Category Archive for Fashion
Vancouver 50 Best Bars Awards ceremony & cocktails, Dr Sun Yat-Sen Garden, Seair Seaplanes to Victoria, Ellipsis cafe.
Life has been busy lately in Vancouver — time for a recap! I spent the first quarter at home, but will soon be jetting off to manyyy new places around the globe between now and September. I’ll be adding six new countries to my grand total, as well as returning to some of my fav destinations ever… as always, I’ll be taking you along! (Add @lacarmina IG for the first look at where I’m flying.)
In April, I was delighted to welcome my friends in the food/cocktail world to my hometown for the North America’s 50 Best Bars 2026 awards week! For the second year in a row, my hometown hosted the countdown to the year’s top 50 bars on the continent, April 22nd at Vancouver Convention Center.
The libations began at my fav local hangout, The Chickadee Room in Chinatown. Perhaps you recognzie Chef Pepe Salinas from Mexico City’s Balcon del Zocalo, which I visited twice. He now opened Taco Tasting Room in CDMX, which is getting mega buzz… must return to try his omakase tacos…
Is Holly’s Hello Kitty phone case big enough? I think it should be 3x the size!
My comrades from Mexico City, Pepe Salinas and Ximena Aréchaga of Long Story Short, spiced up their Chickadee takeover with Mexico-inspired cocktails, flautas / panuchos / grasshopper tacos, and more… We ordered everything from the special edition menu, twice!
So many celebrations happening at bars all around Vancouver during the 50 Best awards week.
We flipped out when Pepe generously offered us the best artisenal mezcal ever… The Lost Explorer Salmiana.
David and Alex of The Chickadee Room always bring the <3, and their cocktails hit all the notes (balanced, creative, unusual, yummm).
There were so many popups, residencies and press events for North America’s 50 Best Bars awards. I managed to swing by some of my faves: above is a floral negroni from Botanist at Fairmont Pacific Rim (they collabed with NY’s Clemente Bar).
The 50 Best Bars award ceremony itself was a blast. Top bartenders from around the world flew in to mix drinks and discover who made the top 50 list this year. (Martiny NY’s Roku Gin paloma was one of the tastiest).
Congratulations to the winners and cheers to all who made these fantastic events possible — Vancouver is truly becoming a cocktail capital! (So many from Vancouver made the list, along with Mexico City, Toronto, and NYC – check out the ranking here.)
I also got to attend a special event at Vancouver’s Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, to honor its 40th anniversary.
Isn’t my outfit giving Street Fighter Chun-Li? Wearing a 100% silk cheungsam by Beth and Brina Qipao, and Cyberpunk 2077 amber shield glasses by Gunnar Optiks, yatta!
To celebrate their 40th year, Dr Sun Yat-Sen Chinese garden is offering:
– Apr 24, entry costs the same as in 1986 ($3 for adults!) & is open til 8pm.
– Apr 25-26, enjoy cultural experiences like a Chinese tea ceremony (loved tasting the jasmine pearl brew) and Silk Talk brocade embroidery workshop (learned the history & made a pin)
Check out their site for more info. I hope you’re able to visit Chinatown’s Ming dynasty style oasis, a very special place and part of the city’s cultural history.
One of my fav recent outfit shoots in the city… Bury me at Ellipsis, the modernist-industrial pyramid at Vancouver’s Waterfall Building
Now a cafe/bar, this masterpiece is one of architect Arthur Erickson’s final works (1996).
True to Erickson’s “truth to materials” philosophy, sunlight streams through the angled glass onto concrete & stainless steel. At night, the back wall glows with a Turrell-like projected sunburst.
My L’Intervalle Thelma Nude Naplack 4 inch stilettos echoed Erickson’s geometric lines. L’Intervalle is a Canadian shoe company, their heels are 100% leather (no microplastics) and elongate your legs… no wonder j’adore.
Wool coat Rudsak, maxi leg slit dress Cyberdog. Tip: order the matcha black sesame oat milk latte, and make a res for dinner.
For more photos and video footage from my Ellipsis Vancouver visit (a must for architecture lovers), see this IG post.
I’m leaving on a seaplane… Although I didn’t leave British Columbia at the start of the year, I flew the new Seair Seaplanes route between Vancouver and Victoria, BC downtown harbours. The scenic flight only takes 30 min, and is so much more convenient than taking the ferry.
