Preparing this Chien Wu cosplay look took quite a bit of effort from makeup testing to the actual shoot, especially the blue halter cheongsam top. To faithfully recreate the fabric's sheen and the red patterns across the chest, we went through several iterations of print designs. For the pearl chain at the neckline, I tested three different lengths before settling on one that perfectly hugged the collarbones—elongating the neck visually without choking during posing. For the bottom, I paired highly elastic black safety shorts with sheer black stockings, as the original design's dynamic flowing ribbons require precise positioning; loose shorts would have looked bulky during standing or leg-lifting poses, so both the material and tailored fit required careful consideration.
The photoshoot took place on-site at a major anime convention hall where strong floor reflections made lighting quite demanding. To give the blue ribbons and transparent scarves an airborne, fluttering feel without an on-site fan, I relied entirely on rhythmic swings of my arm and the folding fan with one hand. The one-legged standing pose in the photos took several attempts to find the right balance, as shifting center of gravity caused slight wobbles and the soles of the black stockings and high heels were rather slippery. Fortunately, the mirrored floor tiles combined with darkening the background in post-processing brought out the contrasting red-and-blue costume completely. There were many passersby during the shoot, but the photographer rendered the background in monochrome while retaining only the character's colors, keeping the composition exceptionally crisp and clean in this convention photography session.
The folding fan was a prop I customized myself; black fan ribs with black tassels served as a subtle thematic accent without distracting from the outfit. The sheer scarf was very lightweight and tended to stick to my arms with the slightest breeze, so swinging it required controlled force to prevent it from tangling around my fingers. I specifically had the wig styled into layered, textured short hair accented with blue feathers at the side rather than wearing a heavy headdress, which created a cleaner look fitting the calm, cool-toned aura of a mature woman cosplay.
The makeup was also subtly tweaked: the eyeliner was slightly elongated and paired with classic true-red lipstick to align with the blue-and-red palette of the garments, avoiding pink or purple undertones so facial tones resonated with the attire. Once fully dressed in the hall, many passersby stopped for a second look, as this modified halter cheongsam is relatively rare at conventions, and the combination of black stockings and high heels created an eye-catching visual statement.
Regarding dynamic motion capture: the leg-lift pose in Photo 1 was actually captured mid-stride, where the ribbons caught the movement of the leg to form a natural arc. Photo 2 presents a calmer standing pose designed to showcase the full silhouette of the outfit. I personally prefer the dynamism of Photo 1 because it demonstrates how the tailoring behaves in motion—such as the cutout details on the cuffs and the large blue side ribbons, which drape down statically but fan out gorgeously with movement.
Ultimately, cosplay isn't just about capturing pretty photos, but an exploration of a character's essence. In Azur Lane, Chien Wu's composed and slightly detached persona, paired with this modified cheongsam and black stockings and high heels, heavily tests one's command of body language. Though the shoot was brief, the results faithfully recreated the image of Chien Wu I had envisioned.