[Mulberry cosplay] Arknights Chinese Retro Style Designed by Kaiko Watanabe

This time, I shot Mulberry from Arknights. The outfit was designed by Kaiko Watanabe, and it is packed with intricate details. The top features a black and red color block design with traditional red frog buttons and piping along the neckline, paired with a blue rectangular card holder hanging over the chest accented by a cascading red tassel. The lower half consists of a white apron skirt printed with pale blue landscape ink-wash motifs and red accents, flanked by traditional calligraphy characters and seal stamps. A long black ribbon belt is tied at the waist, draping down fluidly. Wearing it, you can instantly feel the subtle sheen of the fabric; the black jacket possesses a silk-like texture that forms a striking contrast against the white apron.

For the wig, I selected long, straight silver-grey hair with straight bangs, pinned on the left side with a red bow hair accessory. For makeup, I specifically wore light blue contact lenses and kept the lip color a pale, subtle pink. The location was set in a Chinese retro aesthetic, featuring reddish-brown carved wooden screens, lattice windows, hanging scrolls, and green ceramic vases. I sat on a wooden daybed layered with plush blankets. The background was subtly decorated with faux blossom branches and dried golden florals, with every prop thoughtfully positioned.

This time, I paired the outfit with Black stockings featuring a red circular ring accent at the cuffs, matched with glossy silver Mary Jane heels. For a handheld prop, I held a sprig of red berries, which echoed the red accents in the attire beautifully. The session was captured on a Fujifilm X-S10 paired with a 27mm F1.2 lens. Niu Niu handled both the shooting and post-processing. The warm yellow lighting looked wonderful and remained exceptionally soft. The ultra-large aperture performed comfortably in the dim indoor light, isolating the subject cleanly from the backdrop.

Regarding posing, I tried resting fingers lightly against my cheek as well as leaning sideways along the wooden daybed. This set was conceived to convey a serene yet slightly distant aura. Mulberry inherently carries a quiet, composed demeanor, and this Chinese-style outfit designed by Kaiko Watanabe seamlessly marries traditional motifs with modern cuts. The black, red, white, and blue palette looked very striking under warm lighting. While posing, I had to be mindful of how the apron fell to ensure the landscape illustration was properly displayed. Tailoring to the wide aperture, the focal length was quite unforgiving with facial and limb angles, requiring slow, deliberate adjustments because a slight tilt could easily throw the eyes out of critical focus.

To highlight the unique tailoring of the garment, I tested several different seated postures. While sitting on the plush blanket, leaning slightly forward to grasp the sprig of red berries created a nice contrast between my arm contours and the wide, sweeping sleeves. Black stockings paired with silver patent shoes naturally cast specular reflections under warm lights, so the positioning of my legs had to be adjusted multiple times to flatter the leg lines without looking visually intrusive.

Mulberry's outfit has profound textural layering: the black jacket is relatively loose and flowing, whereas the white apron cinches the silhouette visually, complemented by the blue card holder and red tassel accents to create rich color saturation. Because of this, we kept the studio lighting as soft as possible to prevent harsh blowouts. Wrapping up this shoot deepened my understanding of Mulberry; from gestures to expressions, I strove to stay faithful to her steady, grounded nature. That about wraps up what I have to share for today!