This Wuthering Waves Iuno cosplay at the Chengdu World Line Anime Exhibition took roughly a month and a half from preparation to finished photos. To recreate this white-and-gold battle suit, I specifically chose faux leather with a metallic sheen and heavy satin fabric as base materials. The golden armor plate across the chest was actually crafted from an EVA foam base and hand-spray painted; its fit on the body was better than expected, though walking around still required caution to prevent metal components from scraping against the fabric. For the wig in this Blue hair cosplay, I used long twin-tails with gradient blue shades; to achieve that ocean-like transition at the hair tips, it was dyed three times to reach the current result. Just securing the hair roots and the golden horned crown at the top consumed half a can of hairspray.
The most daunting challenge was undoubtedly the massive ring prop. Spanning nearly two meters in diameter, the outer rim required a metallic texture while the inner rim needed to cast an icy blue glow, which we ultimately constructed using acrylic sheets and LED strips. Transporting it from the studio to the convention venue took tremendous effort, and during the shoot I had to sit atop the suspended pedestal in the center. In truth, I felt quite nervous inside because maintaining balance was tricky; to keep anyone from noticing my legs trembling, I had to lean my center of gravity back as much as possible, striking an aloof, composed seated posture. The Chengdu convention had massive foot traffic that day; although the hall had air conditioning, wearing this armor under intense spotlights still made me break into a sweat. Fortunately, the photographer was brilliant at finding angles, utilizing the ambient hall lighting and reflective floors to capture a perspective that appeared almost suspended mid-air. The blue particle light effects in the pictures were added in post-production to enhance the overall magical aura of this Anime cosplay.
To coordinate with the outfit, I chose white lace-up high heels; while walking in them was exhausting, they certainly elongated leg contours, and paired with high shooting angles, visual proportions were greatly enhanced. During the shoot, I was constantly adjusting the flow of the wig, hoping every strand of hair would radiate this sharp, crisp presence. In terms of pose choreography, I referenced combat stances and graceful elements, striving to showcase Iuno's blend of strength and feminine poise. Because the prop was heavy, two friends had to hold the pedestal steady the entire time, so while everyone sees an effortless, calm demeanor in the photos, behind the scenes was quite hectic! Due to the floor's strong reflections, opening the aperture to f/2.8 heavily compressed the background, meaning many of the silhouette rim lines relied on the overhead venue lights. Because the wig was so long, the slightest movement caused it to tangle around my armbands, requiring me to reorganize the hair and costume ribbons during every break.
Being able to present such an intricate styling at the convention was inseparable from every team member helping me adjust the garments and props. Though exhausting, seeing the final photos made everything completely worthwhile. I also ran into many fellow Wuthering Waves fans in the exhibition hall, exchanging shooting insights in front of booths; the convention atmosphere felt wonderful, which is precisely why I persist in taking on large-prop cosplay. Since there are numerous metal accessories around the waist and neck, dressing required fastening them layer by layer to avoid slippage. The inner garment fabric is relatively thin, so when tailoring, extra leeway was intentionally left to prevent awkward creases from bunching up while seated—something discussed at length with the tailor during customization.
In truth, the blue wig appears differently in outdoor natural light compared to venue lighting: indoor cool light makes the blue look purer, whereas outdoor lighting would likely skew slightly purple, which is why most shots were completed inside the hall. When retouching, I preserved authentic skin texture without excessive smoothing, focusing instead on enhancing contrast and golden highlights. For characters with mechanical armor aesthetics, crisp lines carry far more visual impact than overdone soft diffusion. The strappy heels were actually not very supportive, but rather than compromise the overall styling, I had to subtly grip with my toes; by the next day, my calves were intensely sore! That is the reality of executing fully equipped cosplay: as glamorous as the photos look, behind the scenes is pure physical labor. While shooting this set, convention crowds were bustling past us; we used a telephoto lens to crop out the crowds, keeping the frame clean. The color grading required extra care in post-processing: if gold saturation is pushed too high, it looks tacky, so I made subtle tone curve adjustments to give the gold a more grounded, regal look while retaining edge specular highlights. When shooting with large props, it's best to aim for right when the hall opens or near closing time to dodge peak crowds. The hall's ceiling was very high, casting even light down, but leaving the lower areas slightly dim; hence, when composing seated postures, I stretched my legs and shoes toward the light source as much as possible.