DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS BARS: INDIE, ALTERNATIVE GOTH CLUBS & NIGHTLIFE IN VEGAS. AMAZING RACE GOTH TEAM AT MAGIC MARKETPLACE CLOTHING EXPO.
Las Vegas is not exactly paradise for us alternative/spooky types. The nightclubs at the major hotels charge $30 entry — and for what? To see the girls you went to high school with in stilettos and mini-dresses, grinding with men best described as “homies”? Shudder, shudder.
Salvation is away from the Vegas Strip, in the old downtown illuminated by restored retro neon lights. Two years ago, I had a riotous time at Beauty Bar: 80s dance tracks and manicures, with a hilarious floor show by drag queen Toni. Next door is The Griffin, a dark and gargoyle-y bar with strong drinks and no cover. The Downtown Cocktail Room has a good selection of our beloved absinthe (we had Pernod and Mansinthe). To top it off, we won $15.50 from a slot machine — and screamed so loudly!
The previous night, we met Kynt at Double Down, a dive bar legendary for serving Ass Juice and the Bacon Martini. It was packed with types that one can only describe as weird, even by our standards. The psychotic murals and “videos so insane they once made Timothy Leary turn blue” added to the lurid atmosphere.
Everything’s out of order… but on Day 2 of MAGIC clothing expo, we met Kynt and Vyxsin at the Lip Service booth and snuck them into the press room for free food.
At the Akumu Ink booth, I showed off Basil Farrow’s blog and everyone went awww for my earless wahh wahh cat!
LA creative types tend to end up at Magic. I ran into Dienzo, the talented Gothic artist who did the vampire painting of La Carmina. What do you think the pink decorations in my hair are made from? (Answer: paper clips from Berlin. Random!)
Our pal Rony Alwin of Rony’s Photobooth had a photo exhibit at MAGIC. Do you recognize any of the creatures he’s photographed? Amanda Lepore and Jeffree Star are among them…
Let’s wrap up our Vegas days with photos of alt/Gothic clothes displayed at Magic. Yukiro and I went wild for Mariannas, lush and Gothic jewelry that you can customize.
What do you love and hate about Las Vegas? Do you have any favorite hangouts? Have you been to the downtown spots I mentioned?
Song of the Day #316: Nightwish – Phantom of the Opera
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KYNT & VYXSIN AT LIP SERVICE, MAGIC CLOTHING TRADESHOW IN LAS VEGAS. WHOLESALE GOTH PUNK ALT FASHION.
Have you ever experienced Magic, one of the world’s largest apparel expos? As I wrote in my CNNGo report, “Everything in Las Vegas is glitzy and gargantuan, and February’s MAGIC clothing tradeshow was no exception. Thousands of exhibitors filled up two convention centers with clothes and accessories — and I was among the 100,000 over-stimulated attendees stumbling from booth to booth.”
Yukiro and I were there to promote my La Carmina x Akumu Ink collaboration of creepy-cute t-shirts and hoodies. Here we are with talented owner/designer Joey. (Please take a minute to check out our designs — we put our sweat and blood into them.)
Around the corner, in the Lip Service booth, were our pals Kynt and Vyxsin (the genki Goths you may recognize from The Amazing Race). Kynt tried on an Akumu Ink hoodie and gave it the V-fingers of approval. Believe me, they’re insanely snuggly.
We had media AND exhibitor passes, so we could access every part of the show. Naturally, Yukiro and I gravitated towards the Gothic and alternative designers.
We got to preview upcoming collections from Sourpuss, Tuk, Shrine, Tripp NYC, and rockabilly/retro labels such as Stop Staring. There wasn’t any Japanese Goth/Lolita at Magic, but I did interview Asian exhibitors for CNNGo.
Iron Fist’s skull boots were so yummy I had to eat them. (Two days ago, I bought silver boots and Lolita-like ankle boots from an LA vintage store… for a total of $9.72. Win!)
I’m wearing DIY holy tights and a poofy dark strawberry skirt from Harajuku’s AC/DC. My Carmina in Wonderland t-shirt can be ordered (and ships internationally) for only $21.99 — just click the links under the photos here. (If you have any questions about ordering, do leave me a comment or email me).
The Akina art book giveaway contest ends tomorrow — have you solved the riddle yet? Read this post for the instructions: good luck!
Song of the Day #315: Hellfueled – Look Out (Can you find Yukiro Dravarious in this music video?)
LA CARMINA
