† Name: Emiliee Anne
† Age: 16
† Location: Rhode Island, U.S.
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion?
Around the time I was in kindergarten, I fell in love with anime because of Pokemon and YuGiOh, and from there I leapt deeper into the world of manga, Pocky, and rice balls. In the process of doing that, I ran into the Lolita fashion, around fifth grade, and I’ve loved it ever since.
† What do you find appealing about GL style and culture?
I like the patterns and lacy things. I cannot go a day without wearing some kind of skirt! It’s different from what you would find everyone else wearing, and that’s why I like to dress that way. I can be easily distinguished, and never forgotten! It has also allowed me to get in touch with my inner child, to have a childhood that I never really got to have.
† What are your favorite Gothic Lolita clothing brands?
I like The White Peacock, Baby the Stars Shine Bright, Metamorphose, Blasphemy’s closet, BlaBlaHospital, basically if you show me a brand I’ll like it. But the brand isn’t all that matters. You could walk into ANY kind of store and find something, you just have to know what to look for.
† Any other comments (inspiration, tips, favorites)?
If you’re contemplating whether or not to be a Lolita, do not hesitate! Take the chance while you can because you do not know what you are missing. It is amazing and fun and unlike anything out there. There’s also so many kinds, so you’re bound to find something to like. And if you are interested, pick up one of the Gothic & Lolita Bibles because they work wonders. Go to meet-ups to meet other Gothic Lolitas, Sweet Lolitas, etc you’ll make tons of friends, and there’s also plenty of tutorial videos up on YouTube concerning Lolita fashion itself.

Film of the Week #46: Pan’s Labyrinth (directed by Guillermo del Toro.) In the height of the Spanish Civil War, sadistic Captain Vidal terrorizes his household and vows to cut apart the rebels. Young Ofelia, frightened for her pregnant mother, escapes into an underground realm and meets Pan the faun, who tests her with tasks. You will remember the feverish visuals (Vidal sewing together his gaping cheek); the sadness softened by hope and imagination… Pan’s Labyrinth is brutal yet irresistible, as fairy tales should be.

In general, I am not a fan of tattoos. The skin art above (courtesy Hello Kitty Hell) is, of course, on the far side of horrid. But too often, I see people end up with banal or badly-inked tattoos, or something “trendy” that quickly devolves into embarrassing…

Here are some general observations. Almost all of my friends who were tattooed in their teens regretted that decision later. Mostly because they went to a sub-par (read: cheap) parlor and didn’t put any thought into the design.

When tattoos are masterfully rendered and have meaning, I think they are rather neat — such as yantra tattoos (above). The sacred art is done by hand in Southeast Asia by shamans or Buddhist monks. The process is more painful, but is considered to be a spiritual experience that conveys powers of protection.

Your thoughts on tattoos: ow or ooh-la-la? Tips on avoiding bad skin art? For more photos of Asian tattoos and ink conventions, check out these articles on CNNGo.

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.

If you ever buy from Amazon.com, may I ask you to please consider supporting this blog by shopping via my site? Just click here and search for whatever you want from Amazon (there are no extra costs to you).

Thanks so much and please keep in touch (I love hearing from you and try to reply to/add back everyone): RSS feed, posts in your inbox, MySpace, Facebook Group, Facebook Fan page, Twitter, YouTube, Bloglovin and Google Friend Connect (right sidebar of my blog).

† Name: Gwendylyn Thompson
† Age: 31
† Location: California, USA
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion?
You and your gorgeous blog! GL style and culture has always been part of my style but it developed through your blog.
† What do you find appealing about GL style and culture?
I love the thrill of the frills. I adore the Victorian and Baroque aspects of this style.
† What are your favorite Gothic Lolita clothing brands?
Lady Heather’s Fashions, Gloomth, Baby the Stars Shine Bright, Angelic Pretty, Innocent World, and many more… Gloomth is my new favorite shopping destination.

Film of the Week #45: Tadpole (directed by Gary Winick, starring Aaron Stanford, Sigourney Weaver, Bebe Neuwirth.) Aaron Stanford’s best role remains his big-screen debut in Tadpole. Oscar Grubman is a precocious, Voltaire-quoting 15-year-old who’s in love with his stepmother, Eve. Over Thanksgiving, things get complicated when he winds up in an affair with Eve’s sultry friend — also in her 40s! The protagonist of Tadpole and Patrick Fugit in Almost Famous are two of my favorite movie males — ever. The next time you’re on Netflix or in the video store, look for both films; they’ll charm your pants off.

