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Shinjuku Lumine & Ikebukuro Sunshine City: Joyrich, World Wide Love. VANCOUVER, party with me & be on TV!

rilakkuma bear costume, bear mascot, japanese anime costumes

How are you pirates doing today? For those in sore spirits, I hope this life-size Rilakkuma bear lifts your mood.

And here’s a treat for my fellow Vancouver-ites… I’m hosting a party, to be filmed for a German TV show, June 15! Please share the info below; I hope you can join me for Spooky Saturday.

vancouver goth party, sin city, sanctuary, gothic clubs vancouver

La Carmina is hosting a German TV show, about underground culture and travel in Vancouver. With her friends DJ Pandemonium and Sin City, we’re throwing a dark alternative flash mob party for the climax scene of the episode — where she and the German host party hard, and reveal a fascinating body modification!

Come and meet La Carmina, and be part of the TV shoot. The crazier you dress (fetish, Goth, costume, bizarre), the more likely you will be featured on the show. It will air later this year on Pro Sieben Germany, to an audience of 4 million viewers. When it airs, the clip and photos will be available on my blog, so be sure to check back.

Details below, and on the Facebook invite. Anyone who RSVPs simply by clicking Join gets on the guest list, and receives half price admission for only $3.

WHERE: Waldorf Hotel Tiki Bar, 1489 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC.
WHEN: Saturday June 15, 9pm to 2am
AGE: 19+ with ID
DRESSCODE: Anything goes, but bizarre – fetish – club kid – Goth – carnival is encouraged.

stuffed rilakkuma toy, hawaiian bear, kawaii toys

Now, let’s continue our Tokyo shopping journey with trips to Ikebukuro’s Sunshine City and Shinjuku’s Lumine.

Long-time readers may recall that I have an Ikebukuro map and store photos in my Tokyo shopping guide. This district is not far from Shinjuku, and contains plenty of cute fashion boutiques.

stuffed cat toys, japanese kitty purses

From the subway, follow signs to Sunshine City. It’s a large complex and the stores sell some of the best kawaii goods, like these cat-ball plushies and polka dot bags.

world wide love, ghost bags, bat purses

On the first floor, World Wide Love is pastel ghoul paradise.

ghost face bags, Ikebukuro Sunshine City shopping

How amazing are these French-speaking ghosts?

cute japanese clothing, cat shirt, ghost sweater

The poppy-Goth fashion reminds me of Peace Now (the Japan Goth brand that closed down).

happy face bags, mdma purse, smiley face purses

I can never resist funny-faced bags like these.

black cat sweater, cute face clothes, tokyo style

The prices are pretty good – around $30 for sweaters and tops. Naomi bought the lavender cardigan with ghostly accents.

ne-net, black cat logo, bird shoes

Next door is Ne-Net, the label starring a shifty-eyed black cat. I’m not sure what’s going on with these shoes — are they supposed to be bird-faced?

my melody shop, sanrio store japan

My Melody is a popular character these days, and is the star of this Sanrio store window.

animal backpacks, cute chick purse

If you’re looking for Tokyo kawaii goods, definitely stop by Ikebukuro Sunshine Doori.

joyrich store japan, tokyo joyrich, lumine shinjuku

Now, here’s a mall I haven’t featured before: Lumine, located above the Shinjuku subway station.

There are multiple floors of Japanese and international boutiques, like Joyrich.

tokyo trendy womnen's fashion, japan style bloggers

The designs are slightly more mature than the girly pop of Shibuya 109. However, you can likewise find romantic gyaru fashion here.

cut out high heel shoes, heart cut out heels

I bought these cut-out shoes with hearts and ribbons, in the nude color. How could I not?

tokyo haute couture, avant garde clothing japan

Some of the stores in Lumine are quite high-end, such as this avantgarde shop.

emoda japan, emoda store, gyaru gal fashion

Others are trendy but reasonably priced, like Emoda.

jeffrey campbell shoes tokyo, japanese shoe store

Jeffrey Campbell shoes are a favorite among the Japanese.

romantic shoes, cut out boots, japan footwear

Cut-outs and bows, yes and yes.

amavel, shinjuku lumine, dolly kei, mori girls

There isn’t much subculture fashion in Lumine, but I enjoyed the Amavel store, which has elements of Country Lolita, Alice in Wonderland and schoolgirls. I got my white rabbit clockwork purse here.

