“I took the subway to the Mongkok Station [shown in red on the map]. The three stores were within a few blocks of each other, and I was able to visit all of them within a few hours. The term “shopping mall” is misleading; each shop was in a cramped multi-storey complex packed with small boutiques that sell clothes and consumer goods. All of the Lolita shops were one-person operations in a 10 by 10 foot space. There wasn’t any room for fancy displays, let alone changing rooms. Each store accepted all forms of payment, including credit cards.”
† Dracula
3rd floor, CTMA Centre, 1N Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Mongkok, Kowloon, HK
“The CMTA Centre doesn’t have a store directory, so Dracula was a bit hard to find. I went up the winding stairs and found it on the third floor. The shopkeeper was not there; there was a sticker on the door that said ‘Dracula is closed for personal business reasons, and will re-open the next day.’ I peeked inside: everything they sell is black! The shop carries Goth chokers and hats. I saw a beaded crucifix necklace like the one you own. The accessories looked handmade and didn’t seem that expensive.”
† Baby Cupid
Shop G23, ground floor, Gala (Ga Lok) Shopping Mall, 56 Dundas Street, Mongkok, Kowloon, HK Email: baby_cupid_boutique@yahoo.com.hk
Tel: (852) 2770 0289 † Fax: (852) 2770 0891
“Next, I walked to Baby Cupid on Dundas Street. The small shop is on the ground floor, and is about 50% Gothic Lolita. Half of the store contains Victorian Maiden and other imported Lolita brands; the other half sells casual Hong Kong-style dresses and local designs. Baby Cupid sells costlier items – I saw fancy Chinese-style shoes for $3000 ($385 US). The shopkeeper was friendly and helpful; I showed her the photos you printed for me, and they had the black Victorian Maiden dress in stock for $2000 ($250 US). They didn’t have the black and white one you wanted. The clerk said the store can order it, but it would take three weeks to arrive.”
SPIDER line sheets: click to enlarge. Note that the prices are in Hong Kong dollars (divide by 7 to get the US equivalent).
† Spider
Shop 130, King Wah Centre, 628 Nathan Road, Mongkok, Kowloon, HK
Tel: (852) 2740 9366
“I walked about two blocks to Spider, which is in the King Wah mall on Nathan Road. I chatted with the girl running the shop; she told me that Spider is a partnership with her sister, and both have training in fashion design. The girls design the clothes themselves and manufacture them locally. Spider only sells its own brand, and everything they make is Lolita-style. The shop carries headgear and socks in addition to dresses, skirts, blouses, and jackets. Everything comes in one size (about a US size small). Out of the three stores, Spider carries the most Gothic Lolita items.”
Arigato gozaimasu, dad! Victorian Maiden lives up to the brand’s reputation; my dress hangs beautifully, and the details and quality are impeccable. Spider also exhibits top-notch workmanship, and the fabric is crease-resistant. The designs are sized small (especially in the arms), but some of the skirts and petticoats have an elastic waist. And the prices are more than reasonable, considering the detailing and amount of fabric used (blouses are around $50; dresses are about $100).
Hong Kong may not be a Gothic Lolita Mecca, but you can find well-made local and Japanese brands for excellent prices. It’s easy to get around this cosmopolitan city, since most people speak English and signs are in written both languages. If you ever visit, you should follow in my dad’s footsteps and hit up Dracula, Spider, and Baby Cupid in Mongkok.
Tips:
† Call the stores in advance, in case they are closed for the day.
† Baby Cupid has a limited stock of Victorian Maiden, but if you email them with photos of the items you want, the store can probably place an order for you. Allow up to three weeks for shipping.
