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What Makes an Umamusume Costume Feel Inevitable? The Design Logic and Craft Behind Bringing Each Character’s Charm to Life
The appeal of "Umamusume: Pretty Derby" (hereafter "Umamusume") lies in the unique stories woven by its characters, who are inspired by real-life racehorses. The wide array of outfits they sport in the game go beyond mere flashiness, speaking volumes about each girl's way of life and background.
The design process kicks off with two specialized roles: the "Costume Concept Planner" and the "Costume Designer." The Costume Designer elevates the concepts crafted by the planner, turning them into detailed visuals. This tight-knit collaboration has given birth to numerous iconic outfits.
We sat down with the two Cygames professionals in charge of costume production for the project. We’ll dive into the behind-the-scenes stories of their deep respect for the original racehorses, how they fuse their designs with modern fashion trends, and the "calculated attention to detail" they employ to make each character shine their brightest.
The Costume Concept Planner: A "Translator" Channeling the Story's Passion into Visuals
To start, could you tell us about the roles of a Costume Concept Planner and a Costume Designer?
Costume Concept PlannerA Costume Concept Planner's job is, you could say, to create the "blueprint for an outfit's concept." We decide on the fundamental direction: "What facet of a character's appeal should this outfit convey, and through what theme?"
While I don't draw the illustrations myself, I use words and visual references to communicate the outfit's background, intent, and desired style to the designer, who then brings it to life. You could say I'm like a "translator," channeling the passion of the "Umamusume" story into the visuals.
Costume Designer: The Costume Designer builds on the concept established by the planner and brings it to life as a concrete illustration. Our goal is to create the most visually captivating design possible by incorporating as many of the planner's ideas and the character's unique traits as we can.
We've heard that Costume Concept Planner is an exceptionally rare role within the game industry.
Costume Concept PlannerIn typical game development, planners or illustrators often handle costume concepts as well. The reason "Umamusume" has a dedicated "Costume Concept Planner" role stems from our strong commitment to delivering outfits that feel both aspirational and authentic, especially to a modern female audience.
The game is set in a world very similar to modern-day Japan. This means that, even more than in a fantasy title, consistency with real-world fashion is crucial. We are extremely careful to ensure our designs don't feel disconnected from the sense of "style" that our players experience in their everyday lives.
A wide variety of outfits appear in the game. Which types does the Costume Concept Planner work on?
Costume Concept PlannerPrimarily three types: "Racing Silks," "Casual Wear," and "Seasonal Outfits."
"Racing Silks" are the outfits the girls wear to compete in races. The key considerations are how to best incorporate elements from the original racehorse and ensuring the outfit stands out while they're running.
"Casual Wear," just as the name implies, refers to the characters' everyday clothes. We prioritize outfits that feel realistic for the characters to choose and wear, and of course, that suit them perfectly.
Costume Concept PlannerFinally, "Seasonal Outfits" are released to coincide with seasons like Christmas, and they can also be worn in the in-game races. We make it a priority for these outfits to have a distinct seasonal feel and to reveal a hidden side of a character's charm you don't normally get to see.
Costume DesignerWhen designing Racing Outfits, Seasonal Outfits, and Casual Wear, we take two main approaches.
The first involves building on an "Initial Costume Plan," which provides guidelines on the design direction, historical facts, and color palette. The second is a more free-form, creator-driven approach where designers have the liberty to build a design from scratch without any constraints.
The latter approach is the main driver for our signature Racing Outfits and some of the Casual Wear. Lately, we've also seen more designs that start with a baseline from the planning team and are then fleshed out creatively.
Of course, all costume designs are reviewed by an Initial Costume Planner. We bounce ideas off each other to really polish the final quality.
When there's an initial plan, the challenge and enjoyment come from transforming those core ideas into a visually stunning outfit. In contrast, free-form design gives us a blank canvas. We get to channel our artistic vision to express the personality of an "Uma Musume" from zero. This is a pivotal role that goes beyond just the clothing—it involves shaping the entire character, from their facial features to their hairstyle. The ultimate thrill of this work is getting to directly pour our respect and passion for the original racehorses into our designs, creating a powerful and explosive final look.
