[Topaz Cosplay] Honkai: Star Rail Collaboration Anniversary Shoot Sharing

On this day last year, it happened to overlap with Qixi (Chinese Valentine's Day), so this memory always carries a sweet filter. Actually, the event on August 8th ended smoothly, but I was so dizzyingly busy back then that I dragged out posting this draft until today (selfie Orz). This was a very special collaboration because besides regular cosplay, we also shot a highly memorable collaboration-themed photo series.

Today I'm mainly sharing the costumes, makeup, props, and a few casual ramblings from the shoot. This time I cosplayed Topaz cosplay from Honkai: Star Rail, while my partner He cosplayed Aventurine cosplay, perfectly matching the CITIC collaboration theme event back then—truly a wonderful twist of fate. Preparation work was meticulous: we wanted to present a retro Uniform cosplay style leaning toward classic European aesthetics with magic and playing card elements. To fit the theme, He's uniform featured a dark brown and purple spliced vest, paired with our matching yellow-and-orange ties, fine metal chains, and badge accessories, delivering authentic quality. My own outfit focused on the craftsmanship of dark blue fabric stitched with purple and gold elements, along with my Stocking outfit details; the material was carefully chosen to present a high-end texture in front of the lens.

The set design on shooting day was extremely photogenic. Red-brown patterned wallpaper, wooden staircases, and my favorite vintage red velvet sofa, combined with gorgeous crystal chandeliers and dried flower bouquets in the background, gave the entire set a rich and warm tone. During shooting, my partner and I had plenty of interaction since the personalities of these two characters are inherently full of tension. Whether striking a pose with playing cards or adopting a relaxed stance on the sofa, we tried to align closely with the characters' confident yet mysterious vibe through body language. For key actions—like holding the custom gold-and-silver prop gun or adjusting my hat brim with black gloves—the photographer repeatedly adjusted angles to capture the best light and shadow. Some spots were dim, requiring reflector boards and fill lights to highlight the outfit's gold trims and hair luster, making seeing the final photos feel immensely rewarding.

Besides indoor studio shooting, we also wore this full outfit to an anime convention. Looking at those convention photos now, it's truly a completely different style! The formal vibe from the studio instantly became much more down-to-earth at the convention. We even brought corresponding miniature figures on-site to interact with and took several cozy, realistic group photos. That shot where we partially covered our faces with the figures grows more amusing the more I look at it, giving a magical sense of breaking the fourth wall. I also brought along some merch, including laser-holographic character standees and playing cards, greeting players who love these two characters with a super cheerful atmosphere.

As for the collaboration merch, I took several close-up shots as well. The card face design is undeniably exquisite—both the acrylic standee material and the characters' iconic expressions on the cards are recreated faithfully, making them highly memorable for collection. The final photo featuring card gacha pulls and the merch collection recorded our modest trophies from participating in this anniversary event. For this 1st anniversary of the collaboration, this delayed post serves as a homework submission to my past self. Despite the hardship of adjustments during the shooting process, being able to capture myself as a beloved character on camera alongside a deeply synced partner makes the entire journey immensely motivating. The story continues; let's record this precious moment of our past year with this commemorative photo set.