"Wanna be studied by me?" This line perfectly fits the vibe of this outfit. This time I'm doing Jane Doe from Zenless Zone Zero. To recreate the dangerous yet captivating aura of this character, it took over a month of preparation, from garment pattern drafting to prop crafting. Now I can finally put on the full gear and share it with everyone.
Let's talk about this highly stylized tail first, which is easily the most eye-catching focal point of the entire outfit. To maintain that levitating, dynamic presence in the air, the internal support structure was adjusted repeatedly. The patent leather material used for the outer layer offers a brilliant shine under lighting, which, combined with the red accent at the tip, makes it look more like a living, aggressive weapon.
The light green cropped jacket on top was super demanding in terms of tailoring pattern, but thankfully the final garment silhouette turned out crisp and sharp. The white faux fur trim pieced together at the collar serves as a finishing touch, softening the cold hardness of tactical gear while adding tactile softness. The black lace-up straps and cut-out details on the back of the jacket were quite troublesome, but look visually striking when worn.
I feel the lower body garments and accessories are key to capturing the character's appeal. Black high-waisted leather shorts paired with a sheer black tights outfit and gray leather leg harnesses on the outer thighs not only elongate leg lines, but also add rich depth to the ensemble. To complement this gear, I chose these exaggerated gray-black color-blocked platform boots. They're quite heavy and standing in them for long periods gets tiring, but that hardcore power feel and square-heel design instantly pull you into character.
As for the weapon, these short blade claws in red, black, and silver were custom hand-crafted and polished by an artisan. Holding them feels heavy and substantial. During shooting, I could use their angles for framing and extension, further reinforcing the character's aggressiveness and agility.
For lighting in this session, we chose soft studio illumination, emphasizing the textures of the costume fabrics, such as patent leather reflections and the sheer look of the black tights outfit. For makeup, to fit the character, I opted for a cool, aloof eye makeup paired with bright teal contact lenses, giving my gaze a penetrating quality.
Striking this crouched combat stance in front of the camera severely tested body flexibility and proved harder than imagined. The body needed to maintain a stable center of gravity, with one leg extended forward to stretch leg lines while the other leg bent at the knee to support the lowering upper body. To protect the boot soles while maintaining fluid movement lines, we tested angles repeatedly. The color contrast of green, black, red, and gray created striking visual pops against the clean gray-white backdrop.
Out of the entire photoset, I love this aggressive body language best, which, paired with weapon swings, perfectly freezes Jane Doe's elusive coolness through the lens. The curvature of the bent knees and the tight tights lines along the calves presented fantastic visual texture under light and shadow.
Although the shooting process brought a bit of fatigue—adjusting tail positioning, balancing weight, preventing slipping—seeing that mysterious, dangerous aura emerge in the viewfinder made every effort completely worth it. Wherever you happen to run into me, you'd probably want to stay out of my way, wouldn't you?