This Honkai: Star Rail Ruan Mei Plumblossom Letter look took about a month from preparation to the final photos. The overall design is very sophisticated, with white and blue as the primary colors, spliced with lace, pearls, and gold piping. The headpiece uses a blend of pink-and-white flowers and mesh lace, while the white lace choker features a deep-green gem set in the center, complemented by gold metal chains and tassels for rich, multi-layered detailing.
The highlights of the costume are mainly concentrated on the sleeves and skirt. The top features an off-the-shoulder strap design, with cuffs heavily decorated with lace and dimensional flowers. To enhance visual depth, I deliberately prepared asymmetrical gloves: a short white glove on the right hand and a long deep-blue glove on the left, creating a striking contrast. The bottom is a blue miniskirt adorned with white floral embroidery, edged with gold linework along the hem.
Regarding the much-discussed leg ring and hosiery pairing, I chose a pair of sheer Nude stockings this time, accented with a pearl leg ring around the thigh. The pearl element echoes the chains on the choker, while the Nude stockings reflect a natural skin sheen under studio lights and flatter the leg lines. Paired with a wooden folding fan, the overall ensemble achieves high completion.
The studio set was arranged with abundant traditional elements, such as wooden tiled eaves on the left, hollow wooden window lattices behind, and a giant glowing moon prop. Wooden lanterns on both sides provided effective fill light, casting warm yellow tones onto the white fur that contrasted nicely with the cool palette of the costume. Cascading wisteria and white flowering branches added depth to the frame, preventing the composition from looking flat.
In terms of posing and expression, I strove to capture the original character's gentle, poised demeanor. For the seated posture, I chose crossed legs, using the skirt drape and a forward torso lean to flatter the body silhouette. To maintain this pose without creating creases in the outfit, my body remained tensed throughout the shoot; moreover, the wooden props and feather cushions retained heat in the studio, making long gloves and stockings a genuine test of stamina. The way I held the fan was adjusted repeatedly—partially concealing facial contours while elongating the fingers, all while aligning my line of sight.
For lighting, the photographer used a key light to illuminate the face and white fabrics, combined with a backlight to outline the hair and shoulders. To prevent the blue fabric from appearing dull under the lights, cool-toned side fill was added. Overall, I am very pleased with the mood and texture of the finished shots; the Plumblossom Letter design suits this kind of Chinese fantasy aesthetic perfectly. If there is an opportunity later on, I would love to attempt an outdoor shoot for this look under natural sunlight.