>> June 14, 2008, 12:13 pm
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La Carmina
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Count D has a dramatic stone-and-moss garden and keeps a silver skull in his bedroom. All of the above took part in this twilight photoshoot.
I wore a black mask as a headband, netting me several compliments from strangers. Masquerade and ritual masks are my current favorite hair accessory. They create an uncanny yet festive effect, and look like a little hat or hair decoration from afar. Perhaps I'll make a Venetian feathered mask with a cat face or long nose to wear on my head...
Mask: from Camden Market, London
Silver cross necklace: a "Kiyo" handbag tag that I wear as a pendant
Corset top: Spider, a Hong Kong Lolita designer
Black lace skirt: Vintage Betsey Johnson
A crinoline petticoat (not pictured, obviously) puffs a straight lace skirt into the classic Lolita bell shape.
Darkness falls... the iron gates unlock... vampires come out to feed.
An enticing closeup: silver skull, black nail polish, lace skirt hem over milky thighs. I made the jagged bracelet by wrapping black lace around my wrist.
8PM: EDEN spring extravaganza at the Vancouver Club (est. 1899, a distinctive private business club in the financial district). Three floors and six rooms of decadence: DJs and live jazz, a champagne bar, a martini bar, 3 full cocktail bars, an oyster and raw bar, sushi and satay stations, three chocolate fountains, cheese table, and sinful desserts.
12AM: Warehouse electro dance party in East Vancouver (neighborhood best known for its hookers, drug addicts, and bums by the railroad tracks). Featuring
DJ trio Villains (from LA) with Expendable Youth (chalkedup) and Sex Attack! (hypercolour/dorks).
More DJ Villians party photos on Lindsay's Diet.
>> January 20, 2008, 12:38 am
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La Carmina
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I was interviewed by Morbid Outlook, and one of the questions was, “Where do you go after you’ve put on a Gothic Lolita outfit?” For me, it’s out to the clubs – or at least the ones where the kids dress as ridiculously as possible. Next to some of these Martians, a neo-Victorian dress and petit chapeau look almost ordinary.
Last Saturday, I had the perfect occasion to go hardcore Loli: photographer Rony Alwin (Rony’s Photobooth) and DJ Skeet Skeet were in Vancouver! The lovely Lindsays (who shoot for Lindsay’s Diet) organized the party at No Tofu Studio and flew our friends in from Los Angeles. The turnout was so strong that the police had to shut the party down until the venue met the legal capacity. After a lull, the music was back and the DJs kept it coming until well past 3am. Here are a few snapshots of La Carmina and friends:
Rony sets up mini-studios inside Hollywood clubs and takes photos of the partygoers – neat idea, eh? Here I am in a blouse by Spider and a handmade beaded crown:
With my friend Malcolm of the band Fake Shark Real Zombie. My dress is by the Lolita brand Spider; I raved about the Hong Kong designer in last week’s post.
Licking the icing off a knife. If only it were blood… (joking)
A downside of wearing Gothic Lolita outfits to clubs is that the room gets hot… fast. But on the upside, the unconventional clothes are excellent conversation-starters. At these parties, I’ve experienced nothing but friendliness and compliments. Several people approached me because they were curious about the style. One girl had lived in Tokyo, and was surprised to see a Gothic Lolita outside Japan.
You'll find tons of party photos on Lindsay’s Diet and Rony’s Photobooth; as always, you can play “Where’s La Carmina?” I’ll be back in NYC soon. February will be loaded with events: New York Fashion Week, LondonEdge’s alternative clothing tradeshow… brace yourself for more Gothic Lolita nightcrawling!
>> January 2, 2008, 10:05 pm
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La Carmina
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I never need an excuse to doll up, but New Year's Eve is as good an occasion as any. I started off the night at a house party in the West End district of my hometown, Vancouver. Around 10:30pm, we tipped our hats to the Merry Pranksters and piled onto a TransLink bus. Picture a dozen New Ravers swinging from the poles – and the morose faces of our fellow riders!
We rang in 2008 at Shine’s 1950s/60s sock hop (after skirting the long line and avoiding the cover, naturally). After midnight, we cabbed to a party at the Balmoral, right in the heart of the red light district. O, east Vancouver… you make the Lower East Side look like Disneyland.
The city's nightlife has been getting more colorful over the past few years, but I’ve yet to see another Loli. I wasn’t surprised when a random couple approached me and asked if I was a French maid. However, others complimented my headdress, and faces lit up when I said “Gothic Lolita.” The fashion may not yet be visible in NYC/LA/Vancouver, but it’s creeping into club kid consciousness…
Dress: Viola Per Donna, from Hong Kong
Headdress: handmade
Check out more New Year photos from Lindsay's Diet (you can play "Where's La Carmina?")
>> October 27, 2007, 7:44 pm
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La Carmina
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Halloween is by FAR my favorite holiday, but it’s not about the candy (would I ever eat that much refined sugar? ) No, it’s all about playing dress-up. Once a year, the (club) kids have license to over-kill on clothes and makeup, and the parties are consistently outrageous.
First stop: Day de la Dead costume fiesta at the Columbia in Vancouver. I went as a Guro Lolita - a torn and bloody doll, poorly re-stitched and patched with gauze.
The costumes were uber-impressive this year; check out more party photos on Lindsay's Diet!
>> October 20, 2007, 11:37 pm
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I think I officially qualify for the Manba Club (smelly, homeless Japanese club kids in platforms and garish makeup) after surviving this year's CMJ indie music festival. Dandi Wind's performance was exhilarating, and the Deerhunter party turned out to be more of an adventure than expected (see party photos on ShadowScene and Last Night's Party ). My toy spider pin got a range of reactions...
Grand Central: "Hey! Freaky girl!"
Whole Foods: "Is that... real?" (woman's face registers fear and loathing)
Time Warner Center: "Bwahahah!"
Various streets of NYC: "Nice hat!" "Miss, there's a spider on your hat!"
St. Mark's Place: "You made that? You should start selling those."
L train from Bedford to 6th Ave: "Hi. I had to say hi to you because of what you're wearing." (made a new friend)
Billy's Bakery on W23rd: "Miss, you're good. It's on the house." (got a free cupcake)
I walked all over NYC and didn't come across a single store that specialized in Gothic Lolita fashion. Same deal with LA (although I drove, naturally). Now I'm in Vancouver, and what do I find in the mega-mall, Metrotown? A boutique called Westmend, filled exclusively with Lolita-wear. I guess it's true - you never have to leave home.
Westmend hails from China, and this is the brand's first store in North America. The salesgirls say sales are strong; I spent an hour in the store and saw a half-dozen girls try on clothes. Expect the Westmend store to last, especially if I keep coming back! I left with two Gothic Lolita dresses, a skirt, and a blouse (expect photos soon). Items fit tightly, especially in the shoulders/arms - I usually wear Small but bought everything in Medium. Westmend's Lolita clothes are well constructed; the dresses are lined, the skirts hang nicely, and many items come with detachable accessories. Prices are reasonable, and mostly range from $70-250.
I can rattle off a hundred reasons why people should visit Vancouver (coffeeshops, wild salmon, whale-watching, Stanley Park, the Grouse Grind...) And now, a new addition to the list: Westmend.
