[Tatara Kogasa cosplay] Crafting and Recreating ZUN's art style 1.5 Design for Touhou Project: A Handmade Experience

From purchasing the fabric to the final garment, I handled this Tatara Kogasa outfit entirely by myself. The goal this time was very clear: I wanted to capture the essence of recreating ZUN's art style 1.5 design from Touhou Project—that unique aesthetic that feels slightly vintage yet carries distinct personal characteristics.

The top is one of the core elements of the entire outfit. I specially chose a cyan fabric with a slightly matte texture, paired with an inner white puff sleeve top, forming a refreshing sense of layering visually. Since the goal is recreating ZUN's art style 1.5 design, the details at the neckline are particularly vital. I designed a standing collar structure; although the pattern drafting was highly challenging during tailoring, the finished result is indeed incredibly cute, accentuating the contours of the head to look more compact and delicate. The only downside might be for the short-neck squad—after putting it on, it always feels like I'm being propped up slightly by my own collar. However, for the sake of the accuracy of the look, I can completely accept this tiny sacrifice.

For the black horizontal bars and cross-shaped patterns on the front of the top, I used fabric patches with great texture. When sewing them, I paid extra attention to their positioning and angles, striving to replicate the proportions in the original setting. The skirt part features a voluminous umbrella skirt design with distinct layers. The outer layer is a light mint green fabric adorned with a ring of lace trim and small circular decorations, while the bottom layer has white edge pleats, creating rich layering and making the skirt look gorgeous when spinning. To ensure the skirt remains perfectly structured, I put some effort into the inner lining, making sure the overall silhouette doesn't collapse when worn.

Speaking of Kogasa, that iconic large umbrella with a red eye is absolutely an indispensable soul prop. This part of my cosplay costume making also took a lot of effort. The purple canopy is extremely eye-catching, but the key is that exaggerated big eye above the handle. I used several different materials to craft it—the white sclera, red pupil, and black iris are all designed to echo that slightly eerie yet derpy-cute quality of the original setting. The red tassel tulle draping from the edge of the umbrella is not only vibrant in color but also flutters with the wind as I walk, greatly enhancing the overall dynamic effect.

As everyone might have noticed, I paired the outfit with red flip-flops. This is actually a very classic detail from the character setting. Wearing geta or flip-flops with this cute anime-style costume creates a unique contrast and fits perfectly with the casual and carefree traits of characters in ZUN's art style.

I also did some daily styling on the blue wig for this look. The fluffy short hair has great texture, and paired with the beaded accessory on my neck, it makes the overall styling more vivid and interesting. This full experience of handmade cosplay costume creation gave me a deeper understanding of garment structures. Although it consumed a lot of time and energy to source fabrics, do pattern drafting, and repeatedly adjust the details, seeing the finished product on my body brings a huge sense of achievement. Taking this piece to conventions or outdoor photoshoots will surely turn out great.