[Sunohara Kokona cosplay] Workday Journal from the Blue Archive x Lawson Collaboration

This Sunohara Kokona cosplay set shot at Lawson in late August actually had a lot of thoughtful details behind it. At the time, the official Lawson collaboration hadn't yet released a full-body standee of the uniform, so I had to piece together the entire cosplay outfit from scattered teaser images. When I decided to pair it with pure white ankle socks and white sneakers, I was still a bit apprehensive. Looking back at the final photos now, the white socks and sneakers combo really matches the everyday vibe of a Lawson worker. Combined with the light blue apron and the black-and-white striped bow tie, the level of restoration turned out surprisingly high, making all that effort scouring for reference images truly worthwhile.

Since this was shot inside an actual Lawson store, the shooting difficulty was higher than expected. Convenience store lighting is tricky—the overhead cool white lights combined with the blue-and-white neon glow from refrigerated display cases can make skin tones look strange if not handled carefully. Moreover, the space in the store is quite limited; moving even slightly could block shelves or disrupt other shoppers. As a result, the entire set was captured quickly across three or four specific narrow spots. For props, the cheese curry pork cutlet rice and the blue shopping basket were sourced right on-site. Paired with the store's curry season posters and drink stacks, it created an authentic, slice-of-life charm.

In terms of poses, I experimented with standing, sitting, and crouching. The shot standing in the aisle holding the lunch box was mainly to showcase the front of the apron and the bow tie details; the twin tails and animal ears looked exceptionally clean and crisp in the bright environment. Later, I leaned against the space next to the refrigerator, using stacked boxes of bottled water as foreground elements, sitting comfortably on the floor while leaning slightly forward to reach for the lens—capturing that relaxed, interactive atmosphere effortlessly. Finally, the shot crouching in front of the shelves picking out items recreated a genuine shopping perspective, with natural side profile angles and silky hair sheen.

For makeup, I deliberately softened the eyeshadow tones, focusing instead on colored contact lenses and a clear, translucent base. This helped tone down the overly dramatic 2D feel and made the look closer to a real-world convenience store employee. I thinned and layered the bangs of the wig in advance so it framed my face nicely without looking bulky, and it held up well without any frizz or mess during the shoot. Although people joked about wearing a long-sleeved uniform with an apron in late August being a sweat trap, the final results achieved the exact refreshing, daily life photography vibe I had hoped for. Lastly, the combination of white socks and sneakers created fantastic visual lines within the frame. Along with the refreshing blue-and-white palette, it looked adorably cute and energetic under the cool ambient lighting.