Category Archive for Arizona
Downtown Mesa, Arizona shopping: street art, bohemian fashion, anime toys & home decor. Salvador Dali’s house?
Where in the world is La Carmina? I’m currently in Miami; last month, Arizona. Here’s the first of my many desert photo diaries.
Don’t tell my earless cat that I was petting a dog in Mesa (east of Phoenix).
It’s an illusion. This Salvador Dali-esque melting building…
… is in fact a 2D mural, on the side of a vintage clothing store called Eclectic Monkey Emporium.
Downtown Mesa has become an arts destination. I met life-size sculptures as I wandered the streets.
Black and white draped jacket: Miffy x TwoPercent, from Hong Kong Causeway Bay
Polka dot skirt: vintage
White tank top: Muji Japan
Blue shoes: John Fluevog (similar to these Fluevog Munster shoes)
The pig is one of my favorites.
Murals, murals, on the walls.
Main Street Mesa was a joy to explore. Small business owners sat at the counters, giving greetings and shopping advice.
So much to browse at the vintage bohemian Blossom salon and boutique.
Steampunk love.
None of the stores were mass retailers. Instead, there were one-off gems like Design*Lab for home decor. (My bag is Hyoma by Izzue, from Hong Kong.)
Lulubell Toy Bodega has Japanese collector toys, anime goods, and books by my Crazy, Wacky Theme Restaurants publisher.
After a long walk, I was relieved to drink mint tea at Lo-Fi Coffee — followed by fish tacos, rice and beans at Mango’s Mexican Cafe.
Three cheers to Downtown Mesa for supporting indie, one-of-a-kind boutiques and street art!
Do you have shops like these where you live? What do you think of my “sleek-kawaii” look these days?
PS: Currently having an incredible time at Art Deco Weekend in Miami. For 1920s outfit previews and architecture, take a gander at my Instagram.
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Steve Haworth, Extreme Body Modification Artist: 3D subdermals, magnetic implants & metal Mohawks.
Split snake tongues, star-shaped subdermal implants… welcome to the visionary world of extreme body modifications. I had the honor of chatting with revered body mod artist, Steve Haworth, at his home in Phoneix AZ. The interview’s up on Huffington Post; please check it out! I’d love to hear what you think of my writing.
“Let me show you something,” says Steve Haworth. Grinning like a kid, he places a small magnetic ball on the tip of his right ring finger. He lets go and rotates his wrist. The ball sticks.
The force is with Steve, thanks to a neodymium magnet in his fingertip that attracts objects and detects fields — a feeling he describes as a sixth sense. When he turns on an electric can opener, the metal dances.
Intrigued? Please read the rest of the article on Huff Post. Your comments and social shares are always appreciated, and help me continue my subculture coverage. (Support with a Like below…)
Steve showed me his collection of animal skulls and oddities. (Speaking of, I’ll be appearing on Discovery’s Oddities TV show this year; will let you know the air date soon.)
His colleague/girlfriend Mandi and client/model Michelle joined our chat.
Mandi displays a technology Steve is working on, which lights up her chest subdermal. His goal is to have it pulse to the beat of music — can you imagine the effect on a club dance floor?
Steve has a small magnet under the skin of his fingertip, and it can pick up metal objects.
The implant lets him feel electromagnetic forces, a phenomenon he describes a “sixth sense.” When Steve holds his finger to an electric can opener, the embedded magnet vibrates.
Special thanks to my dear Wes for joining this adventure!
Steve manufactures his own silicone subdermal implants. Inserted under the skin, they come in a variety of shapes.
The extreme body mod community’s close-knit; Steve has been to Japan twice, teaming up with Keroppy and Asami of bagelheads fame. Here’s a photo I took during my French TV shoot, which featured forehead inflation. If you’re interested in Japanese bagel heads, contact La Carmina & The Pirates; we worked on multiple programs about this mod.
What’s your reaction to extreme body mods, like branding, scarification and forehead horns? To learn more, here’s my article about Steve Haworth. Thanks for keeping an open and understanding perspective.
LA CARMINA
