[Taihou cosplay] Azur Lane: Arriving on New Year's Day with Good Luck and Red Envelopes

This time I'm bringing you the Qipao look for Taihou from Azur Lane. I've actually wanted to shoot a red-and-gold Qipao set for a long time. Since it happened to be around New Year's Day, I felt this red color fit the festive holiday vibe perfectly, so I asked photographer syu-teacher to come out and shoot a set with me. The photos were taken in a spacious industrial-style exhibition hall. The cool-toned, highly reflective floor happened to contrast nicely against the vivid redness of the Qipao, keeping the shot clean without looking cluttered.

Let's talk about the design of this outfit first. Taihou's Qipao has various iterations across official artwork and fan art; the set chosen this time features a tailored cut that fits the body contours closely. The semi-transparent upper body fabric combined with embroidered patterns is actually quite tricky to manage, as it easily over-reflects under strong light. Fortunately, the ambient diffused lighting on set was well-controlled—the skin texture revealing through the thin mesh felt just right. Paired with the red piping on the mandarin collar and that golden bell charm, it gives a dignified yet playfully cheerful feel. On the large red lower skirt, the golden jacquard embroidery is heavily detailed over a broad area with strong three-dimensional textures, shimmering with golden radiance under overhead spotlights. The high slit is designed quite boldly, revealing black safety shorts inside and lace-trimmed over-the-knee socks. This combination of a high-slit long skirt and shorts is not only convenient for walking or posing—without having to constantly lift the skirt to avoid tripping—but also visually elongates leg proportions, adding a touch of subtle sexiness with the black lace trim. As for props, holding two large red envelopes printed with New Year greetings in hand perfectly matched the festive greeting vibe of asking everyone if they've eaten tangyuan in the post.

Hair and makeup took quite a bit of thought as well. For Taihou's signature long black hair, a generous amount of hair extensions was used to build volume and length. The orchid-shaped golden hair accessory at the top serves as an essential visual anchor; paired with golden ribbons cascading down both sides, it fits her character lore while brightening head-area layering against dark hair. For makeup, I specifically emphasized reddish eyeshadow blending, complemented by subtle shimmer on lower eyelids and eyeliner to make her gaze appear more spirited and affectionate. Taihou's charm lies in that deeply possessive, love-devoted temperament toward the Commander, so during shooting I tried my best to maintain a look staring into the camera with a subtle smile, as if secretly plotting something in her mind. For posing, I deliberately lifted the ends of my hair with one hand while reaching out the red envelope with the other, creating a strong sense of interaction as if asking: "Commander, would you like to accept this New Year's Day red envelope?"

Let's talk about the shooting environment this time. The indoor overhead lights actually had a cool color temperature; shooting directly under them would make skin look pale and cast harsh facial shadows. Photographer syu-teacher, being a highly experienced Cosplay photography expert, excels at combining indoor ambient light with single-light fill lighting. He used a high-power continuous light in front to cast a warmer light ratio, perfectly canceling out the ceiling light's cold tone to boost the red Qipao's saturation while bringing out defined facial contours. Reflections on the floor were also cleverly utilized, clearly mirroring the vibrant red dress hem and golden embroidery to add depth and a high-end feel to the composition.

During the shoot, holding red envelopes in hand while managing lace socks and a somewhat heavy crown accessory made adjusting movements quite challenging. In particular, ensuring the text on the red envelopes faced directly toward the camera required tightening my core muscles to keep the Qipao's upper tailoring smooth without awkward wrinkles. During breaks, syu-teacher showed me compositions in real-time to confirm whether the subject was positioned properly and if leg poses looked distorted due to the high slit.

This photo set conveys a festive yet subtle seductive vibe for New Year's Day. Taihou has always been a character who takes initiative in game, so under this Qipao portrayal, I feel it preserves her authentic classic charm and sexiness while adding a touch of everyday New Year freshness. For me, doing cosplay is never just about putting on outfit pieces—it's about letting everyone feel the character's unique essence through the photos. This kind of creative fusion combining traditional holiday elements with anime characters always fills me with passion during shooting. I hope everyone can feel the sweet New Year's Day interaction between Commander and Taihou that I strived to create through these photos!