[Suoming cosplay] Cold and Aloof Expert from Mengzhou, The Gorgeous Collision of Black-and-Red Cloak and Golden Bells

The styling details of this shoot are truly numerous. The red double-bun hair paired with those two huge golden bell hair accessories carries some weight; after putting them on, core engagement was required to maintain neck balance. To match Suoming's character temperament, I purposely wore red circle lenses, with the eye makeup intensifying the red blending at the outer corners of the eyes, and corresponding makeup treatment on the cheeks, wanting to present a feeling of coldness yet slight mystery overall. The costume is a modified dress in a black-and-red color scheme, with the white lace and red accents on the chest serving as the visual center. The edges of the black sleeve covers on the arms feature red patterns, and the black nail polish was also meant to echo the overall color tone. The inner lining of the outer cloak is a vibrant red; when walking or sitting, the large expanse of red and black forms a strong contrast, which is very eye-catching.

I wore black glossy platform boots, paired with White stockings featuring a red heart pattern at the sock cuff. Although these boots have thick soles, they were surprisingly easy to walk in. Arriving at the shooting venue, the background featured traditional Chinese-style wooden lattice windows and warm yellow paper lanterns, casting light that naturally brought a retro filter. Photographer Yinfanfan was very professional in light application, utilizing the on-site lantern light source to make facial light and shadow very three-dimensional. In a few shots where I sat on a desk draped with calligraphy gauze drapery, the texture of that desk somewhat resembled Chinese antique chests and cabinets; while sitting, I also had to pay attention to the spreading angle of the skirt to make the leg lines look natural. The black umbrella prop in hand carried substantial weight, and its surface featured hidden patterns; when opened, arm strength had to be controlled to present that aloof tension. Holding the umbrella while maintaining an indifferent gaze actually meant trying hard to hold back laughter the whole time. For the standing pose with hands on hips, to highlight the waistline, the shoulders had to drop naturally.

The cutting of this outfit fits the body shape very well, and the lacing design on the back needed to be adjusted to appropriate tension, showing the waistline without feeling too tight when sitting. The wig's hair strands have great gloss, and the blue hair ribbon hanging down reaches right to the waist, creating a wonderful flowing feel with the wind or slight movements. The black neck accessory and the hollow lace on the chest combined closely, adding some layering to the overall styling. During color grading, we tried our best to preserve the warm-light atmosphere of the original photos, avoiding excessive high-contrast processing. Every photo's posture was tested in several angles, especially when shooting sitting poses; the crossing angle of the legs had to be found precisely, as veering even slightly off would make the leg lines look insufficiently slender. The platform boots happened to support the instep well in such sitting poses, making the overall proportions more harmonious. Hand actions also needed coordination, such as cupping the chin with one hand or gently touching the cheek, matching the indifferent expression to successfully convey the character's sense of detachment. The black umbrella was quite large when opened; to ensure the subject remained in the center of the frame and features were clear, the shooting distance had to be pulled quite far, testing the lens's resolving power. During the shoot, we found that the wooden texture of the antique furniture and the translucent feel of the gauze drapery formed a great material collision; using the foreground gauze for some blurring gave the photos a stronger sense of space. In short, this time from makeup/styling to light and shadow perfectly matched Suoming's setting in Wuthering Waves, perfectly showcasing the character's state.