With only a handful of passengers per flight, the Seair experience is giving PJ (private jet)!
I took my new Eyebobs glasses for the ride: Eyebobs has the chicest upscale frames for travelers, from blue light blocking prescription ones like mine, to readers & sunglasses. Rainbow cybergoth tank and joggers Cyberdog, Mongolian sheep pink coat Skandinavik Fur.
I took a girls getaway to Oak Bay Beach Hotel in Victoria, BC! Current life priorities: reducing stress while maxxing sleep, health, and time with besties. Lounging in the steaming mineral pools with ocean views at Oak Bay checked off all the boxes.
Zebra striped sequin maxi skirt and corset top by Kate Hewko. If you’ve been reading my blog since its infancy, you’ll recognize these spiky boots that I got at Trash & Vaudeville NYC wayyyy back in the day! Forever a slay.
I share tons of Vancouver fashion / food / travel recommendations on my IG, such as a recent moon phase themed tasting menu at Michelin starred restaurant, Burdock and Co (see the reel here).
Add my Instagram @LaCarmina to see more of my daily life… and the far-off places I’ll be flying to next! Also coming up: articles in new travel journalism outlets. You can catch up on my travel / food / culture writing on my portfolio page.
I also posted an update on my Miffy meets mid-century modern apartment decor. Watch the reel to see day to night in my tiny apt. Furniture by Eames / Herman Miller, Verner Panton, Magis, Mobital and from the 90s. Miffy the bunny and Line Friends Bear lamp Mr Maria. All art is original including the skull spirit paintings by Jon Saemunder. (Look closer & you’ll see Goth motifs throughout!) For all the details and more photos of my home, see this blog.
CLOSET SALE: I’ve been selling my fabulous clothing collection on Poshmark @lacarmina and it’s going well! Shipping is low for Canadians, so take a browse (if you’re international, reach out by email/DM and we can figure it out, or shop my Depop @lacarmina instead.)
Yay to sunnier skies now… and travels ahead to alternative, offbeat destinations around the planet! It’s going to be a wild ride from now through autumn, so buckle up…
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Hoshinoya Okinawa hotel review & Eater food writing! Tokyo Four Seasons Virtu bar, Andaz cocktails, omakase sushi.
As promised, I’ll be updating this blog more frequently… Read on for a recap of my Okinawa, Japan travels, as well as cocktails, sush and roboto adventures with friends in Tokyo!
I’m increangly fed up with social media for a multitude of reasons (and don’t get me started on AI content)… It was 100% the right decision to quit Twitter / X and TikTok a while back.
Although I still post on Meta apps for work reasons, I’m relieved I still have my original self-owned and controlled space — this blog — which isn’t at the whim of intrusive ads and fickle algorithms (and then, there are the billionaire owners).
I’m doing my best to stick to “analog” formats as best I can, such as reading physical books to stay off screens. I also have been focusing more on old-school travel and food journalism. Most recently, Eater asked me to contribute to Where To Eat in 2026, this time about Okinawa — you can read it here! (All these Okinawa photos by James Nguyen; the rest of the images in this blog are by friends and yours truly).
Last fall, I ate my way around Japan’s southernmost prefecture, which is one of the world’s five Blue Zones (where residents enjoy long, active lives). At Hoshinoya Okinawa beachfront hotel, I experienced traditional Ryukyu royal cuisine that includes seafood hotpot with cloudlike yushi tofu, awamori fermented rice liquor, and my beloved local tart citrus: shikuwasa.
Hoshinoya Okinawa is a luxury hotel that conveys the warm, tropical culture of the islands. The guest experiences include a live performance of sanshin guitar.
Always the most haunting presence, no matter where I go…
Watch my Okinawa, Japan reel to see me exploring Hoshinoya’s hotel and resort. PS: The ageless singer Gackt is Ryukyan and from Okinawa, hence the song “Mizerable” that I used!
I also did an article for Metropolis Magazine about my wellness stay and the Okinawan foods I ate. You can read it here.
Karate also comes from Okinawa — got to take a lesson from a local master while it poured outside.
Is Okinawa, Japan a destination you’d like to see?
