How would you go about upgrading Irelia's visual art?

Black hair. I like the idea of most Ionian's with black hair to fit the more Asian theme. That's pretty much the main thing I'd work on.

Also, a more K or J popish dance.

Karma has a practical robe and what are presumably magic amplifiers/collectors on her back. If this is what Ionian spiritual/mage type character is, Irelia should be the Warrior counterpart.

1. Keep the armour and give it a more Ionian flair. Demacians and Shadow Islanders all share similar armour motifs, Irelia and Karma should be no different.
2. Light, sleek, and sharp should be the look. Irelia is not an armoured juggernaut, she is a nimble warrior with mobile, magical blades.
3. Make her floating backpiece look more like a shield/guard. It is a magical shield that gains strength based on the number of enemies present, this is manifested as Tenacity in-game. Make it look less like some floating ornament and more like a defensive talisman.
4. Armour isn't for showing off cleavage, it's for protection. Lux has practical and feminine looking armour. Highlight and accentuate her boobs in the other skins, base skin should like a proper warrior.
5. Blades like Zed. Irelia looks like she has butter knives compared to Zed. Why single-edge floating blades? She never holds them and yet they have a grip/hilt that extends halfway. What for ?_? Make the blades double-edged and sharper. This makes her look deadlier and better shows she has mastery over a difficult craft.

No more tentacle hair.

I would go for sharp details on her armor, to make her look a lot more nice.

If I could change one thing about irelia it would be her auto attacks, she has a blade that can change form and float freely yet it is stuck in a single movement as a whole blade, id like to see as maybe a unique trait for her that she has a chain of 4 or 5 auto attacks that make use of the blade being multiple parts