LAFORET HARAJUKU: GOTHIC LOLITA PUNK ALTERNATIVE BOUTIQUES, TOKYO CLOTHING STORES. ROCKING HORSE SHOES, BABY THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT.
At Laforet, the Harajuku department store that stocks your favorite alt brands, I was surprised to see a gaggle of Gothic Lolita and J-rock teens on the staircase.
Pirate eye patches, striped socks and Sweet Loli JSKs?
Laforet often holds special events in the two basement floors, such as Visual Kei band signings. (There’s a Heidi x h.NAOTO event on Saturday, August 21…)
If I went to high school in Tokyo, I’d skip class and be in line!
Minnie Mouse would wear this Metamorphose temp de Fille ensemble.
The Angelic Pretty shop is the sweetest, frilliest place on the planet.
Atelier Pierrot and Alice and the Pirates are more to my liking.
I couldn’t believe my eyes… this new Lolita dress, hanging in Atelier Pierrot, had a price tag of 14,175 yen. I had found almost the exact same dress — a Metamorphose version with the same fabric — for about half the price in Closet Child! (Photos here.)
Baby, the Stars Shine Bright always has cute stocking prints. Which one would you like to wear: the playing card symbols, strawberries, cherries, or Gloomy Bear in a basket?
Hello Kitty is everywhere. What do you think of this guro-version of Kitty, which puts her in bandages and surrounds her with skulls?
Hold onto your hats — I have many more Laforet Harajuku photos for you in the next few posts. You can see photos of basically every Gothic Lolita Punk store in Tokyo in my shopping guide.
PS: please tune in to my Twitter for up-to-the-second updates about Closet Child, Tokyo life and the Pepsi TV shoot!
Japanese Word of the Day: Okotaru = Goof around
Song of the Day: Patty Ryan – Love is the Name of the Game
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WIN DIR EN GREY LOS ANGELES CONCERT TICKETS! CLUB NOKIA, SEPTEMBER 8TH LIVE SHOW. VISUAL KEI J-ROCK GIVEAWAY PRIZE.
Dir en Grey is invading America! And guess what… you have a chance to WIN one of FIVE pairs of tickets to the Los Angeles concert, held on September 8th at Club Nokia. It’s easy to enter the giveaway — just comment on this post / spread the word. (See the full instructions below.) Ready, get set… let’s do it!
If you’re a Visual Kei / Jrock fan, you can’t go to Harajuku without hitting the merchandise shops. Hide and Gackt’s faces are plastered all over the walls.
I think everyone loves X-Japan’s 1980s look the best.
Who is your favorite Malice Mizer member? Typical of VK photography, everyone has white skin and a disappearing nose.
Hide is alive… do you remember my photos of the Hide Lemoned shop and anniversary memorabilia in Marui One Shinjuku?
In other Visual Kei news, X Japan has released its North American tour dates. Tickets are now available. Will you be at any of the shows?
† September 25, Wiltern Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
† September 28, Fox Theatre (Oakland, CA)
† October 1, Paramount Theatre (Seattle, WA)
† October 3, Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Vancouver, BC Canada)
† October 6, Riviera (Chicago, IL)
† October 7, Massey Hall (Toronto, ON Canada)
† October 10, Roseland Ballroom (New York, NY)
How about the Dir en Grey concert in LA (Sept 8, Club Nokia in LA)? Well… here’s how to win 1 of 5 pairs of tickets to the show!
ENTER DIR EN GREY CONTEST
† What’s the best live music performance you’ve ever attended, and why? Please share your story in the comments. (If you are having trouble commenting, email me.)
† Please promote the contest in a blog or forum post, or link to it via Facebook, Twitter, Stumble or other social network. Include the link or username in your comment for verification. ALTERNATELY, you can subscribe to my mailing list (on the top right sidebar).
*** IMPORTANT *** You must fulfill BOTH requirements to be eligible. Many of you were disqualified from the Kanon Wakeshima contest because you forgot to spread the word…
Contest is open worldwide and ends Tuesday, August 24 at midnight Pacific Time. You may only enter once and must fulfill both requirements to be eligible. Winners MUST be able to attend the Los Angeles concert on Sept 8, 2010, and will be picked at random. Good luck!
PS: 6 mysterious monsters found around Asia, caught on video. Hoaxes, or is the truth out there? Come read my new CNNGo article.
PPS: Thank you for the birthday wishes — huge hugs!
LA CARMINA
