No surprise that Absolut tapped her for one of most inspiring ad campaigns I’ve ever seen. In the spring of 2005, the vodka company invited eleven aliens – cyber club kids, a hillbilly, a doll artist – to get off the streets of Japan and interpret the Absolut brand. Each created a costume inspired by the iconic Absolut bottle that also reflects his or her own distinctive character. Nadav Kander was behind the lens, and performance artist/underground legend Pyuupiru was creative director.

Three of my favorite profiles have aesthetic ties to Gothic Lolita. Erimo poses in a black lace-up corset with her doppelganger; the doll’s expression is uncanny and very Kaori Yuki (above middle). D, a writer/illustrator/cartoonist/singer, says “Usually I like punk style, but today I’m a romantic goth.” (above right)

Manamu’s spread possibly the most striking (above left). She wears a shirt from Peace Now and drawers from Metamorphose; I love the cage crinoline, checkerboard tights, and Victorian ankle boots. Manamu turns the Absolut bottle into a gurololi eyepatch (genius) and a textured purse studded with black and bloody roses and strung from a metal chain (double genius). Click here to see a larger view of her ad.

The company created an Absolut Metropolis website with photo outtakes, interviews with each contributor, personal pics (Manamu shows a range of costumes), wallpapers, and moody behind-the-scenes videos. Below is Manamu’s style Q&A; it’s much like my Gothloli of the Week feature:

Who is your personal style icon?
Tim Burton characters.
Where were you last night?
Stayed at home and went to bed early.
What is Tokyo style?
Trend followers, all looking the same.
What will your style be in 20 years?
Still Gothic but more advanced and sophisticated.
Favorite movie?
“Sleepy Hollow.”
What do you do in your spare time?
Walk around temples and shrines, and looking for interesting books in book stores.
Did your look require any research?
I read a lot about Gothic stuff.
Who are your heroes and heroines?
Samurai, saints and Jack from “The Nightmare Before Xmas.”
What other street style looks do you reference?
I check the punk style and gal (Shibuya bright type of girls) fashion.

The curious campaign works because it lets daring young creators use their own identities as an arena of creativity. In the words of the bright and portly Nogi Sumiko, “It’s not just a look – I think through the outfit. It reveals something inside me, and I enjoy the distance and relationship it creates with others.” She speaks to how many of us make Gothic Lolita meaningful by the way we wear it.