Blast from the past… here are never-before seen photos, from my orange hair days! My Scottish Fold cat and I did this photoshoot a while ago, but didn’t get around to posting it until now.

I’m wearing a punk cat hoodie from Yellow House (the legendary Visual Kei indie clothing brand, run by an old spunky lady. I write about it this post). Basil Farrow wears a cruelty-free fur coat.

Thanks for your warm response to the Coolhunting Digital book, which was recently published and distributed in Spanish speaking countries by ANAYA Multimedia. I’m interviewed and featured in a 4-page spread; you can see scans here.

Since not everyone reads Spanish — including myself — below is the interview I did about coolhunting, in English. I hope it illuminates my Pirate firm’s philosophy and how we approach our trend-hunting missions.

1: Can you define cool?
Thanks to the Internet, which connects people and cultures all over the world, “cool” is harder to define than ever. The concept could range from high-end children’s furniture, to kitschy Japanese custom cars, to deathrock festivals in Lithuania.

My approach to coolhunting is to focus on the lifestyles/cultures/works/people that I’m personally passionate about. Ever since I was a teen, I gravitated towards alternative and Asian subcultures (Goth, Punk, retro, Jrock). I live and breathe this world, so it’s natural for me to pinpoint trends within it.

2: What do you need for becoming a coolhunter?

It’s essential to find the niche that you know and love — and be an active participant in it. I’m never sitting at home and compiling statistics. You’ll find me dressed in anime burlesque costumes and diving into the action.

If you’re genuinely interested in people — and see them as PEOPLE, not subjects for a report — then you’ll naturally be welcomed into the scene/subculture. You’ll organically build up a solid social network, which is the best way to find and share information.

In addition to experiencing trends, a coolhunter must analyze and communicate them. Since September 2007, I’ve been blogging obsessively about wild Japanese fashion/nightlife/pop culture on my La Carmina blog. I post photos and reports of my “adventures”: Steampunk meetups, pin up hair, gay glam nightclubs. Visuals make the strongest impact, so I take many photos and make collages. These reports showcase what I can offer to clients, and many have hired me after seeing my blog.

3: What are your favourite sources of information?
My “Pirates.” Let me explain: I run a coolhunting firm called La Carmina & The Pirates, with my “First Mate” Naomi Rubin. We have a huge network of insiders — designers, musicians, It Kids — that we call our “Pirates.” Everyone’s part of the same underground family, and helps provide access and information for our clients.

I don’t believe in surveys and focus groups. The real story lies in the individuals who — without being conscious of it — create and spread trends. If you’re part of the same friend circle, then you’ll always be in the loop.

4: Can you describe the whole process for a coolhunt?
The process differs, depending on the project and client. I often work with international TV networks (CNN, NHK, Travel Channel, Sony) as an arranger and on-camera guide to unusual, hip places.

First, my partner Naomi and I discuss the specifics with the client. Their goals are usually vague, since they don’t know much about the subject (for example, Tokyo street fashion or anime culture). So we give them ideas: links, photos, bullet point descriptions. Such as visiting a cosplay festival, or a cyber fashion store.

Once the production company decides what to film, we make arrangements and get shooting permissions. As the TV host, I introduce the viewers to trends — such as by trying on clothes and interviewing the designer.

After the filming, we help them prepare the footage for television. Before the program airs, we promote it through my blog and social networks.

5: What is your greatest coolhunt / prediction trend achievement?

I’ve had so many positive experiences on TV shows that it’s hard to pick just one! To me, a program is a success when I’m able to tell a compelling story. It feels great when viewers write to me, saying that their eyes were opened and that they want to learn more.

For the Dutch Pepsi TV shoot, we played zombie games at the Sega center, ate caterpillar sushi at the Alice in Wonderland theme café, and sang songs off-key at karaoke.

In a French TV documentary about Tokyo subcultures, my friends and I chased each other with hammers in a dollar store, and then drank absinthe all night at a wild fetish party.

I loved taking Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods (Travel Channel) to a haunted jail restaurant. The famous TV host got handcuffed and drank “blood” from a mannequin’s head!

6: In fashion industry, where do trends get started?

The fashion industry is so vast — from haute couture to hip hop — that it’s impossible to answer the question in general. I stick to following alternative styles, especially Gothic Lolita Punk. And I see the most creative, experimental, DIY designs in Japan’s Goth/cyber/gay/alternative club scene. These ideas often begin underground, then rise to the surface (to mainstream stores and magazines).

7: Do you coolhunt on-line? If so, which are your must-visit websites?
I don’t spend much time surfing websites. I believe in firsthand experience, rather than trying to grasp something from afar.

My approach is to cultivate a strong social network and interact with the people on it. By doing this, I’ll come across Facebook photos of creative makeup, or a music video from a horror-punk band. I learn a lot by being part of people’s lives.

8: After a coolhunt, how do you or your team prepare a future trend-report for your clients?
I’m always on the lookout for underground happenings. It’s what I’ve been doing all my life, before I even knew the word “coolhunting.” When I hear about a Nintendo café, or a heavy metal bar, or gory burlesque show — I’m there!

Every day, I post photos and enthusiastic write-ups on my La Carmina blog. Often, clients search for a particular subject (such as a cat café) and discover my report, which leads to new jobs.

9: Which software do you use to create trend-boards? Can send some sample images of some trend-boards or trend –reports you´ve created?
Too many firms get hung up in complicated boards and charts. I believe in quick, do-it-yourself collages to get the point across. Visuals tell the strongest story, so I splice images together on Photoshop and add easy-to-digest captions.

10: As an experienced coolhunter do you have any advice for future coolhunters?
Be fast, lean, and web-savvy. Naomi and I work by using Gmail chat and Skype conference calls, and collaborating on Google documents. We take digital photos and bring our laptops anywhere. There’s no need for expensive overhead to get the work done.

Build a strong social network. I’m interested in meeting people, and take the time to answer blog comments and Tweets. These relationships can be invaluable for trendspotting.

Lastly, go with the flow. My online presence organically led to a variety of coolhunting jobs: booking concerts for famous bands, TV hosting on major networks, tour guiding a Hollywood producer, and helping a well-known actor bring his films to Japan. I’m excited to see where coolhunting takes me next. Keep checking La Carmina blog for my latest adventures!

To find out more about La Carmina & The Pirates, please visit our website.
– We specialize in Japan, Goth, alternative, cosplay, burlesque, LGBT, fashion, pop culture.
– Our services include TV production coordinating, on-camera hosting, Japanese translation and guiding, coolhunting, consulting.
– We’ve worked with CNN, NHK, Travel Channel, Canal Plus, Sony Australia, Dutch Pepsi.

PS: Thank you to fashion site Lyst for interviewing Sebastiano and La Carmina. “Find out what they’re listening to, what keeps them up at night and much more!” Thank you also to Glitch for the Freakin Awesome Network interview.

PPS: The Japan Episode of Roam TV (Aussie travel show, featuring me) airs tonight (Monday) on Nat Geo Adventure at 9:30PM! Hope you can catch it. If not, clips to come.

Have you heard of coolhunting or TV fixing before? What do you think of our unconventional Pirate approach? If you have further questions, please leave a comment and I’ll reply.

Song of the Day: Spinalcord – Hysteria