jpop fashion, electro clothing

Lumine’s selection is not as focused as Marui One (Goth Lolita Punk) and Shibuya 109 (gyaru pop). Among the mix, I found a 1980s-loving boutique.

heart creeper shoes, 80s clothing tokyo

I enjoy browsing Lumine because of the wide variety of fashions. You can pick and choose items to create your own look. These heart creepers, for example, could work for a Pastel Goth coordinate.

cross tshirt, nu goth, metal, new gothic

What do you think of the clothing and shoes in this post? Are you enjoying these store photos?

dancing bear, rilakkuma costume, cute cosplay

PS: I took a video of this dancing Rilakkuma bear, using the Vine app. Add me on Vine (search for “La Carmina”) to see this and more.

PPS: I hope to party with you, Vancouver! RSVP now and share the news with your friends.

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Off to the Maldives, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Montreal Kinetik Festival! United Arab Emirates & South Asia travels.

tokyo street fashion, cool japan hairstyle, pink hair girl

All right, here’s the big news. In May, I’ll be traveling to four international destinations: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, the Maldives Islands, and Montreal for Kinetik Festival! What will I be doing, how, and why? Keep reading.

(Hair in the above photo by Kukukachoo, shot by Said Karlsson. More from this series here)

maldives resort, Gili Lankanfushi, best maldives hotels

You know I’m all about being a Pirate, and I’ve daydreamed of visiting the Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean. Eco-friendly luxury resort Gili Lankanfushi is making this a reality… my filmmaking crew and I will be staying with them and sharing our “Treasure Island” adventure with you!

Maldives Island Resort, luxury hotels, Gili Lankanfushi

Can’t wait to explore this five star eco-resort, accessible only by speedboat. I’ll be staying in my own tropical villa, surrounded entirely by water, with a Mr Friday to assist me. Be sure to add my social networks (on the right sidebar) for a glimpse of the pirate life.

fairmont palm dubai hotel, 5 star dubai hotels

After the Maldives, my crew and I are jetting to Dubai, a destination that’s been on my bucket list for some time. We’ll be guests of The Fairmont Palm Jumeirah, located on the swank, man-made Palm Islands. This video and article coverage will be published on Huffington Post / AOL.

Fairmont Palm Jumeirah, palm dubai hotel

I’m fascinated by Dubai, a city of lavish imagination — home to the world’s largest mall and artificial island, 7-star hotel Burj Al Arab, and outrageous developments like a World-shaped archipelago. I hope I don’t fall off a camel when I ride it for the first time. (Above image from Wikipedia)

abu dhabi hotel, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr

And then, we’ll be filming travel videos at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi, a classical Middle Eastern city home to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

Funny enough, I first heard of the United Arab Emirates though Garfield’s Abu Dhabi song (where he threatens to mail Nermal away). Now, I’ll be seeing the UAE with my own eyes.

aesthetic perfection, daniel graves singer, electro goth bands

And that’s not the end. In late May, Montreal Tourism Board is sending me to Kinetik Festival, a four-day celebration of Electro-Industrial-Noise. I’m certain you’ll enjoy my video coverage, since performance artist Lauren (from Death Cookbook days) and Daniel Graves of Aesthetic Perfection will be my co-hosts!

encouters travel magazine, south china morning post

Super grateful to all of you for supporting my writing and presenting work, which makes these trips possible. My film team and I are going to work hard, and bring you the best possible coverage of these international destinations.

Do you have UAE, Maldives, and Montreal travel tips for us? Is there anything you’d like us to feature? Let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best. (I’ve never been to any of these places, except Montreal as a kid.)

PS: Thank you to Atlas Obscura for interviewing me about my “subculture nomad” life. You can also read my Adone street style and South China Morning Post features online (photo above from their Encounters travel magazine).

PPS: My June and July plans are already in motion… where do you think I’ll be? Hint, the continent is Asia

  • LA CARMINA IS...LA CARMINA
    is an award-winning travel & fashion blogger / author / TV host.

    La Carmina has appeared on:

    Travel Channel Food Network National Geographic CNN She's visited 70+ countries, written several books for Penguin Random House / Simon & Schuster, and is a SATW prize-winning journalist for The New York Times, National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, Time Magazine etc.
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