Year Archive for 2008
TAKUYA ANGEL FASHION SHOW: JAPANESE CYBER RAVE CLOTHING, FRUITS STREETWEAR.
Once upon a time in Osaka, there lived a 28-year-old man named Takuya Sawada. In 1995, the great earthquake shattered more than the buildings in his city; it revealed to him the fragility of his surroundings. Takuya itched to preserve the fashion of Japan’s past – the kimono, haori, geta – in a spanking-new, ultra-modern form.
And so, the brand Takuya Angel was born. The cyber/rave clothes and accessories are a riot of anime neons and space age materials: PVC, cupra, gabardine, faux fur. But the self-taught Takuya incorporates pieces of antique kimonos and forms not seen since the days of the samurai. Like transforming robots, some of the pieces have dual functions, which Takuya describes as “one-stone-two-birds.”
With the help of his wife Akiko, the brand took off. Takuya Angel has been featured in Fruits and collaborates with the Tokyo Decadence club night (the designer often deejays at cyber/Gothic events). Takuya Angel has staged several wild fashion shows; here are photos from the ninth collection unveiling, which too place last May.
Takuya Angel now has two stores (in Tokyo and Nara) and sells through other stores in Paris. Here’s another reason to visit the Harajuku branch: DJ Sisen works there on Saturdays!
Song of the Day #2: An Cafe – Maple Gunman
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MILK SWEET LOLITA STORE IN HARAJUKU, VISUAL KEI & DARKWAVE SONG THE OF DAY.
Got Milk? Meiji Doori (the busy Harajuku street) certainly does. The Japanese fashion brand originated in the 1970s and is viewed as the precursor to Lolita style. Today, it continues to deliver sweet, retro-style collections. Milk Boy spikes it up with modern graphics…
…while the girl’s store next door stays Sweet and Classic, in the vein of Jane Marple and Emily Temple Cute. Can’t you imagine the French character Madeline totting around a red, heart-shaped purse to match her kind heart?
On a different note… many of you have asked for music recommendations, especially in my favorite genres: Visual Kei (J-rock), EBM (electronic body music), Gothic, and darkwave. I discovered some gems while at Tokyo nightclubs, and I’m excited to share them with you. And so… drumroll please… I’m debuting a new feature called “Song of the Day!”
Henceforth, at the end of each blog post, I’ll include a link to a YouTube video along with the artist and track name. Let me know what you think in the comments, and please leave your own song recommendations. I hope you enjoy this new feature.
Song of the Day #1: Apoptygma Berzerk – Unicorn (duet version)
LA CARMINA