CNNGo.com is the most epic Asia pop culture site on the net — and I’m not just saying that because I write for them! We’ve got articles about the most creative Bangkok cocktails, Japanese convenience store taste tests, photos of Shanghai at 3am, Singapore vintage shopping guides… if you haven’t seen the CNN project yet, please check it out (all my articles are posted here).

Time for a long overdue round of “Kawaii or Ai-yah,” featuring content from CNNGo. First up, Durian Boy. That’s right: Singapore’s World Expo 2010 mascot is a “hyper cheery, super thorny and modeled after a stinky fruit.” The little boy wears red overalls emblazoned with a picture of the Merlion and wears a durian-shaped cap. Pewwww… what do you say, kawaii or ai-yah?

Let’s move on to sweets made from insects. “Komatsuya Honten, a bakery and confectionery shop located in Akita Prefecture, debuted a series of cakes and candies modeled on the larval and adult forms of the rhinoceros beetle.” Would you squeal kawaii and take a bite? Or run away screaming ai-yah?

Finally, CNNGo wrote about Kirsten Dunst’s Akihabara Majokko Princess PV shoot. “Piling cliché upon cliché, director McG, artist Takashi Murakami and the actress team up for a music video of the Vapors’ classic Turning Japanese.” Kirsten Dunst dancing around in a skimpy Sailor Moon-type dress and blue wig: kawaii or ai-yah?

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.

If you ever buy from Amazon.com, may I ask you to please consider supporting this blog by shopping via my site? Just click here and search for whatever you want from Amazon (there are no extra costs to you).

Thanks so much and please keep in touch (I love hearing from you and try to reply to/add back everyone): RSS feed, posts in your inbox, MySpace, Facebook Group, Facebook Fan page, Twitter, YouTube, Bloglovin and Google Friend Connect.

† Name: Carolyn
† Age: 24
† Location: New England
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion?
I discovered Lolita sometime in 2003 when I saw some art featuring Lolitas. I thought it was adorable so I Googled the name and found out that it was something real people wore and I fell in love.
† What do you find appealing about GL style and culture?
The decadent aesthetic is definitely what I love about it. I love how over the top the ruffles and poof are, and how you can never be too overdressed.
† What are your favorite Gothic Lolita clothing brands?
Definitely Baby, The Stars Shine Bright — most of my Lolita clothes are Baby. I also am a fan of h.NAOTO, Black Peace Now, Atlier Boz, and Juliette et Justine.
† Any other comments (inspiration, tips, favorites)?
Share your love of Lolita with everyone! Let friends borrow your clothes, be active in the online community, start a blog (shameless plug for my blog, F*ck Yeah Lolita), go to meetups, or just do something silly like go to a fancy restaurant by yourself in your frilly finery. The fashion is so much more rewarding when you are sharing it with other people, even if it’s just online.

Film of the Week #44: Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl. Movie review by Le Comte de Sang (who you may remember from our various absinthe, Gackt and Moi dix Mois adventures). He begins with a quote:

“The human body contains over 12 gallons of blood, sometimes more, under high pressure.” -The Laws of Anime

While it may not be anime, this maxim certainly holds true for Naoyuki Tomomatsu and Yoshihiro Nishimura’s no-holds-barred, ultraviolent gore-fest. Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl is guaranteed to have viewers alternating between winces and belly laughs for the whole, twisted ride. This should come as no surprise, considering the kings of Japanese splattercamp who assembled to bring us this all-out sensory assault. Nishimura is already notorious among international film festival circles for his directorial work on Tokyo Gore Police and special effects on Machine Girl. TGP’s Taku Sakaguchi provided fight choreography. Throw in Machine Girl’s Tsuyoshi Kazuno on visual effects and an appearance by Ju-On director Takashi Shimizu, and let the fake blood pour down like rain.

And pour it does in this tale of a high school love triangle, which leaves all sanity and reason at the door. Transfer student Monami (Yukie Kawamura) gives her classmate Mizushima (Takumi Saito) a (literally) bloody Valentine’s Day chocolate, which initiates his transformation into one of the living dead! As it turns out, Monami is a vampire with her sights set on Mizushima, but unfortunately our high school stud is already reluctantly involved with Keiko (Eri Otoguro), a hotheaded Lolita who is used to getting her way. Enter Keiko’s Kabuki-clad mad scientist father with Frankensteinian ambitions and a host of outrageous characters, including the Wrist Cutting Club and a gang of blackface Ganguro, and you have the sanguinary formula for a head-splattering, gut-wrenching, bone-crunching battle for love and the lust for blood.

