Category Archive for Fashion
Cute animal cakes, Japanese patterned tights & Kyaru Pamyu Pamyu makeup: Shinjuku Studio Alta.
Kawaii bento-making isn’t as popular as it was a few years ago, but cute decorated food is still all over Tokyo. What else is currently trending in Japan?
In this post, I re-visit Shinjuku Studio Alta, the gyaru-alternative shopping complex near the station’s East Exit. Keep reading for neon-haired Japanese shop girls!
Let’s start with cute cakes. These bunny, cat, puppy and teddy bear pastries are sold inside the Swimmer shop, in the basement of Alta. While Swimmer has a few locations, I believe this is the only one with kawaii baked goods. (Compare these images to the Swimmer Studio Alta photos I took in 2011.)
For those who enjoy cooking, these cherry and chocolate print aprons are a nice gift.
Swimmer is all about pastel, animal-faced pens and accessories for the home.
One of the biggest trends in Tokyo right now: patterned or tattoo tights. The prints are colorful and intricate; Disney even got into the action.
Pop star Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is everywhere, and her color contact lenses are big sellers.
Liz Lisa remains a favorite brand for girly types. (More photos of this brand in my Yokohama Vivre store pics.)
Cats will never go out of style. Not while Hello Kitty’s in charge.
Scary meets cutesy in many of the accessories.
I always stop by Fernoppa. The shop girl is very friendly and her rock-Goth coordinates are impeccable. (See her outfit photo from 2011 here.)
Lady Gaga might go gaga at the studded bras, chokers, and giant leopard print bows.
Algonquins hasn’t changed much, but it’s not a bad thing. They’ve got their punky Gothic look down.
Quite a few stores sold large cross necklaces, and items with pentagram symbols.
Electro neon. The 1980s are alive.
One of the upper floors sells costumes and fabulous accessories. For some reason, the mannequins were dressed like LFMAO.
Impressive wigs. Wouldn’t it be nice to have hair like on the right?
For more photos of Shinjuku Studio Alta, take a look at my previous shopping trip. Address: 3-24-3 Shinjuku.
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Ladies of Steampunk magazine cover! Modeling in Japan: two horns hairstyle, leather octopus corset.
I’ve adored Steampunk for years, and have exciting news to share. Today, the latest issue of Ladies of Steampunk Magazine is out, with devil-haired Carmina on the cover!
The magazine does a wonderful job of capturing this unique subculture and its fashion. In a six-page feature, they interviewed me about the colorful Japan Steampunk scene, including the groundbreaking party Steam Garden. You can get a digital or print copy here, and see more on their Facebook.
Can you tell I had fun shooting these photos in Nakano? I worked with the same team that did my Adone Magazine shots: photograher Said Karlsson and hairstylist Kukukachoo.
Octopus corset: gifted by Dracula Clothing (remember when I visited their steampunk-Victorian showroom in Prague?)
Skull and crossbones necklace: gifted by Ghostlove
Long lace skirt: gifted by Corset Chick
We enjoyed putting a Japan-anime twist on traditional Steampunk style. Do you like my two-horned hair?
My blue and purple hair extensions are the masterwork of Lulu Kukukachoo, Tokyo-based stylist. She used an ingenious method to create the cone shapes, then twisted and pinned these acrylic hues into place. She’s available for everything from avantgarde styling to basic haircuts, via Hair by Kukukachoo.
It was fun to look for Victorian-esque backdrops around Nakano. This curving gate was a great find.
As was the wooden front of a Japanese restaurant.
Brown, beige and black graffiti. I like how my hair flips up at the ends.
Photographer Said is wonderful to work with; he’s easygoing and has a great feel for shots and lighting. He also runs Tokyo Faces, a street fashion photo-blog with daily photos.
In my Q&A, I talk about the emerging scene in Japan, led by my friends Kenny Creation and Luke Chaos, who organized the party Steam Garden. Soon, I’ll post photos from their most recent event, which shows the spectrum of steam-punk fashion in Japan (including Lolita versions).
Want to see and learn more? Pick up a copy of the magazine. Thanks to Ladies of Steampunk for the grand honor.
Do you like how I added inspiration from Harajuku style tribes into this outfit? How do you like Steampunk culture and clothing?
LA CARMINA
