[Chen Duo cosplay] Custom design cosplay in New Chinese style from The Outcast: Butterflies and Long Skirt in Backlit photography

This shoot features a custom design cosplay of Chen Duo from The Outcast. Regarding custom design cosplay, I have always felt there is significant room for creative freedom. The core emotional tone of Chen Duo's character is a coexistence of repression and yearning, which led me to choose a dark long skirt leaning into New Chinese style for the design and wardrobe. The fabric has an elegant, fluid drape that forms natural folds when caught by the breeze, which proved extraordinarily photogenic when combined with dramatic backlit photography. Walking in high heels paired with a long gown required extreme caution to avoid tripping, but it was completely worth it for the overall visual aesthetic.

The photographer was Qi Dao, who excels at capturing fleeting moments of interwoven light and shadow. The butterfly effects in the photos were not merely slapped on in post-production, but were a deliberate concept planned prior to shooting. Chen Duo's life is inextricably entwined with the Gu children and her tragic destiny; the butterflies symbolize her yearning for freedom and perhaps an illusionary dream. Standing in the backlit glow as sunlight broke through the clouds, enveloped in a radiant halo, I felt a deep, harmonious unity between the character and the landscape.

As for location scouting, this flat paved surface with clean, uncluttered hills and trees in the distance maximized the atmospheric impact when struck by natural light. Without convoluted sets, natural lighting and minimalist props produced fantastic results. With the addition of butterfly effects, the imagery took on a poetic cadence; this New Chinese style charm perfectly aligned with my initial vision for this custom design cosplay of Chen Duo—channeling that poignant sentiment of adorning hair with flowers in this life to be beautiful in the next.

It was scorching hot on the day of the shoot with elevated ground temperatures. Navigating in the long dress was somewhat cumbersome, especially when stepping into poses where the skirt hem could easily get caught underfoot. Fortunately, most poses consisted of serene, stationary stances or gently raised hands welcoming butterflies onto fingertips, anchoring my center of gravity. Regarding tailoring, the long sleeves and pleated skirt created fluid lines, while the dark fabric produced a silhouette effect under backlit photography, accentuating the contour of my arms and the weight of the drape.

In terms of wardrobe and styling, rather than pursuing a 1:1 replica of the original design, I incorporated more ancient classical elements. The hair was styled in a simple low ponytail without complicated headpieces, blending seamlessly into the natural backdrop. This minimalist aesthetic demands greater attention to detail, such as sartorial cuts and lighting textures. Under backlit photography, the subject's outline is etched with clarity, while deep shadows remain grounded and composed.

As this is my own custom design cosplay, I appreciate the understanding of fans and fellow cosplayers regarding creative alterations; it represents my personal tribute to Chen Duo from The Outcast. New Chinese style garments are notoriously difficult to carry off, easily appearing heavy and cumbersome, but thankfully the final texture turned out wonderfully. If you appreciate this mood blending natural illumination with post-composite butterflies, you might try scouting similar mountain vistas, paying close attention to metering during backlit photography so that shadows avoid crushing and highlights avoid blowing out into pure white.

From initial planning to final post-production, this project took roughly two weeks. Early stages focused on defining the style; I strongly insisted on integrating the shoot with nature. While the photos appear dreamlike, the shooting process was very grounded in reality. Being the sole model on set made finding angles and holding poses time-consuming, requiring patience to synchronize with the rhythm of the wind. Thankfully, movements were minimal, centered on standing in profile and raising a hand—one palm cradling a butterfly while the other hung naturally, creating an airy, breathing composition.

In garment selection, to match the New Chinese style theme, I eschewed vibrant crimsons in favor of a deep-toned gown, which better anchored the lighting and sharpened the silhouette edges. Outdoor lighting changes rapidly; clouds intermittently veiled the sun, dimming the light and requiring patient waiting to seize the golden moment for these captures. In post-production details, the butterflies in the foreground and background were varied in scale and opacity—smaller butterflies populated the foreground while larger ones hovered mid-air, spaced deliberately to evoke spatial depth. The shadow cast long toward the lower-left, creating a diagonal composition with the intense beam from the upper-right.

This custom design cosplay of Chen Duo was an endeavor to express her shattered longing to break free from restraints while being unable to escape tragic fate. The New Chinese style served as a fitting aesthetic vessel. The ethereal quality of the butterflies before the lens, accentuated by radiant crepuscular rays, perfectly illuminated this custom design cosplay interpretation of Chen Duo from The Outcast. Given the opportunity, I hope to explore more outdoor shoots combining practical landscapes with visual effects.

The location had frequent foot traffic, so navigating angles to avoid passersby took some time. People nearby were very courteous, generously steering clear when seeing us shoot. The reflective ground offered natural upward fill light to the lower facial planes. Under harsh sunlight, skin and fabrics are prone to glare, so I specifically used matte foundation during makeup setting. The most magical moment occurred while capturing hand poses: a timely gust of wind caught the skirt hem into a subtle arc, which, combined with the composite butterflies, lent dynamic momentum to a still frame.

The darker areas of the dress actually featured intricate embroidery, but under such an extreme lighting ratio, they were impossible to capture. Forcing shadow recovery in post would have degraded image quality, so we opted to let the shadows plunge deeper into pure silhouettes—which is why the final texture looks so crisp and clean. After every shoot, seeing the finished results makes enduring scorching sun and mosquito bites completely worthwhile.

Regarding Chen Duo, I have thoroughly followed both the anime and comic adaptations of The Outcast. Although this was a custom design cosplay of my own imagination, it faithfully preserves her melancholic yet unyielding spirit. Working in this style with teammates—scouting references and discussing compositions together—brought even greater joy than the photos themselves. This shoot not only fulfilled a personal custom design cosplay dream, but also served as a rewarding artistic practice.