[Rem cosplay] Re:Zero Qipao style, An interpretation of Chinese-style elegance for the blue-haired girl

This styling, combining short blue hair with a Chinese-style Qipao, is not a routine derivative creation, but an attempt to fuse the inherent iconic symbols of the anime character with the tailoring of Chinese attire. In the setting, the blue hair itself has a very strong iconic nature. When it collides with traditional elements like the mandarin collar and high slits, the visual tension is much more direct than with ordinary Western-style dresses.

The focus of the makeup is to restore the translucent, elfin-like feel of the blue hair. The base makeup needs to be exceptionally light and thin; it cannot suppress the original texture of the skin, otherwise, the whole look will appear very fake. Eye makeup and eye color are the finishing touches; the combination of light blue pupils and eyeliner makes the person look very spirited without appearing aggressive. Regarding the hair styling, the white small flowers on top and the feathers and knots on the side took a lot of effort from the stylist to set. Such layered head ornaments easily scatter during daily movement, so a large amount of hairspray and fine steel clips were used before the shoot to ensure that no flaws would be revealed from various angles as the lens rotated.

The improved Qipao I'm wearing is very special; it breaks my inherent impression of traditional Qipao as being slim-fitting and ascetic. The neckline uses a large bow decorated with gold piping, the abdomen is hollowed out, and combined with metal arm rings and gemstone inlays on the arms, the overall style has that taste of fantasy blended with ancient Chinese style. The high slit of the skirt design and the tassels underneath actually easily cause trouble for footwork during the shoot; if the movements are slightly too large, they will hook onto nearby furniture, so one must always pay attention to the magnitude of the steps while moving.

The first close-up was chosen to be shot at the table. The light at that time was the soft, natural window light of 3 or 4 p.m. This kind of light hitting the face and head ornaments makes them appear particularly textured. I chose a semi-prone posture with my hand supporting my chin, mainly to create a sense of relaxed observation. There is no need to deliberately pose; when the emotion is there, the frame will be naturally fluid.

For the second full-body shot, in terms of composition, I deliberately chose Chinese-style wooden screens and bonsai as environmental padding. A white Qipao alone in a solid-colored background would appear too thin. After adding wooden furniture, the frame has a bit more coordination like a still-life painting. The black high heels on my feet and the thin rope bindings on my ankles were also deliberately matched to elongate the proportions of the lower body. The standing posture was repeatedly adjusted during shooting; this type of clothing is a real test of the shooter's core strength. The shoulders must be completely sunk, otherwise, the neckline of the clothing will appear uneven. The post-production cropping of the full-body shot is slightly larger, because the position of the skirt hem overlapped with the indoor light and shadow at that time. To better highlight the body lines, some black and white block masking processing was done on the final image, making the overall center of gravity of the composition more concentrated on the upper body and leg lines.

This cross-border style does not yield results through random combinations; it needs to firmly grasp the character's core visual symbols, such as this hair color and hair accessories, and then apply new clothing forms. This attempt also gave me more thoughts on character interpretation. Photography itself is a process of constant trial and error and adjustment. Only through the cooperation of props, lighting, and clothing can this Chinese-style mix-and-match texture that is both elegant and a bit playful be finally presented.