Expressing a Character's Inner World Through Their Outfit Is Key to Making Them Stand Out
What makes designing for a game different from just creating "cute clothes"?
Initial Costume PlannerWhat's most critical is that the outfit "instantly communicates the character's charm." We constantly aim for designs where you can grasp a character's personality, convictions, and preferences in a single look.
Costume DesignerIt goes beyond just visual variety. By centering our design philosophy on "expressing the character's inner world," the creative possibilities become infinitely richer.
For instance, take two "energetic" characters. If the roots of their energy differ, it will create clear distinctions in the details and silhouettes of their outfits, resulting in much deeper character differentiation.
What are some of the unique challenges in creating costumes for Uma Musume?
Costume DesignerBalancing the game's universe with functionality. The Uma Musume are both racers and performers, so we have to ensure their outfits can "function for a top athlete" while also having "enough glamour for a stage performance."
For the Uma Musume, running is non-negotiable. That means we pursue a kind of practical beauty, ensuring freedom of movement for their legs and avoiding overly ornate decorations.
We also keep a consistent balance in the stylization, density of detail, and color palettes across all designs. We are always conscious of designing from a bird's-eye view, so that when you see all the outfits from the beginning of the game to now, the integrity of the world remains intact.
Initial Costume PlannerWe're especially mindful of making clothes they can run in. For example, even with long skirts, we'll add slits or design them to flow backward.
Another thing is, since the Uma Musume all show their emotions through their ears, we pay extra close attention to earrings and other head accessories. We aim to add adornments that make their ears look cute but don't get in the way of their movements.
Many characters wear different colored shoes on each foot. That's a very specific and unique design choice, isn't it?
Initial Costume PlannerThat's where our respect for the original horses is most condensed. We incorporate the leg markings (called "white markings") of the racehorses they're based on into their designs.
If a horse's hind legs are different colors, we'll make their shoes different colors. If they have unique markings on their forelegs, we'll reflect that in their gloves. It's how we "translate" the physical traits of the original horses into fashionable accents.
Relationships and Rivalries Woven into the Fabric
Out of all the many outfits, is there one that holds a special place in your heart as a creator?
Initial Costume PlannerFor me, it would have to be Grass Wonder's [Soen no Homare] outfit.
The horse she is based on, Grass Wonder, had a heated rivalry with Special Week, who is one of the main protagonists in Umamusume.
The [Soen no Homare] outfit is inspired by their historic final battle. We designed it as a Japanese-style outfit that feels right for Grass Wonder, who, despite being foreign-bred, captured the hearts of Japanese fans with her performance.
The result is a graceful and dignified look that stands in stark contrast to Special Week's new racing outfit, [Hinomoto Ichi no Sotaisho]. I'm personally a huge fan of how it turned out.
Costume DesignerNeo Universe and Sounds of Earth share a profound bond as parent and child in real-life racing history, so we incorporated traits like Earth's blue eyes and soft hair into her design as points of inheritance from Neo Universe. We took great care to express this bloodline connection through both their visuals and their outfits.
Sounds of Earth’s racing outfit, [Ritmo della Terra], inherits elements from Neo Universe's voluminous, white-based racing outfit, [Universe-Naut], such as the large white ribbon tying her hair and the voluminous white frills on the sleeves.
Costume DesignerSounds of Earth's seasonal outfit, [Sonata alla Menta], features ear covers reminiscent of Neo Universe's racing outfit, [Universe-Naut], as well as three belts across the chest. It also uses a light blue base color that evokes Neo Universe's inner hair color.
Costume DesignerShe also inherits features like short boots, braids, and eyelet frills from Neo Universe’s seasonal outfit, [Like "ZEER"].
We've sprinkled in other subtle elements that evoke one another throughout their designs, so we really hope you'll try comparing them.
So it's not just their personalities, but also the 'connections' between characters that are reflected in their outfits, right?
Costume DesignerThat's right. We sometimes use outfits to showcase connections beyond just family ties.
The real horses Daitaku Helios and Mejiro Palmer were both famous for their front-running style in the '90s, and in the world of Umamusume, we portray them as 'besties' (Zuttomo). That's why in her casual attire, Daitaku Helios wears nail polish combining Mejiro Palmer's green with her own blue, while Mejiro Palmer wears a bracelet featuring the same color combination.