In the midst of this low-budget bloodbath, there is some decent narrative and respectable acting. Yukie Kawamura plays the part of the somewhat coquettish vampire effectively, but is overshadowed by Eri Otoguro’s intense performance as the schoolgirl equivalent of old Victor’s Monster. Eihi Shiina (Tokyo Gore Police, Audition) makes a cameo as Monami’s mother to do battle with a historical personage whose identity is too good to spoil here. Mizushima’s narrations seem intrusive and out of place at first, but their presence serves to add just the right turn of the screw at the film’s bloody conclusion.

On the other hand, the visuals are good for laughs but often little else, and while they serve to drive the film forward stylistically, they don’t seem to bring anything new to the table or manage to match the bizarre and grotesque vagaries of Tokyo Gore Police. In the end, however, the film accomplishes what it sets out to do. Blatant continuity issues? Complete and utter lack of regard for even the most basic laws of physics? These are just par for the course for Nishimura and his crew. If you find yourself wondering how a severed forearm screwed to a person’s head can serve as a propeller to fly up to the observation deck of Tokyo Tower, take the advice of MST3K, and “think to yourself, ‘it’s just a show’…you should really just relax.” VG vs. FG is terrible in the best ways possible… see it with friends, you won’t regret it!

Last but not least… announcing the winner of the Akina art book giveaway! We asked you to solve a riddle: Pressed to sweetness / Dark as night / Seeks a handful / Catches light / Your entry to / Such great delights. (Photo source)

Your wonderful guesses included: “Is it a candy jar/ cookie jar?” “The gate to Charlie’s chocolate factory?” “Chocolate?” “Red wine?” “Greed?” “Akina’s spooky new book?”

The answer… which several of you got… is “The Golden Ticket”! And the winner (by random selection) is Re Al-Emleh. Thank you to everyone who participated!

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.

If you are purchasing from Amazon.com, may I ask you to please consider supporting this blog by buying via my site? Just click here and search for whatever you want from Amazon (there are no extra costs to you).

Thanks so much and please keep in touch (I do my best to respond to messages): RSS feed, posts in your inbox, MySpace, Facebook Group, Facebook Fan page, Twitter, YouTube, Bloglovin and Google Friend Connect.

† Name: Maya (Nadia Capella)
† Age: 15
† Location: Buenos Aires
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion?
In my school, a girl had the Gothic Lolita style … The title of her photoblog was something with the words “Lolita Heart” and when I searched on Google for “Gothic Lolita,” it showed me pictures of many brands and style … I loved it from the moment, it’s beautiful. That was three years ago and from then on, I loved the style.
† What do you find appealing about GL style and culture?
When I was little I loved clothes decorated with bows… and when I saw Lolita dresses I knew they were for me. The prints, accessories, shoes, socks… all fascinated me from the beginning.
† What are your favorite Gothic Lolita clothing brands?
Victorian Maiden, h.NAOTO, Juliette et Justine, Despair, Visible, Innocent World, Alice and the Pirates, Atelier BOZ, BlaBlaHospital… I like all brands, but those are the best (for me).
† Any other comments (inspiration, tips, favorites)?
One of the things I like most is to make my clothes. I encourage girls and boys to try making your own clothing, without caring about what others think. Innovate, be creative. And the same goes with make-up: play with shadows and eyeliners, with lipstick and glitter.

Film of the Week #43: Almost Famous (Kate Hudson, Patrick Fugit, dir. Cameron Crowe) is on my list of favorite movies of all time. After I first saw it in the theaters, I went on a mission to find a fluffy coat just like Penny Lane’s! A teen reporter and groupies (sorry, Band-Aids) tag along with a Led Zeppelin-like band on tour in the early 70s… scandal and drama and hilarity ensue. It’s based on the director’s real-life experiences as a precocious writer for Rolling Stone. I could go on and on about the grand performances (Phillip Seymour Hoffman as music critic Lester Bangs) and aww moments (like the “let’s go to Morocco” scene).

And how cute was Patrick Fugit as the wide-eyed fifteen year old?? Don’t you just want to corrupt him? Watch Almost Famous if you haven’t already. I haven’t met a single person who hasn’t dug it.

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.

If you are purchasing from Amazon.com, may I ask you to please consider supporting this blog by buying via my site? Just click here and search for whatever you want from Amazon (there are no extra costs to you).

