† Name: Jackie Mills (明美)
† Age: Year of the tiger ;)
† Location: Toronto, Ontario
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion?
It came from many places: love for manga, Visual Kei (Mana) and Japanese culture.

† What do you find appealing about GL style and culture?
I wear Lolita because I like the modesty and frills. I wore Gothic for a long time but only Gothic Lolita can give you that real sense of cuteness. As I fell in love with the style more, I began to wear Sweet as well. I love all the styles and how they have their own influences and ideals.
† What are your favorite Gothic Lolita clothing brands?
My favourite brands have to be Baby the Stars Shine bright and Angelic Pretty, but I have a love like no other for Mana’s brand Moi-meme-moitie (if only the prices were a bit cheaper).
† Any other comments (inspiration, tips, favorites)?
A lot of Lolita girls forget this… but you don’t have to fit into the style, the style fits around you. Lolita is another forum of clothing in which to express yourself; don’t let the “rules” design it for you! I love to talk to others interested in Lolita and Gothic fashions so keep in touch (my links are above).

Film of the Week #47: The Great Happiness Space: Tale of an Osaka Love Thief (directed by Jake Clennell.) Oh you elusive, big-haired host boys! They accost you in the streets and try to nudge you into their dim clubs… to do what inside? This riveting documentary takes you into Rokkyu — one of Osaka’s top host clubs — and the lives of the pretty-boys who whisper sweet nothings to their customers as they open up yet another bottle of champagne.

From the start, you’ll be riveted by the techniques the boys use to string clients along: false displays of love, transparent promises. But there are twists in these bizarre relationships: who are these girls, where do they get the spending money, and are they as deluded as you initially think? The cinematography and pacing in Great Happiness Space are flawless; I hope you’ll watch it and tell me what you think! (You can get the DVD on Amazon or see it on Netflix.)

Wow, what a bunch of pricks! It’s no April Fools joke: the photos are from the Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus かなまら祭り) held last weekend. As Dlisted put it, “the small Japanese town of Kawasaki transformed their streets into looking like Gay Al Reynold’s boudoir on a hot summer night.” The bizarre tradition is centered around a penis-venerating shrine once popular among prostitutes who prayed for protection against STDs. Today, the festival is a kitschy tourist draw that raises money for HIV research. The gods would be pleased. (Photos from Dlisted, my favorite gossip blog.)

A new CNNGo article for you: Asia’s 5 most awesome live video streams. Food drooling babies, lazy cats and teen guitarists!

If you would like to be the next Gothloli of the Week, please read the submission instructions here. For all your Lolita shopping needs, check out the links to clothing brands on the right column of my blog.

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