† Name: Justine Chantelle Abad aka. “Jaja”
† Age: 20
† Location: Manila, Philippines
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion?
I found a book called Fruits in our school library and saw Lolita street snaps there. Noted the word Lolita and researched. It was way back in 2006.
† What do you find appealing about GL style and culture?
I’ve always been a fan of Japanese fashion. Also, I have an odd fascination with world history so seeing a mix of Rococo/Victorian style with Japan’s kawaii style was a hit for me.

† What are your favorite Gothic Lolita clothing brands?
I can’t afford burando. But I love Angelic Pretty and Metamorphose’s products.
† Any other comments (inspiration, tips, favorites)?
Shameless plug! Philippine Gothic and Lolita community: http://lolitaph.lefora.com

Film of the Week #41: Howl’s Moving Castle. Hayao Miyazaki is a superstar. Spirited Away remains my above-and-beyond favorite, but his storytelling shines in Howl’s enchanted, retro-futuristic world. The young heroine is turned into an old hag by a spell, and her “eeeee” reaction in front of the mirror is simply perfect — I laughed so hard! Miyazaki’s quirks are in full form: the little dog with short legs, Howl throwing the most emo of tantrums, Turnip-Head scarecrow hopping about, Markl the little boy putting on a ridiculous bearded costume… a joy to watch. If you’ve seen Howl’s Moving Castle, what are your favorite parts?

Time for another edition of kawaii or ai-yah! I’ll post photos and you tell me what you think. To voice your opinions, just click the comment link on the bottom right of any post; you can post as Guest if you don’t want to create a Disqus account.

Lisa Katayama (who interviewed me for BoingBoing) runs a Japanese pop culture blog, TokyoMango, that is a longtime favorite of mine. (The photos above and below are from her site.) Japanese nail art reaches new heights with Hello Kitty’s face and mini-gumballs. The Sanrio star also graces an iPhone case. Your reaction: kawaii or ai-yah?

Round two: introducing the Japanese Snuggie, a sleeping bag you can walk in. (To facilitate running away from bears? Or Godzilla?) And how about Neko Funjyatta, a plastic toy cat with its guts spilling out? Not surprisingly, I saw it at the David Cronenberg meets Lynch otaku cafe in Koenji. Once again, with more cowbell: 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 shop on 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).

† Name: Anastasiya Minkova
† Age: 15
† Location: Russia, Moscow
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion?
Through a friend, she emailed me a link all about lolita fashion. That was when I was 12. I’ve been in love/SUPER obsessed with it ever since.
† What do you find appealing about GL style and culture?
The cuteness, the innocence. The bows and frills. But besides that, lolita comes in many styles of course, making it wearable at almost any age, while still being classy/cute, which makes it very appealing in my opinion.
† What are your favorite Gothic Lolita clothing brands?
BTSSB, Innocent World, Milky Ange, Metamorphose. Wah~ Too many to name.
† Any other comments (inspiration, tips, favorites)?
I may not have any brand lolita, or much lolita clothes at all, but I try to do my best with what I’ve got. Like making my bedroom as cute as possible. And… I wish for there to be a Russian lolita community in the future!

Film of the Week #40: Wild Zero. You may recall that when the Adventure Team visited Hyaena Gallery, we gushed over Guitar Wolf’s “jet rock ‘n’ roll” zombie horror B-movie. Space aliens invade the Earth, and it’s up to the Japanese rockabilly trio to save the day! On the way, they wrangle with crazy rock managers in very tight shorts, transsexuals, naked women shooting guns in the shower, and bloodthirsty zombies. (Sounds like a day in the life for me.) The DVD is a great present for anyone with an offbeat sense of humor.

Introducing a new weekly blog feature that I’ve been testing out on my Twitter! It’s called… kawaii or ai-yah? I’ll post a photo and you tell me what you think. To voice your thoughts, just click the comment link on the bottom right of any post; you can post as Guest if you don’t want to create a Disqus account.

First up, here’s a JSK from the Baby, the Stars Shine Bright collaboration with Gloomy Bear. All of the fashion items incorporate the bear in some way. In this pink dress, his face spans the entire chest! What’s your opinion: kawaii or ai-yah?

Style Arena has a regular “Tokyo Tribe” feature, and one of the recent posts was on Japanese emo fashion. I couldn’t stop laughing when I read the “Engrish” breakdown of the style: “People wearing Emo-fashion have long forelock and black, white or vivid colored hair, and wear normally tight clothes. They prefer the combination of black colored bottoms and the loud colored outer. Using black color and the loud color together makes their style more emotional.” (Remember my gay emo boy outfit in our indie movie?) Thoughts on Japanese scene style: 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’re doing last-minute shopping on Amazon.com, may I ask you to please consider supporting this blog by buying via my site? Simply click here and search for whatever you want from Amazon (there are no extra costs to you).

