Shinjuku Lumine & Ikebukuro Sunshine City: Joyrich, World Wide Love. VANCOUVER, party with me & be on TV!
How are you pirates doing today? For those in sore spirits, I hope this life-size Rilakkuma bear lifts your mood.
And here’s a treat for my fellow Vancouver-ites… I’m hosting a party, to be filmed for a German TV show, June 15! Please share the info below; I hope you can join me for Spooky Saturday.
La Carmina is hosting a German TV show, about underground culture and travel in Vancouver. With her friends DJ Pandemonium and Sin City, we’re throwing a dark alternative flash mob party for the climax scene of the episode — where she and the German host party hard, and reveal a fascinating body modification!
Come and meet La Carmina, and be part of the TV shoot. The crazier you dress (fetish, Goth, costume, bizarre), the more likely you will be featured on the show. It will air later this year on Pro Sieben Germany, to an audience of 4 million viewers. When it airs, the clip and photos will be available on my blog, so be sure to check back.
Details below, and on the Facebook invite. Anyone who RSVPs simply by clicking Join gets on the guest list, and receives half price admission for only $3.
WHERE: Waldorf Hotel Tiki Bar, 1489 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC.
WHEN: Saturday June 15, 9pm to 2am
AGE: 19+ with ID
DRESSCODE: Anything goes, but bizarre – fetish – club kid – Goth – carnival is encouraged.
Now, let’s continue our Tokyo shopping journey with trips to Ikebukuro’s Sunshine City and Shinjuku’s Lumine.
Long-time readers may recall that I have an Ikebukuro map and store photos in my Tokyo shopping guide. This district is not far from Shinjuku, and contains plenty of cute fashion boutiques.
From the subway, follow signs to Sunshine City. It’s a large complex and the stores sell some of the best kawaii goods, like these cat-ball plushies and polka dot bags.
On the first floor, World Wide Love is pastel ghoul paradise.
How amazing are these French-speaking ghosts?
The poppy-Goth fashion reminds me of Peace Now (the Japan Goth brand that closed down).
I can never resist funny-faced bags like these.
The prices are pretty good – around $30 for sweaters and tops. Naomi bought the lavender cardigan with ghostly accents.
Next door is Ne-Net, the label starring a shifty-eyed black cat. I’m not sure what’s going on with these shoes — are they supposed to be bird-faced?
My Melody is a popular character these days, and is the star of this Sanrio store window.
If you’re looking for Tokyo kawaii goods, definitely stop by Ikebukuro Sunshine Doori.
Now, here’s a mall I haven’t featured before: Lumine, located above the Shinjuku subway station.
There are multiple floors of Japanese and international boutiques, like Joyrich.
The designs are slightly more mature than the girly pop of Shibuya 109. However, you can likewise find romantic gyaru fashion here.
I bought these cut-out shoes with hearts and ribbons, in the nude color. How could I not?
Some of the stores in Lumine are quite high-end, such as this avantgarde shop.
Others are trendy but reasonably priced, like Emoda.
Jeffrey Campbell shoes are a favorite among the Japanese.
Cut-outs and bows, yes and yes.
There isn’t much subculture fashion in Lumine, but I enjoyed the Amavel store, which has elements of Country Lolita, Alice in Wonderland and schoolgirls. I got my white rabbit clockwork purse here.
Lumine’s selection is not as focused as Marui One (Goth Lolita Punk) and Shibuya 109 (gyaru pop). Among the mix, I found a 1980s-loving boutique.
I enjoy browsing Lumine because of the wide variety of fashions. You can pick and choose items to create your own look. These heart creepers, for example, could work for a Pastel Goth coordinate.
What do you think of the clothing and shoes in this post? Are you enjoying these store photos?
PS: I took a video of this dancing Rilakkuma bear, using the Vine app. Add me on Vine (search for “La Carmina”) to see this and more.
PPS: I hope to party with you, Vancouver! RSVP now and share the news with your friends.
SHARE & COMMENT
World’s most lavish hotels! Photos inside Burj Al Arab, Dubai 7-star sail & Jumeirah Skyview bar.
Thanks for your kind words about my appearance on Discovery & Science Channel’s Oddities! If you missed my episode (where I “purchased” this elk head), you can see the TV show clip and bonus photos here.
In the Oddities segment, I talk about my work in journalism and coolhunting worldwide. On last month’s Middle Eastern adventure, I got to fulfill a travel goal… visiting the famous sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai.
My film team and I started at the Souk Madinat Jumeirah, a cluster of restaurants and shops near the Burj Al Arab. We thought we could get some traditional food and shisha here…
… but were sorely disappointed, as this turned out to be a Disney-Vegas take on an Arabian market. (Skip this place, and visit Dubai’s gold and spice souk instead; photos and info here.)
On the bright side, we got a great “establishing shot” of the famous hotel, lit under a crescent moon.
We took a cab to one of the most expensive hotels in the world (the Royal Suite is $18,776 per night!). Inspired by the curve of a dhow (Arabian boat), the Burj Al Arab is considered the symbol of Dubai.
Regular tourists can’t simply walk onto this island. You must be a hotel guest, or have a restaurant or bar reservation, in order to make it past the security gates. We chose the cheapest option (drinks at the Skyview Bar), which requires a minimum spend of $70 per person.
But it’s worth it — this is Dubai, and the world’s only (supposed) 7-star hotel! When we entered the lobby, my filmmaker Melissa exclaimed, “It’s like Donald Trump on steroids.” Designed by Tom Wright, with interiors by Khuan Chew, the concept is Arabian Technicolor Palace Dreams.
Take the elevator next to the aquarium, and look up. Vertigo.
In Dubai, brunches are big social occasions. Fridays and Saturdays are holidays here, and since alcohol is a no-no (unless you’re in a hotel), brunch is a way to get decadent.
But we were here for cocktails. We took the elevator to the Skyview bar on the 27th floor.
“It’s like a 90s music video,” exclaimed Melissa. Circuit boards and cyber lights, and a grandiose view of the marina.
We enjoyed drinks with Barbara of Elle Magazine, and Georgina of Etoile La Boutique (I’ll show you this fashion heaven soon). The cocktails were inventive — one had wasabi inside — and the bar’s atmosphere was from another planet. (Consult the Burj Al Arab’s website for reservations and dress code.)
I leave you with a few screencaps from my Oddities TV guest spot. My Goth-Victorian hairstyle looks a bit like mouse ears.
Watch the clip carefully, or you might miss the caption about my celebrity earless cat! You can see my TV reel and other appearances on my bio page.
Have you heard of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai? What do you think of the interiors, and do you think it deserves the seven-star rating?
PS: thanks Fashion Indie for interviewing me about personal branding, the reality of travel TV hosting, and how bloggers can get into television. I hope you find my advice helpful.
LA CARMINA
