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Category Archive for Tokyo + Japan

Shinjuku Marui Annex: Lolita, Gothic, Tokyo Punk clothing shops moved for 0101 renewal.

baby the stars shine bright jsk print

If you’re going to Tokyo, and want to shop for the best Goth, Lolita, Alternative and Punk fashion… then you’d better read this post for a head’s up. Marui One Shinjuku, the department store that houses these street styles, is currently closed for renewal.

Most of these brands, like Baby the Stars Shine Bright, have moved to Marui Annex for the time being. Where is it, and what’s it like? Scroll down for the scoop, and don’t forget to study my comprehensive Tokyo shopping guide for more shopping tips!

marui 0101 annex shinjuku mall

It’s not clear how long the Marui One “renewal” will take (a previous one took about half a year), or what it means exactly. The department store will be revamped in some way. My guess is that the Goth/Loli/Punk focus will be minimized, and that a larger variety of brands will be brought into the mix.

For now, you can shop for most of these alt labels at 0101 Marui Annex (Shinjuku, 3−1−26). To arrive here, get out from Shinjuku Station East Exit (near Studio Alta). Turn right, and keep walking down Shinjuku Dori. Annex is a tall modern building on the right side of the street, right before Armani.

milk, tokyo street style boutique

Annex has converted two of the upper floors into temporary homes for cute street fashion. Milk, with its twee and scalloped coats, is one of the first you’ll run into. (Links to all labels are at the bottom of this post.)

cute face purse, blue faux fur

Don’t limit yourself to the underground brands, however. Take a walk around each level; you never know what you’ll find. I got this blue cutie-faced purse at Mercibeaucoup, on one of the lower floors.

winking cat shirt, kitty sweater

I also spotted this winking cat top. There are a lot of cute but chic designs in Annex, which can suit a slightly older (but still offbeat) shopper.

japanese rock goth punk style

Mercibeaucoup had a Snoopy collaboration for winter. You can incorporate these garments into a rock-style coordinate like the one on the right.

godzilla cats, cute monster toys

In the gift store, I found these colorful Godzilla cats. I wouldn’t mind if these cute kitties terrorized Tokyo!

putumayo tokyo fashion

Most of the alternative street style brands, like Putumayo, are currently in two of the upper floors of Annex. The space isn’t as uniquely decorated, and the boutiques are smaller, but you can still shop the latest collections.

game of thrones fur collar coat

There are also some new brands in the melee. How about these Game of Thrones fur collar jackets?

acryl closet, handmade japanese clothes

They are handmade by Acryl Closet. I saw the designer sitting at the table, working on new clothes.

lolita shoes, lavender mary janes

In the old Marui One, an entire floor was dedicated to cool shoes. It’s been reduced to about a third of the size, but you can still find Yosuke and other Lolita lace heels.

kodona, jrock boys style

Peace Now is no more, but their aristocrat and boy-style designs live on in other labels.

alice and the pirates coffin purses

Alice and the Pirates remains one of my favorites. Oh, those coffin purses…

white lace pirate lolita boots

… and white ankle boots with adorable lace and ribbon detailing.

metamorphose temps de fille lolita dresses

I don’t particularly like “winter” Lolita fashions, like these dresses by Metamorphose temps de fille. The heavier fabrics and bulkier cuts aren’t to my taste.

angel wing purse, winged bags

Meta’s angel wing purses, however, are heavenly. (Couldn’t help myself…)

playing card print jacket

The Kera Angel area is home to a number of smaller Loli brands. You’ll find more experimental fashion here, which is hit or miss. I like this playing card king and queen collar…

cat face purse, egl skirt print

… but the angry cat-face purse and bunny kitty print dress are a bit much.

kera shop, weird harajuku fashion

Another example of “please no”… the creepy child-baker print on the JSK skirt. What’s with the giant fork and the “Use Yeast” caption?

ozz croce, ozzon wa lolita

I’m fond of the traditional Japanese “wa” influences in Ozz On and Ozz Croce, although I rarely wear clothes like these. I recently got a “hakama” skirt, so I’ll be playing around with this style more.

ne-net pandas, pop print sweaters

Most stores were relatively undecorated, since they are only in Annex for the time being. Ne-Net is an exception: the entire wall was covered in stuffed panda bears.

spirited away sprite toys, miyazaki

Totoro and Spirited Away fans, you can’t miss the Hayao Miyazaki store. I found these stuffed sprites, among other plush toys and goods.

goth visual kei outfits

Sex Pot Revenge and h.NAOTO still offer their signature Goth Jrock style.

kawaii twee jewelry

Annex has a boys love and anime/manga section, and kawaii jewelry as well.

spiky rings, leather gothic bracelet

If leather and studs is more your style, then there’s a good Goth selection.

