restrained, soft, fairy-tale vibe compared to the striking and bold design of her official in-game outfit. To bring this fairy-tale atmosphere to life, we put a lot of effort into the set. The blue and white hydrangeas, delphiniums, along with the vintage candlesticks that look like scattered starlight, and the metal birdcages in the background were all specifically selected to match the dress's color palette. During the shoot, I intentionally asked the photographer to use backlighting and rim lighting, allowing the large white ruffled hat to serve as a natural softbox, which made the light falling on my face incredibly soft. I also particularly love a few low-angle full-screen shots; the visual weight is focused on the lower body and the extension of the tulle skirt, which, paired with the high-heeled sandals, looks absolutely stunning.

Regarding the controversy surrounding scrapped designs, I've actually read many discussions. Some fellow fans feel that the color palette of the scrapped concept is too cold and detached, lacking the liveliness of the original official setting. However, it is precisely this departure from the norm that creates such a unique vibe. I felt that since I was doing this shoot, I needed to fully embrace this ethereal, dreamy, and cool aesthetic. Therefore, in post-processing, I deliberately didn't crank up the saturation, keeping that misty, cool blue tone and the hazy, ambient glow reflected from the background lights.

As I sorted through these photos and saw the massive brim of the hat and the voluminous skirt filling up the entire screen, I truly felt wrapped in a gentle blue embrace. Although the shooting process was quite painful—especially having to be constantly careful not to step on and rip the skirt—seeing the final full-screen layout made all the hard work feel worth it. The uniqueness of this look made every shutter click feel meaningful, giving me a deeper understanding and love for this scrapped character design.