I also have a new reel up about a night of cocktails and sush at Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills! Watch it here on @lacarmina IG.
Japanese cocktails with a view at the luxury Andaz Tokyo hotel… life doesn’t get better than this!
Dr John Skutlin and I went up to the 52nd floor of the Andaz Tokyo for craft cocktails at The Rooftop Bar (featuring matcha, amazake & yuzu flavors).
Devil horns and Omega watches at The Rooftop Tokyo bar with soaring views of Tokyo Tower.
Then, we indulged in the chef’s selection of the day at The Sushi: seemingly endless Edomae nigiri and luxurious small dishes, paired with sake and real wasabi.
I’m a huge tofu fan, especially when it’s prepared so delicately.
My new leather and silver shoulder bag by SMFK, a Y2K inspired Asia street fashion label.
Omakase, or the chef’s selection of the day, at the small eight-seat counter… for “sush” lovers like me, this is paradise.
Remember these spots… you’ll love the “sush” and drinks at 5-star hotel The Andaz Tokyo!
Another hotel bar of dreams… I could spend all four seasons watching the sunset from Virtu bar at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi!
Do you see Mount Fuji in the distance, illuminated by red?
Dr John Skutlin and I can’t stop raving about the French-Japanese craft cocktails at Virtù. The space is warm, with a high ceiling and glowing bar stocked with enticing, rare liquors.
Virtu is consistantly near the top of the World’s 50 Best Bars list, and deservedly so.
Bartender Graham Kimura took such good care of us. We were blown away by the signature warm fig, cognac and spices, and Graham’s omakase creations like yuzu and absinthe (custom-mixed for my palate!)
Art Deco decor, luxurious snacks (lobster okonomiyaki and Wagyu tacos, hello) and skyscraper views from the 39th floor… Every aspect of the experience was exquisite.
No wonder Virtu at The Four Seasons Otemachi is one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars.
I reviewed Virtu and this Four Seasons hotel, among other Tokyo luxury properties, for Fodor’s Travel! Read my Japan hotel reviews.
John, Yukiro and I swung by the Gentle Monster glasses store in Omotesando, Tokyo for some goofy photos. These scary giant robot faces move — you can see them in action in this IG post!
Ai-yai-yai… I am increasingly “miffed” by the use of AI in creative work.
I get using GPT for info processing and meaningless tasks, but it gives me the ick when I see bot-generated writing and visuals in artistic spaces. Don’t get me started on people who use Instagram captions obviously written by AI…
Rest assured the only robotos I’ll associate with are freaky Japanese ones! We engaged in a Face… Off…. at the Gentle Monster store in Omotesando, Tokyo. (And we didn’t need them to tweak our photos or generate these words).
What are your thoughts on AI, and how do you use it in your life? Also, are my low rise pants low enough?
With these glasses, we’re ready for the aliens to take us away from this doomed Collapse planet.
So realistic, the skin texture and hairs of the moving robotic heads in the Gentle Monster shop.
More realness: we then went to the nearby Sushi Ginza Onodera to eat our fill of raw fish, including way too many plates of free ginger!
2026’a messiness and AI-pocalyptic acceleration have made everyone nostalgic for 2016. I shared some mems from my Tokyo 2016 trip, when I had turquoise hair! Pastel Goth was all the rage, and sites like Fushimi Inari were busy but not overcrowded with tourists like they are now. Check out my 2016 flashback post here.
I also shared a recap of my 2016 year in travels — I can’t believe how much I used to jet around! New Zealand, Myanmar, Scandinavia, and more in a single year… Looking back, perhaps 2016 was the last hurrah before The Collapse collapsed. (Ngl, it’s a bit depressing to recall how the economy was so much better then…)
In these times, all we can do is “Yoko Ono Yolo” and make memories with our true besties!
Add me Instagram (@lacarmina) to see more of our Japan escapades from Halloween.
Wrapping up with a few new press features. Bold Journey interviewed me about my work, life lessons and insights. I also dished about a cockroach-y hotel horror experience on Huff Post and Yahoo!
And don’t forget that I’m still decluttering pretty much everything I own! If you’re in Canada, you can shop my closet @LaCarmina on Poshmark. If you prefer USD, you can find my @LaCarmina store on Depop. Reach out if I can send you anything fun!
LA CARMINA
