Trying out this styling of Marisa Kirisame from Touhou Project, I think I can share some practical insights regarding the costume details and prop crafting.
The entire look is based on black and white as the main tone, paired with an extremely exaggerated ruffled wide-brimmed hat and skirt hem. The scattering of golden glitters on the white ruffles has a very nice reflective effect under studio lighting, making the overall look rich in layers. The small brown leather pouch on the side of the waist is the finishing touch of the styling, breaking the monotony of black and white and bringing a practical sense of carrying small items when going out.
The long straight golden hair paired with straight bangs is a highly iconic element of the character. The wig was combed quite smoothly this time, and after putting on the large black-brimmed ruffled hat, there is still a tiny decoration on top. Although restoring these subtle details is troublesome, it is highly important for the character's charm.
Next, let's talk about this magic wand prop. It isn't just an ordinary broom; I gave it a highly decorative treatment. The handle part is wrapped with spiral black mesh and white ribbons, and the black mesh and bowknot at the tip make the entire prop visually fuller, forming a great echo with the ruffles of the skirt hem.
When shooting this set of photos, I intentionally chose to find a place inside the convention venue without too many cluttered backgrounds. Using a high-power flash and a softbox to brighten the character subject and dim the background creates a theatrical stage presence as if being inside the nightscape of Gensokyo. During the shooting process, the single-leg standing angle was actually a bit tiring since I needed to maintain my center of gravity, but to snap the moments of the flying skirt hem and the extending prop, it was worth trying the pose multiple times for these convention photos.
Regarding the makeup, it mainly highlighted the contours of the eyes, smudging with a soft pinkish palette combined with a lightweight base makeup, making the skin look fair and translucent. No particularly exaggerated heavy makeup was used, hoping to preserve the character's traits of having both the mystery of a magician and a bit of teenage playfulness. For matching, the shoes chosen were patent leather thick-soled Mary Janes, which look good and make it convenient to stand for a long time.
In the entire photoset, the first movement is a rather static standing look back, which can beautifully display the front and side details of the clothing, and combined with expression control, it looks quite gentle. Although the second movement was tiring, it shot an energetic and lively temperament. Looking back at this roleplay experience, I feel that although Marisa's styling is exaggerated, it is highly photogenic; both the big hat and the broom possess great recognition for this piece of cosplay photography.