Category Archive for Tokyo + Japan
DANGEROUS NUDE, SEX POT REVENGE MEN & WOMEN’S CLOTHES OSAKA. JAPANESE HEAVY METAL BANDS, BLOOD STAIN CHILD & GASTUNK.
My Los Angeles invasion with Seba is shaping up swimmingly — every day, there’s more good news. We’re on a roll, and grateful that you’re riding along with us!
LA friends, we hope you can party with us on Saturday, January 1st at Bar Sinister (here’s the info, and the Facebook RSVP is here). Oops, the event is actually 18+, not 21+… so we hope more of you can come.
What to wear? Anything Goth, alternative or indie works. Such as this Sex Pot Revenge dress… the zebra stripes are actually weapons!
Here are more Osaka store photos, continued from this post. A Shinsaibashi collection of electro-punk brands.
The Punk’s Not Dead sign is near-identical to the one in the Sex Pot Tokyo boutique. My Harajuku photos from 2008 are proof. (Yes, I’ve been at this for a while…)
Ever wish you could hide in a store and live there?
The interior has an underground sensibility that matches the labels.
Toxic Star tees always have bright, punky graphic designs.
I know many of you are fans of Swimmer, a slightly scary-cute accessories and stationery store. I took Laforet Harajuku Swimmer photos for this post from 2009.
Dangerous Nude is an indie brand inspired by burlesque and ero-Loli. Corsets and tutu skirts and top hats, all handmade. The designer is close with the Tokyo Decadance crew.
The shop has a Moulin Rouge atmosphere. What do you think of Dangerous Nude’s barely-there clothing?
Want to see more Osaka Gothic Lolita boutique photos? It’s all in my big fat Japan shopping guide.
And now, for a word from First Mate Naomi: “Long time Austin party organizers New Noir had their first foray into the LA Scene with “Tokyo Social Club” this October at the Royal/T Café and Art Space in Culver City. The event’s unexpected center piece was multiplayer ping-pong mayhem! Each guest was given a paddle and the chance to take a shot in a musical chairs style throw-down.
Organizer Anthony (DJ New Berlin) got the idea for the game from one of Berlin’s many social clubs that defined itself with group ping-pong escapades. Culver City’s Cake Divas matched the massive paddle-battle with their own intimidating creation: A rampaging Godzilla cake! All the yummy play time was set to New Noir’s smooth DJs Unconventional Science & FONIKS.
Want to experience New Noir’s slick LA party for yourself? They’ll be taking over the Royal/T again on Dec. 22nd for a Holiday Taco Party and Costume Contest.”
Last but not least, I wrote a CNNGo article about the Japanese heavy metal scene. I interviewed Blood Stain Child, Tatsu of Gastunk / Killing Red Addiction, and actor-headbanger Avery Fane. Please give it a gander and let me know what you think!
Are you familiar with Tokyo and Osaka metal bands? What do you think of Dangerous Nude’s burlesque circus girl fashion?
Japanese Word of the Day: Eikyou = Influence, effect
Song of the Day: Art Cube – Petal (Visual Kei taken to a girly extreme?)
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JANUARY 1: HOSTING A PARTY AT HOLLYWOOD BAR SINISTER, GOTH ALTERNATIVE NIGHTCLUB! BEST LA EVENTS, LOS ANGELES NEW YEAR’S PARTIES. CUTIE FRASH CYBER CLOTHING.
Warning: nightcrawl alert! The day after New Year’s Eve, Sebastiano and I are hosting a party at LA’s spookiest nightclub, Bar Sinister in Hollywood.
Two indie-alternative bands are performing that night: Julien-K and The Dreaming. There will be fetish playroom stations, Goth EBM Industrial deejays, and copious amounts of absinthe… who’s ready to join us??
WHAT: La Carmina & Sebastiano Serafini — party at Bar Sinister
WHEN: Saturday, January 1st, 2011, 10:30pm to late. (Please note this is the evening of Jan 1st, NOT New Year’s Eve)
WHERE: Bar Sinister, 1652 N Cherokee Ave (between Hollywood and Selma), Los Angeles, CA
PRICE: $16.50 advance / $20 at the door / $5 off with a MySpace flyer. Bring your receipt and ID (18+).
HOW TO BUY: Go to the Bar Sinister site, scroll down to Jan 1st and click Buy Now for advance tickets. Or just show up and get tickets at the door.
So excited to party with you on Jan 1st! Please save the date and tell all your Los Angeles friends. We promise not to bite… unless you want us to…
Now, what should you wear to our Goth Alternative party? Something dark and space-alien always works. In Osaka, I visited Cutie Frash, a Japanese brand that combines traditional Japanese garment forms with cyber futuristic materials and details.
The designs are intricate and intriguingly conceptualized.
I wore an Ozz On purple dress for the Australian travel TV show I hosted — a similar cyber-futuristic Japanese brand.
As I mentioned in the past, Osaka’s alt fashion stores are spread throughout Shinsaibashi. There’s no Closet Child (secondhand heaven), but I stumbled upon a small shop for used Lolita Gothic clothing, near Cutie Frash in Americamura.
Also nearby: Algonquins. The pink and black diamond is unmistakable.
The Osaka boutique carries the same items as in Tokyo. Want more photos and reports of Japan’s coolest shops? Please visit my Tokyo and Osaka shopping guide and Shinsaibashi store map.
So, who’s coming to party with us in Hollywood on the first day of 2011? Please spread the word about our event. We hope to see you there!
PS: If you’re interested in working with me and Sebastiano in LA (Dec 28-Jan 10, paid gigs only), please email La Carmina.
Japanese Word of the Day: Fukitsuna = Sinister
Song of the Day: Julien K – Kick the Bass (One of the bands performing at our Hollywood party!)
LA CARMINA
