"I always wear my own designs. I added a dark element to the cuteness of Lolita."
"I think of them as day-to-day clothes. It's not cosplay... sometimes it is registered as such, especially with the rise in popularity of maid cafes around Akihabara. I'd like people to realize that they're different."
"I love seeing fans cosplay me, it makes me happy."
†From The Tokyo Look Book by Philomena Keet (Kodansha Int'l, 2007) p86-89.
>> April 28, 2008, 9:31 pm
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La Carmina
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How Tos >>
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Last week, my law professor sent me a frantic email - and nooo, it didn't have to do with my thesis or certain extracurricular activities at comic conventions. The fiasco had to do with fashion: her 12-year-old daughter wants to be a princess for the Medieval Faire, but instead must dress as Suleiman the Magnificent! Alas, her Hime Lolita dreams were dashed by a scruffy-chinned Ottoman ruler with a mutant onion on top of his head. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
I couldn’t put her in a ballgown and pass her off as a Sultan. But must she resign herself to unfabulous cross-dressing? Hayir! The joke amongst my friends is that I can take the manliness out of anything or anyone. So, I applied my special powers to this project.
I went to New York’s garment district and spent about $50 on fabric and trims. I don’t have a sewing machine right now, so the outfit took about twelve hours to construct. Basil added much-needed kawaii to the endeavor.
The concept: green and yellow are traditional Turkish colors, and nothing says Magnificent like peacock plumes, emerald, and gold. Suleiman’s turban is adorned with a half-moon and tasseled star, in reference to modern Turkey's flag.
A gold sash is dotted with a flower motif often seen in Turkish rugs and pottery. The dress zips up in the back, and can be worn over a puff-sleeved shirt and tights.
I made the turban by draping and sewing fabric over a cloth hat. The sheer gold piece can be worn as a cape or shawl.
Methinks I’ve taken the “man” out of Suleiman. My prof’s daughter agrees – and thinks her costume will be the prettier than any Guinevere’s!
>> April 25, 2008, 10:54 pm
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La Carmina
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Fashion >>
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In the Spring a livelier iris changes on the burnish'd dove;
In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.
† Alfred Lord Tennyson
And La Carmina's fancy lightly turns turns to thoughts of... updating her wardrobe! The timing is propitious: there are several designer sales in NYC this weekend. I went to the VIP Preview of Billion Dollar Babes, an ammasment of samples and overstock from over 40 contemporary designers.
Sample sales require Sonic the Hedgehog skills. One must zoom through the racks and grab every gem in sight, or there will be nothing left but linen muu-muus. My visual heuristic: a) black; b) fine materials such as silk; c) elegant detailing. This dress (by Vanessa Barrantes for Shumaq Millma) meets all the criteria and was a steal for $100. It's hard to see in the photo, but the dress has a sheer front, Peter Pan collar, and butterfly cap-sleeves.
This silver halter dress ($150) appealed to my nerdish love of disco. I slipped it over the black one; both are by the same designer. The detachable collar looks too clown-like, so I'll wear it as a giant hair bow.
By now, you must have guessed that there a communal dressing room. One giant basement, a dozen racks and mirrors, and a hundred women with infinite permutations of cellulite.
Sheer, layered, and gathered - this blue/black CandelaNYC dress would make a nice base for a Gothic Aristocrat outfit - and it's only $60. The fit wasn't quite right, so I passed on it. (The crucifix necklace is my own.)
Andrea and I arrived at noon, right when the doors opened for Platinum Members and press. Our eyes went to these short, black leather jackets with military collars and buttons down the front (by Bensoni, $240). We weren't alone; ten minutes later, not a single one was left.
As if the event wasn't girly enough, there were complimentary glasses of Pinky vodka/champagne topped with a flower. Are those open-toed lace up ankle boots? Yes, but the wearer admitted that they're Balenciaga knock-offs from eBay.
My Adventures in Shopping continue tomorrow...
† Name/URL: Lola October
† Age: 21
† Location: Durham, UK
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion?
I picked up a Gothic Lolita Bible in my local comic book store a few years ago and was transfixed! I've been a goth for a very very long time but i hadn't found my definitive 'look.' I had been looking for a style that screamed my name, something I could be comfortable but pretty in and Gothic Lolita was perfect from the get go. I enjoy shopping for new Gothic Lolita clothing, it's so rewarding as out of the many goths I know I always stand out amongst them! I'm a show off at heart really : )
† What do you find appealing about GL style and culture?
I love the theatricality of it all, as I said I am a show off at heart and enjoy dressing up.
† What are your favorite GL clothing brands?
Most of my things are made by a wonderful set of seamstresses I use but when I buy brand I have bought everything from K-Star to Image Plus and Retroscope! I really will try any brand at least once, I won't just rely on others' opinions.
† Any other comments?
I love corsets, they make good loli-wear no matter what they are teamed with so get tightlacing!
If you would like to be the next Gothloli of the Week, please read the submission instructions here.
>> April 24, 2008, 7:44 pm
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La Carmina
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Fashion >>
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I am baffled at the number of people who insist that Lolita fashion be static and shackled with rules. Street style is thrilling because of never-ending experimentation, evolution, cross-categorization - and this is what Japanese Lolita designers do every season. Sure, there is a Lolita archetype, and you can argue ad nauseum over what should/not be included. This conversation puts me to sleep. I'd rather discuss whether a brand or individual's ensemble works on its own merits; if it is striking or provocative at this particular moment.
Take, for example, the Spring 2008 collection released by HellCatPunks, a Tokyo label associated with Punk Loli and often featured in the Gothic & Lolita Bible. The model wears a black lace bell-skirt and heart-shaped sunglasses (how interesting - a reference to Lolita in the Nabokov/Kubrick sense! ). The rest of her outfit - hot pink/yellow/blue striped leggings, Converse sneakers, hooded graphic T-shirt - is pure London New Rave.
My question is not "is it sacriligious?" but "is it compelling style?" Not particularly, if you ask me; the T-shirt designs play off House of Holland, and 1980s neon has been lighting up nightclubs for the past two years. The brand's Punk Loli outfits are fresher to my eyes, but perhaps this is the opposite case in Japan, where Lolita is everywhere and New Rave is a blip.
"Happy Yellow" has ecstatic connotations, but instead of smiley faces, we have wallflowers and nutcrackers. A bad trip, perhaps?
The spiky red dog collars are my personal pick. The rockabilly jacket and leopard print jeans remind me of Paris brand April 77.
They may be hit or miss, and may not fit into the Lolita archetype - but I applaud HellCatPunks for its openness to Western street style. Lolita fashion would be a yawn if we saw the same regurgitated looks every season, wouldn't you agree?
>> April 22, 2008, 5:22 pm
by
La Carmina
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Art + Design >>
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I never played with dollies as a child. I preferred stuffed animals (and still do). The only way you can get my attention with a humanoid toy is if you dress her in Lolita - like the Pullips designed by h.NAOTO. Chateau de Lune's ball-jointed dolls also wear Victoriana... but the effect is more Bride of Chucky than Blythe.
Ball-jointed dolls are collectors' items in Japan and Korea, where they are chiefly manufactured. The trend is spreading westward; I read about Dollfie obsessives in Missbehave Magazine. I don't know what spooked me more: the article, or Chateau de Lune's conjoined twins (above)!
Brave enough to put one of these ghoul-skinned, zombie-eyed chicks in your bedroom? If you live in Japan, you can purchase 90cm ball-jointed dolls, wigs, and dresses from Chateau de Lune's website. Personally, I'm going to stick to Hello Kitty.