† Name: Maidelane Lagrosse
† Age: 18
† Location: Caracas, Venezuela
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion?
Well, I met the world of Lolita through visual kei music style, which I like a lot, and of course by the wonderful Mana-sama style. Because of the limited knowledge of this culture in my country, I had to create my own clothes and accessories, however I am very proud of it =).
† What do you find appealing about GL style and culture?
I find attractive the fact that you can display a dark and sinister side while still being elegant or beautiful, it’s wonderful.
† What are your favorite Gothic Lolita clothing brands?
Victorian Maiden, Mary Magdalene, Algonquins, Moi-meme-Moitie, h.Naoto, Putumayo.
† Any other comments (inspiration, tips, favorites)?
I’m very proud to belong to the world of Lolita, creating it from my own hands!

Film of the Week #39: An Education (dir. Lone Scherfig, screenplay by Nick Hornby). I’m not a big movie-goer — new releases rarely push my buttons — but I just got back from this film and enjoyed it quite a lot. It’s a well-written, well-acted story of a British schoolgirl swept off feet by an older sophisticate who is not all he seems to be. Between boring pre-Oxford studies and a glitzy adult world — which path should she choose? (In an upcoming Reader Question, I’ll talk about nailing both.) Catch An Education while it’s still in theaters; the 1960s fashion and hair are the cherry on top.

Hooray for a new Basil Farrow video: Scottish Fold cats just want to have fun! I found a Hexbug micro-robotic insect toy in a store on Melrose, and simply had to buy it for my flop-eared teddy bear. As you can see, he loves to swat and pounce on the creepy-crawly. Basil Farrow also goes crazy for a squeaky mouse on a string, and he doesn’t flinch when I try to strangle him. You can see more cute photos of Scottish Folds on his blog.

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.

Doing your holiday shopping on Amazon.com? If so, 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).

† Name: Lizard
† Age: N/A
† Location: United States.
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion?
I was introduced to GL fashion through art. Many manga artists and photographers love the style and express it beautifully.
† What do you find appealing about GL style and culture?
Detail Detail Detail! You can never beat the intricacy of GL fashion. Whether it is a print for a dress or the endless number of accessories, Lolitas are dressed to perfection. In a society where we overlook the small things, Lolita is a breather for the artist.

† What are your favorite Gothic Lolita clothing brands?
Alice Auaa, Black Peace Now, however, I have fallen in love with offbrand vintage clothing.
† Any other comments (inspiration, tips, favorites)?
If you have money, buy your favorite dress. If you don’t, make it yourself! Don’t spend hours sighing and envying others – do something meaningful!

Film of the Week #38: The Nomi Song. RIP singer Klaus Nomi, ultra visionary! He came from outer space and landed in the 1980s East Village in a conceptual tuxedo. And oh, that heavenly falsetto… This entertaining documentary follows Nomi’s ascent and tragic early death (he was one of the first victims of AIDS). The live footage, including The Man Who Sold The World with David Bowie, is not to be missed. Fun fact: Klaus Nomi was an avid baker of pies!

I hope you’ve been enjoying my CNNGo articles; it’s a joy to write about Asia pop culture for the Turner/CNN site. My latest article is one of my favorites: My Big Fat Asian Wedding. “I say more couples should ditch the limo for a tractor, the priest for a giant robot and the tuxedo for a Hello Kitty mask. Here’s to marriages that think outside the altar.” Would you celebrate your big day in such a wacky way?

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’re doing your holiday shopping on Amazon.com, 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).

† Name: VisualKei_loli_Cloud/Hikari
† Age: 15
† Location: Freiburg, Baden Württemberg, Germany.
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion?
That would be around four years ago, the time when I fell in love with Visual Kei.
† What do you find appealing about GL style and culture?
It is a classical, elegant, sweet, cute and also cryptic style. It’s a special Style; not every one is walking around like that. (It’s pretty rare back here in Freiburg). I just love to be different, I love to have a different style. With this style and this culture I just can be who I really am.
† What are your favorite GL clothing brands?
I don’t really have any. But I like Moi meme Moitie, Peace Now and Sex Pot. Even though I make some of my clothes by myself^^
† Any other comments (inspiration, tips, favorites)?
Be who you are and stay true to your style =^.^=
Dark lovely greetings, Cloud/Hikari

Film of the Week #37: The Bride Wore Black (Directed by Francois Truffaut, starring Jeanne Moreau). I saw the first half of this on Turner Classic Movies and was transfixed. A French New Wave noir, reminiscent of Hitchcock: Moreau plays a bride out to avenge her husband, killed moments after they were wed. Her clever and calculating moves are a pleasure to observe.

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.

The next time you want to make an Amazon purchase, please consider supporting this blog by buying via my site, as I get a referral fee from Amazon! Just click here and search for whatever you want from Amazon.

Thanks and please keep in touch: RSS feed, posts in your inbox, MySpace, Facebook Group, Facebook Fan page, Twitter, YouTube, MyBlogLog community and Google Friend Connect. Stay tuned for the Theme Restaurants books contest winners and more Halloween/J-rock coverage.