Thanks so much and please keep in touch (I do my best to respond to messages): RSS feed, posts in your inbox, MySpace, Facebook Group, Facebook Fan page, Twitter, YouTube, Bloglovin and Google Friend Connect.

Hope to see you at our Lunar New Year + Purikura Jpop party, Saturday Feb 13 in LA! Come out on Saturday, February 13th at Kira Kira, a sparkling photo-sticker shop with all of the newest Purikura machines from Japan! The special event will be hosted by Harajuku fashion and Cute Food blogger La Carmina. The DJs from Tune in Tokyo will also be there, spinning the best in J-Pop, J-Rock, and Global Dance Pop all night long.

There will also be prizes and giveaways sponsored by Hear Japan, Lime Crime, and Gloomth. You can win Visual Kei music downloads, magic dust eyeshadows and certificates for Gothic Victorian clothing. (Photo of Carmina by Shichi; flyer by Greg.)

WHEN: TONIGHT! Saturday, Feb 13th, 8PM – 12 AM. Free and all ages.
WHERE: Kira Kira is located at the Seasons Place shopping center in City of Industry (2nd floor, above Red Mango). There’s plenty of free parking.
RSVP on Los Angeles Going or Facebook.

† Name: Lindsay Jensen (various characters/outfits have their own names)
† Age: 20
† Location: Los Angeles, CA
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion?
I first saw a picture of Mana in 7th or 8th grade, and immediately was attracted to the sheer beauty of the style.
† What do you find appealing about GL style and culture?
It can be very ethereal to me, even with sub-styles that are darker, and I appreciate the hard work that goes into looking the way they do.
† What are your favorite Gothic Lolita clothing brands?
Moi-meme-moitie, h.NAOTO.
† Any other comments (inspiration, tips, favorites)?
If you haven’t been to an actual GL store in Japan, get your butt over there right now. There is nothing like walking into a department store full of gorgeous dresses and shoes. PS: The pink dress is from a music video I worked on a few years ago for an artist called Judamang who does frequent shows all over Los Angeles, especially in Hollywood. The dress was actually designed by me, and we went in to pick out the fabric and patterns ourselves, then headed to a seamstress! The doll seen briefly in the video is my BJD, Ariel, who is actually a boy.

Film of the Week #42: Hausu (directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi. Thank you to New York’s IFC Center for sending me the DVD.) Hausu or House was co-written by Obayashi’s seven year old daughter, which is why it plays out like an acid trip. (Remember my LSD-like childhood drawings? Why do children have psychedelic imaginations?) The dreamy rainbow “horror-dorama” centers on a group of teen schoolgirls named after their dominant traits: Gorgeous, Melody, Kung Fu, Fantasy, Prof, and Mack (the one who loves to eat). They visit Gorgeous’s spinster aunt who rolls around in a wheelchair while stroking her white cat. Suddenly, the acid kicks in: a watermelon turns into a floating head in a well, mattresses and pianos attack… Those of you with a twisted sense of humor and love of strong visuals, you’ve got to watch Hausu. If you’ve seen it, who was your favorite girl? Kung Fu was mine. As someone on IMDB commented, “She was hot and she kicked haunted house @$$ all over the place, so naturally I was like wtf when she got killed/eaten by that lamp.” Wahh!

CNNGO published an exclusive, original cute recipe of mine: Winking Coconut Gelatin. Healthy and refreshing — and adorable. Also from the 4-part series: Penguin Onigiri and Tiger Chicken Tikka Masala. There’s info about my cute cookbook on this page — please consider checking it out, so that I can continue to put out books for you!

Other recent articles on CNNGo (all of them are found here)
† Unconventional conventions: Asia’s most intriguing trade shows of 2010. Our wonderful “I Am Sebastien” is quoted.
† Take five for Asia’s jazz festivals in 2010. Bill Evans, Christian McBride and others are coming…

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.

If you are purchasing from Amazon.com, may I ask you to please consider supporting this blog by buying via my site? Just click here and search for whatever you want from Amazon (there are no extra costs to you).

Thanks so much and please keep in touch (I do my best to respond to messages): RSS feed, posts in your inbox, MySpace, Facebook Group, Facebook Fan page, Twitter, YouTube, Bloglovin and Google Friend Connect.

Hope to see you at our Lunar New Year + Purikura Jpop party, Feb 13 in LA! RSVP on Los Angeles Going or Facebook.