Category Archive for Tokyo + Japan
ANIME MATSURI 2011: LA CARMINA & H.NAOTO AT JAPANESE CONVENTION IN HOUSTON, TEXAS! HANGRY & ANGRY, SIXH HARAJUKU STORES.
Important UPDATE: Unfortunately, the Sendai earthquake crisis has shifted many of my upcoming plans. I am so sorry, but I cannot make it to Anime Matsuri in Houston, Texas next weekend. I was looking forward to meeting so many of you… Happily, the h.NAOTO Sixh and Hangry & Angry fashion shows are still on, and I urge you to attend and support.
I’m coming to Houston, Texas in mid-March! And I’m bringing two Goth Punk kitties with me!
I am a special guest at Anime Matsuri, a giant yearly anime and Japanese pop culture convention. It was my duty to help create a spectacular J-fashion presentation… so I called in my friends at h.NAOTO. Please welcome Sixh. and Hangry & Angry to Texas for the very first time! The runway show will feature an interactive presentation from each model, and appearances from designers IBI, Mint and Gashicon from Japan.
Let’s celebrate the fifth year anniversary of Anime Matsuri, March 18-20th in Houston, Texas.
What: Hangry&Angry and Sixh – Japanese street fashion show
When: Friday, March 18th, 2011
Where: Main Events Arena, The Crowne Plaza Hotel (near Reliant), 8686 Kirby Drive, Houston, TX 77054
Tickets on sale now at www.animematsuri.com
What type of underground fashion can you expect? After attending the Hangry&Angry fashion show in Harajuku, Naomi and I visited the store to give you an inside peek.
Hello, cute-meets-creepy cat clothes.
In my dream bedroom, I’d have a shelf of these plush toys.
Then we headed a block over to photograph the new h.NAOTO store. I ran to the fuzzy white rabbit purse in the window.
The store had minimalist and elegant design, with mannequins hanging from the ceiling.
The namesake h.NAOTO collection is always classy.
Purple sparkly sequined rabbit, with sharp teeth and a tongue sticking out… bravo, Naoto-san.
His Goth and Lolita dresses are as beautiful as ever.
I like the rabbit motifs in the recent collection.
When you’re in Harajuku, be sure to pop into the h.NAOTO and Hangry & Angry stores for a browse. You can see maps, photos, addresses and more in my Gothic Lolita Shopping Guide.
For more h.NAOTO coverage…
† Hangry and Angry fashion show at the Heaven store in Harajuku, and a video interview with designer Gashicon
† h.NAOTO Goth night, an Eyes Wide Shut influenced fashion show in Harajuku
† Sebastiano Serafini models Sixh for my CNNGo article about male fashion
I can’t wait to visit Houston, Texas for the first time and meet you at Anime Matsuri! Please tell your friends about the upcoming convention — I look forward to seeing you there.
Which are favorite garments from the h.NAOTO stores? Tips for places to visit in Houston?
Japanese Word of the Day: Murahachibu = Ostracism
Song of the Day: Apoptygma Berzerk – Unicorn, Fairlight Children remix. (Robot love! The band emailed me, and we’re speaking more on Wednesday… updates to come.)
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STAR CAFE TOKYO: VISUAL KEI & HEAVY METAL JROCK BARS IN KABUKI-CHO, SHINJUKU. CURE MAGAZINE, POKEMON PILLOWS & TOYS.
Where am I? In a retro toy store with Luke of Chaos Royale? Not even close. We’re in Star Cafe, the Visual Kei bar in Kabuki-cho where spiky-haired groups like Anti-Feminism drink after playing a live. (For the record, they didn’t understand the meaning of the band name when they picked it…)
How typical of Japan… the cute and the hardcore, blended together seamlessly.
Naomi and I had a full day of shooting with Norway TV, but we still had energy left for an after-after-party. We decided on the vintage whiskey.
There’s a rack of Cure Magazines, so you can do shots while flipping through the pages.
Lolita rose headdress: gifted from My Velcroe by Emily Blong. (I wore it on the Norway TV shoot… more photos to come.)
Skull t-shirt: Super Lovers, from Closet Child
What’s the proper thing to do when a customer falls asleep at the bar? Take photos involving Cookie Monster and V-fingers, of course!
Star Cafe is well-stocked with alcohol and J-rock DVDs.
Mistress Maya, “Queen of Kabuki-cho,” comes here frequently.
Visual Kei band posters cover the walls, like in my bedroom.
STAR★CAFE is located at 2F 1-11-5 Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo.
How to get there: walk toward Studio ALTA from Shinjuku station (East exit). Cross the main avenue (Yasukuni Doori), walk in a front street (Kabuki-cho Ichibangai), and you will arrive at Shinjuku Koma Theater. Opens 11:00pm.
Want to see more photos from Tokyo Visual Kei bars? I visited Visual Kei Bar Zin, Fu-ki’s Bar Midian, and Osaka’s Moonwalk and Rock Rock.
What type of bars do you prefer? In addition to headbanger bars, I love retro/absinthe/burlesque establishments…
PS: come read my latest CNNGo article about 10 extremely extreme sports involving yaks, angry bulls and the North Korean border. Also, my CNN picks for best travel destinations in 2011. Sichuan, Himalayas, Bolivia and more.
Japanese Word of the Day: Sonzai = Existence or being
Song of the Day: Anti-Feminism – Tokage
LA CARMINA
