Wearing this glazed rabbit Chinese-Western eclectic style outfit for a Mid-Autumn Festival night photoshoot has been a plan prepared for a long time. The design of this costume is very special: the upper body retains the cross-collar and wide sleeves of Hanfu, while the lower body combines the pleated skirt and lace ruffles of Lolita style. The bright yellow fabric is exceptionally lustrous under night lights, especially the woven gold jacquard patterns on the skirt hem, which reflect a gorgeous texture with just a slight twist of the body. For this outfit, I specially selected light yellow woven gold fabric, creating a flowing sense of gloss on the skirt hem as I walk. The golden embroidery around the neck and the accessories on the chest enhance the overall magnificence, paired with a thin waist belt that accentuates the waistline without ruining the loose feel of the garment.
To match the overall styling, I specially prepared a Chinese round fan with white floral embroidery, echoing the lace trims on the outfit. The white furry ears on my head, paired with a lace-trimmed headband, added a touch of fluffy cuteness. The small bear plush toy in my hand was also specially matched, wearing a matching series of small lace dresses, looking photogenic whether held in arms or carried on the side. Regarding makeup, I deliberately intensified the red tones in the blush and eyeshadow, matching the black blunt-bangs short hair to give the whole look a doll-like refinement. The wig was also carefully trimmed and curled, with the curly locks on both sides better framing the face shape.
The shooting location we chose was an indoor antique-style block hung with lanterns. The lighting in this environment is extremely complex, with warm yellow lanterns everywhere. For night photography, the biggest challenge is making the subject stand out from the background. Photographer Luozhi put a lot of effort into the lighting setup, using a large-aperture lens to blur the lanterns in the background to create beautiful bokeh, while using fill lights on the face and skirt hem to ensure transparency in the frame without making the face look yellow or dim. The wooden tables, chairs, and greenery in the background also added a lot of layering to the image, preserving the Mid-Autumn Festival vibe without stealing the spotlight.
My favorite photo in this set is the one where I am standing on a high platform with my skirt hem flying. To capture the best spreading angle of the skirt, I jumped repeatedly, while also controlling my facial expression and the position of the fan. Although standing on the platform in platform shoes felt a bit unsteady, the photo result was truly worth it. The combination of White lace stockings and Mary Jane shoes could finally be fully revealed in the full-body shots, effectively extending the leg lines whether in standing or sitting poses. Some actions sitting on the steps also required careful adjustment of the skirt's position to avoid creating too many wrinkles from compression.
In terms of accessories, besides the round fan and the bear, I also added golden hair clips and ribbons on both sides of my hair, matching the embroidery color scheme of the outfit. Hand gestures also needed designing, such as holding the round fan to half-cover the face or gently lifting the skirt hem, which made the photos look more natural. The whole shooting process was somewhat tiring, but looking at the exquisite photos one by one in the camera, all the hassle felt completely worthwhile. Luozhi is extremely sensitive to capturing light and shadow, knowing how to utilize the warm light and shadows of the lanterns to build the atmosphere, which is the key to why this photo set presents such a texture. The hardest part of the Chinese-Western eclectic style is balancing traditional and modern cute elements; I am very satisfied with this glazed rabbit pairing, as both the fabric selection and pattern tailoring appropriately showcased gentleness and playfulness. Taking such a uniquely styled photo set during the Mid-Autumn Festival is also a special way to celebrate the holiday. Thank you Luozhi for helping me record these scenes. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone, remember to eat mooncakes.