[Li Sushang Cosplay] New Year Red Makeup of Brocade-Year Jade Cluster, Freezing the Martial Arts Aura of Honkai Impact 3rd

Truly entering the photoshoot for this Li Sushang Brocade-Year Jade Cluster New Year skin look happened at the exact moment I put on the full costume and stood in the studio. In terms of color, this cosplay chose the classic red, black, and white as its main theme, which inherently looked like a festive New Year atmosphere in the game's splash art. When I obtained the actual costume, the festive feeling and the collision of Chinese-style elements became even more prominent in the details. Especially the use of red and white plush pom-poms—from the hair accessories on top of my head, to the pom-poms adorning my waist, and then to the shoe strap ties of the high-heeled sandals on my feet—every fur ball added a touch of playfulness and cuteness to the entire outfit, also breaking up the severity that a black and red combination might bring.

Let's talk about the design features of this costume. The top utilizes off-the-shoulder and asymmetric tailoring, with a white main breastpiece cooperating with a black high-collar neck accessory to elevate Li Sushang's cool and capable temperament. The short skirt of the lower body has a strong sense of layering, with a black base piece layered beneath an outer red skirt hem, and slender red-and-gold interwoven streamers hanging naturally from the waist with my movements. Since I needed to make a large number of one-legged balance poses during the shooting process, this demanded extremely high stability from the costume. The layers of the skirt hem could easily get messy if a little careless, but fortunately, the tailoring of the entire outfit was quite well-fitting. It allowed me to maximize the continuity of the frame at that exact split second when standing on one leg with the other knee bent and lifted, without needing frequent NGs due to the clothing shifting out of place.

Regarding the props, that bright orange long sword can be considered one of the souls of the overall look. Orange looks highly prominent and jumpy amidst the fully black, white, and red main color scheme. Holding it in hand brings a sense of weight without looking overly clumsy. A red tassel sword knot was specially crafted at the end of the hilt; when I made swinging or stationary movements in the studio, the swaying of the sword knot added a sense of dynamic movement to the frame. Although I look highly relaxed in the photos, having to tightly grasp a prop with one hand while expanding with the other hand to coordinate with the body posture, while also managing expressions and the direction of flying hair, truly tested multi-tasking capabilities.

Collaborating with photographer @蓝桥desu during the shoot was an absolute pleasure. Because this look involves a massive range of motion, especially to build that aura combining a "martial arts chivalrous rogue" with a "New Year girl," standing purely still makes it hard to yield great results. Therefore, we experimented with various one-legged balance poses, on one hand to showcase the leg lines and the slenderness of the waist, and on the other hand to let the skirt hem and long hair fly naturally in the air. To ensure that the figure's feet in the final selected photos wouldn't display rigidity due to an unstable center of gravity, I repeatedly tried switching my balance in the studio. I almost failed to stand stably in high heels to reach the most perfect balance point, but seeing the flowing visual effect in the final photos, the practice and hardship of that moment turned into pure joy.

The design of the hairstyle also highly restores Li Sushang's setting. The reddish-brown long hair along with straight bangs provides a strong sense of framing on both sides of the sideburns, and the layering of the hair ends is treated exceptionally well. Therefore, when I turned sideways or spun around in the studio, the wig could also swing out beautiful arcs just like real flowing long hair. This photoshoot was not just about taking a static look, but rather about restoring the vitality of this character within the world-building setting of Honkai Impact 3rd. As an enthusiast who frequently tries different character dress-ups, every time I come into contact with a character possessing such a thick Chinese-style background, I need to research the character's personality and the martial arts environment she resides in beforehand, trying my best to make my gaze and posture in front of the lens fit with the character's soul.

As for the physical stamina sacrificed for this look, it could only be truly felt when putting on that pair of black high-heeled sandals to do this set of one-legged balance poses. The weight-bearing point of the feet is extremely narrow, and standing stably while maintaining a relaxed expression requires a lot from the calves and core strength. Therefore, I would quickly take a breath to relax my legs during shooting intervals, preventing my expression from breaking down due to muscle stiffness. However, it is also this "painful yet joyful" process that makes cosplay more challenging and filled with a sense of achievement.

Every detail of this final selected set of images—from the draping of the streamers, to the embellishments of the red and white pom-poms, to the slender proportions of bare legs wearing high heels, and that iconic pose with one leg lifted—has undergone meticulous polishing by the team. I am very grateful to the photographer for catching my state when I was completely relaxed and invested in the character, and also thankful to myself for not backing down due to the difficulty of the poses. This Li Sushang Brocade-Year Jade Cluster cosplay shoot was a pure character interpretation, simply wanting to present this special New Year image in its original flavor. Every time I complete a work I am satisfied with, this heartfelt sense of accomplishment is highly authentic; it's not just completing a photo, but completing a transmission from the 2D world to reality, showcasing fine Chinese-style photography.