The Honor of Kings Xiao Qiao Line Puppy collaboration skin instantly captured my heart at first glance. The moment I decided to cosplay this look, my mind began envisioning how to seamlessly blend the game's charming elements with the comforting softness of real-life plushies. Once the plan was locked in, I immediately started gathering the wardrobe and props.
For the outfit, the off-the-shoulder white knit sweater paired with the vibrant yellow knit scarf served as the core piece. To channel Line Puppy's signature rounded, laid-back, and endearing silhouette, I specifically opted for a relaxed, oversized cut so that natural fabric draping would emerge with every pose. The pink paw-pad trinket on the scarf and the miniature black top hat at the waist were essential focal details reinforcing the character's identity. For the wig, I feathered the layers to build airy volume and added star-shaped hairpins along with white fluffy animal ears to give the head a fuller, rounder contour.
Building the set and selecting props also took substantial effort. To complement the theme, we gathered numerous white plush puppy toys alongside faux decorated cakes, colorful hourglasses, and a vintage toaster, constructing a whimsical, pastel-toned kitchen setting. Because the ambient environment was bursting with color, maintaining chromatic balance during the shoot was crucial to ensure the background never overshadowed the subject.
For makeup, since Xiao Qiao embodies a youthful spirit—accentuated by the Line Puppy collaboration—the palette leaned into a translucent, Japanese-style sweet aesthetic. Soft blush was dusted beneath the lower lash line and high on the apples of the cheeks to impart a tender, subtly flushed warmth, while light brown tones grounded the eye makeup, softening the gaze without feeling cakey or overdone.
During shooting, the photographer captured kinetic moments with exceptional timing. In the frame where my arms are spread wide (Image 6), I leaned my weight backward to let the ruffled hem ripple cleanly while naturally highlighting leg lines. Even with cozy opaque socks, crisscrossing pink ribbon ties retained a touch of playful charm. We predominantly utilized diffused, soft ambient lighting to prevent harsh cast shadows from compromising the fairy-tale aesthetic. Staging the props carefully established layered foreground and background depth, using tabletop plushies for soft foreground blur so I remained the crisp focal center.
The entire shoot stretched from midday to sunset. While costume adjustments and makeup touch-ups were demanding, seeing the final fairy-tale radiance made every ounce of effort worthwhile. I hope this Xiao Qiao Line Puppy series brings a dose of gentle healing to everyone.