Costume DesignerFor Daitaku Helios's seasonal outfit [Joyful_Jamboree!] and Mejiro Palmer's seasonal outfit [Sekishin no Tonakai-san], we sprinkled in matching details everywhere, like mini hats and even swapping elements of each other's hairstyles. If you compare them, you're sure to find some neat things. We hope that through these designs, you can feel the friendship and bond between the two.
The real horse Daitaku Helios was a rival to K.S. Miracle.
While Daitaku Helios's and K.S. Miracle's racing outfits both primarily feature blue and yellow, their backstories—including the personalities of the real horses and their histories—are polar opposites. That's precisely why we designed them with the deliberate intent of highlighting their contrasting appeals when they stand together as rivals.
I believe this is a great example of how even something like 'expressing relationships through colors, designs, and motifs' can vary greatly depending on the interpretation of the characters' personalities and connections.
Incorporating Trends from the Racehorses' Heyday
Do you pay attention to trends when designing the outfits?
Original Outfit PlannerWe definitely keep them in mind to a certain extent. In a world like Umamusume's, which is so close to modern-day Japan, the designs can look dated if you don't keep up with real-world fashion trends.
For instance, we incorporated a Y2K-esque feel, which is a recent trend, into Mayano Top Gun's outfit [Rockin’☆MewMeow]. For Narita Taishin's [Meiko Override], we brought in a cutting-edge tech aesthetic.
Costume DesignerOn the other hand, we also sometimes incorporate trends from the era when the original racehorse was active.
Fusaichi Pandora was a racehorse who competed in the 2000s, a time when a fashion style called 'hime-kei' (princess gyaru) was trending. That's why her outfit is styled in the hime-kei fashion, based on the concept of a 'fluffy, marshmallow, super-sweet gyaru.'
She comes from a wealthy background and has a lavish way with money, so she’s also decked out in plenty of luxurious accessories.
Can you tell us about an outfit that was especially challenging to create?
Original Outfit PlannerDream Journey's seasonal outfit, [Sesshaku no Yumeji] , was a long process of trial and error.
She is a multifaceted character who embodies 'coolness,' 'cuteness,' 'dignity,' and a hint of 'danger' all at once. The initial concepts just weren't hitting the mark, so we made a bold change in direction midway through the process. As a result, I believe we managed to create a mysterious outfit that lets her noble aura shine through.
Costume DesignerDream Journey is a character I personally feel very strongly about.
Because of this, when we first started out, the team debated extensively on how to best merge her unique personality with the direction of the initial concept. It took a long time to find a solution, but to break the deadlock and bring out her charm to the fullest, I proposed a brand-new approach featuring a "silhouette and direction completely opposite to the original plan."
Driven by the sole desire to "release her into the world looking her absolute best," I redefined the design from the ground up. It’s a memorable outfit into which I poured all my passion and meticulous care.
Original Costume Concept PlannerAnother design that gave us a tough time was Mejiro Ramonu's seasonal outfit, "Untouchable Eden."
At first, to emphasize her aloof beauty, I had her wearing a huge ornament on her back, but it was rejected because "it would get in the way during races" (laughs). After that, we went through a marathon of fine-tuning to decide just how far to push the envelope on her sensual side. The more we struggle with an outfit, the greater the sense of relief when it's well-received by all the players.
Finally, could you share a message for all the Trainers out there?
Original Costume Concept PlannerThank you so much for your continued love for Umamusume. Seeing all of you notice and analyze the intricate details of the costumes is our biggest motivation.
The entire staff creates these with a deep respect for the characters' personalities and, above all, for the racehorses that inspire them. We hope you can catch a glimpse of the unique story each Horse Girl has lived through the details of her outfit.
Costume DesignerI've agonized over how to make each Horse Girl shine her brightest, meticulously shaping every single outfit with that sole purpose. Through these costumes, I hope to help convey the characters' warmth and spirit. It would make me so happy if we could give Umamusume fans a real sense that the Horse Girls are truly alive and present.
The moment they run, the moment they sing, and the quiet moments spent by your side—to make all those times shine even brighter, we will continue to pour our hearts into carefully designing each and every outfit.
Header caption: © Cygames, Inc.
Text by Maishiro
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