[Nefer Cosplay] Sumeru Scholar in Genshin Impact: Costume Details and Photoshoot Experience

There are actually many details in this Nefer costume that needed repeated adjustments. From receiving the finished product from the tailor to the final makeup setting, it went through three revisions, primarily stuck on the connection between the shoulder armor and the collar metal pieces. The original dark green velvet fabric is very picky about lighting; it looks dark in indoor warm light, but emits a very high-end dark green luster under flashlights. The tube top tailoring of the top needed to fit the body shape while leaving enough room to raise arms and strike poses, so the inner lining was made with a double layer of elastic mesh. The golden geometric patterns at the waist are spliced hard leather pieces with a row of narrow silver rivets added along the edges. Although visually exquisite, one must make sure the belt doesn't poke into the stomach while sitting. The white mini skirt hem used a structured satin fabric, and its high-low front-and-back design happened to reveal the position of the leg garter. The elastic band of that leg garter is actually prone to leaving marks, so I deliberately padded a thin silicone mat underneath before shooting.

The black long gloves on both hands were the most time-consuming accessories in this look. The metal armor pieces on the fingertips required independent pattern drafting and bonding, and the length of every single finger had to be precise to the millimeter, otherwise it would affect the flexibility of holding props. When I tried them on, I found that the joint areas of the index and middle fingers were prone to wrinkles, so I deliberately kept my fingers slightly splayed during the shooting, making them look sharper in the lens. The tassel pendants of the headpiece used cyan-blue glass beads with great downward gravity, but they easily got tangled with the earrings during dynamic movements, so for most poses I chose static sitting positions, which instead better highlighted the character's steady demeanor.

The shooting scene was chosen in a vintage exotic-style studio. The large white furry armchair and the dark red tapestry behind it matched the atmosphere of the Sumeru Akademiya wonderfully, complemented by goblets and pomegranates as accents. Although the golden lace-up shoes on my feet looked great, the soles were rather thin, and standing for too long would cause my arches to ache, so I spent most of the time sitting on the chair to complete the shoot. Nude-colored stockings were decided upon temporarily before the fitting because the original character design features bare legs, but considering that some reflectors in the studio might expose skin texture flaws, high-transparency thin stockings were chosen to unify skin tone. Moreover, the stockings produce a natural shimmer under overhead lighting, making leg lines look smoother.

During shooting, the photographer tried several different lighting schemes, finally selecting a soft front main light plus a rim light from the back-side, which allowed both the dark green clothes and the greenish-yellow ribbons to show layers. The ribbon material was lightweight chiffon with pearlescent hot-stamping, producing flowing luster when blown by wind or waved. The few shots where I held the pomegranate goblet were actually candid snapshots during a mid-shoot break, which turned out even more relaxed and natural than posed shots. The overall costume leans toward gorgeousness and mystery, so in expression management, I didn't deliberately smile, but maintained a peaceful and slightly distant gaze, which was closer to the character's erudite yet cool-aloof temperament in the plot.

Starting from makeup at 9:00 AM to finishing work at 6:00 PM, the whole process took about nine hours. During makeup removal, I noticed that the wig bangs were somewhat frizzy from frequent touching, so I'll need to restyle the hair fibers back home. Additionally, the Velcro on the inner side of the shoulder armor rubbed slightly against my neck, so next time I do an outdoor shoot, I'll add a layer of soft fabric padding inside the collar. Overall, the movability and visual appeal of this costume are balanced quite well, allowing steady photos from both standing and sitting postures—especially high-angle overhead shots or low-angle upward shots, both of which bring out different auras. This trial fitting and shooting accumulated plenty of experience, such as the fixing method of ribbons, the tension control of gloves, and how to utilize stocking textures to supplement frame details.