marie antoinette purse

Love this Marie Antoinette antique-style purse with lace trim. You can find such unique and elegant items in Tokyo. That’s why it remains one of my favorite cities for buying clothes.

angelic pretty gothic sweet lolita dresses

A pink backdrop can only mean one thing: Angelic Pretty, the much loved Sweet Lolita label.

egl lolita wardrobe

Nearby is Baby, the Stars Shine Bright. Wouldn’t you like to have a pastel and lace EGL wardrobe like this?

sweet lolita ruffle sleeves

Close up on long, white ruffled sleeves and a dollhouse fabric print.

black rose cakes, swallowtail butler cafe

If you’re getting tired, you can stop by Swallowtail for a black rose cake. This Ikebukuro butler cafe has a bakery and tearoom in Annex, minus the cute butlers sadly…

excentrique, victorian fashion

But there are female servers wearing modest, Victorian style dresses, like the ones found at Excentrique.

velvet victorian lolita dress

I leave you with a velvet Gothic Lolita dress. Here are links to the websites of all these Goth Lolita Rock brands. For more Tokyo fashion photos and maps, read my Japan alt shopping guide.

What do you think of the current collections inside Marui Annex? Which items would you most want in your closet?

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Hong Kong cat cafes, Bangkok clubs & European train journey. LaCarmina year in review, pt 2.

tall boots, grunge clothing

Goodbye, 2013! What a spectacular year you’ve been. Let’s continue our look-back with highlights of the last six months.

hong kong cat cafe, cats theme restaurant food

But first: a peek into a Hong Kong cat cafe! Watch my new video on Huffington Post, where I visit Causeway Bay’s “Ah Meow” theme restaurant. It’s home to dozens of adopted cats, including at least three Scottish Folds.

My round Basil Farrow makes a cameo too… Can you find him in there?

tv filming, circus halligalli

Now, back to the yearly sum-up. As you saw in Part 1, I spent the first half of the year traveling for work. In July, I remained in my hometown of Vancouver — but did I stop to rest? Hell no.

The famous German TV show, Circus HalliGalli with Joko and Klaas, flew in to shoot a challenge about lip-sewing body modifications! When it aired, it caused quite the stir among the tabloids. Watch my evil TV hosting in this episode, if you dare.

anime convention vancouver expo

Seby and I also appeared as guests of honor, at Vancouver’s Anime Evolution convention. We had a great time meeting you, and hope to be back next summer.

Lolita Treff fashion Österreich

Next, my film team and I did an epic journey in Central and Eastern Europe with Eurail. We “coolhunted” emerging trends, nightlife, fashion and more in Vienna (Austria), Bratislava (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary), Belgrade (Serbia), and Zagreb (Croatia).

web travel videos series

Our videos are getting hundreds of thousands of views, on Business Insider; I’m glad you’re enjoying this series. Here are all my east European travel guides.

bangkok thailand press trip

Then it was back to Asia. Thailand Tourism sent Seby and me to Bangkok, to experience “T-pop” culture and share it with you. We were hosted by Sofitel So, a blissfully elegant 5-star hotel (this is their funky “Earth”-themed room).

siam discovery designer fashion

We were enthralled by the colorful local fashion at Siam Discovery, and golden temple of Wat Pho. I still have more Bangkok posts to share with you, so stay tuned to the South Asia page.

I also had the chance to do more TV presenting. Some projects, I can’t say much about yet due to contractual agreements… but rest assured that when things air, you’ll be the first to know.

Above is my latest TV hosting reel, which includes clips from Discovery TV’s Oddities. The cover image is from my dinner with my friend Andrew Zimmern, who was in Vancouver filming Bizarre Foods!

sexy astronaut costume

Every year, I go all-out for Halloween and Day of the Dead. This time, I celebrated my favorite holiday in Portland. Between partying, this space-girl floated to steampunk stores, vegan brunches and Lovecraft bars. Click here for all the PDX, Oregon action.

uo hong kong express airways magazine

Are you exhausted yet? The year’s not quite done: a TV job meant spending most of November in Tokyo, Japan. I love seeing the cute Christmas lights and decorations during this festive season.

I was also on two magazine covers in December: the alternative fashion Rebelicious Mag, and the in-flight magazine of Hong Kong Express Airways.

cat licking feet

And here we are, licking our feet. I can’t wait to see what 2014 holds. Already, there are meaningful travel projects in the works, and a new destination in January… Keep your eyes peeled for the announcement. Hint, it’s somewhere in the Middle East.

scottish fold cat face

For you Tokyo fashion lovers, worry not: I have lots of Jpop posts coming up. You can get sneak peeks (along with snapshots of my cat) on @lacarmina Instagram.

cat winking, closing one eye

And don’t forget to watch my new HK Cat Cafe video, wink wink.

Do you feel you’ve grown or changed in 2013? What are you looking forward to in the New Year?