TEKKOSHOCON ANIME CONVENTION IN PITTSBURGH. JASMINE YOU COSPLAY, VERSAILLES & MANA, LOLITA FASHION SHOW.
Ever been to an American anime convention? It was the first time for Regi, in my all-girl Visual Kei band.” Here’s Part 1 of her guest post on Tekkoshocon. (All photos by Shiori Saito.)
Pittsburgh was, and still is, considered the “steel city,” and as such the anime convention took the name “Tekkoshocon.” “Tekkosho” means steel mill, and if you can’t figure out what the “con” means…boo on you. The event is considered medium-sized (about 3,500 people attended this year), but seemed endless: the special ops and main event stage were located at opposite ends of a rather long hallway, with dance floors, ninja training and the game room in between.
Shiori and I first saw the Gothic and Lolita fashion show headed by my friend Kara. (Her friend, Erin, makes her own Loli clothes, and Kara purchases hers.) Think you can tell which of these outfits are off-brand and which ones are not? It got very tricky sometimes! The show was accompanied by a lesson on Lolita. Apparently, I am more of an ero-loli. Since I always wear whatever I feel like, I honestly had no idea of my classification!
After, Shiori and I went to explore the various retailers in the Artist Alley, filled with interesting objects from Stuffed Sushi to gorgeous hair pieces (click the pictures above to visit the artists’ websites). In the main retail hall, I was pleased to find a Bodyline booth. For those who don’t know, Bodyline is an affordable Lolita and Cosplay fashion (by Japanese standards). I bought some of their headbands at the giant Osaka store, and have been quite pleased with them. Other vendors had Gundam models, J-rock CDs and posters, and even an elaborate neon sword display.
On day two of the con, Shiori opted for a more professional look, whereas I opted for a punk-Loli-ish style. We heard that Kara would be cosplaying as the late Jasmine You (Versalles bassist), and arrived to find her completely surrounded by people taking photos and wanting to hug her (for actually going through with the cosplay). She was incredibly exhausted — she had gotten home around 2am the night before, and the cosplay took three hours to put on!
I’m sure you recognize this cosplay…
During our wanderings, we encountered some excellent cosplay. My favorite was Lee from Card Captor Sakura (it was so cute!). There was also a Final Fantasy team, complete with Cactuar (or, in Japanese, Sabotender). Also joining the fun was a Hard Gay and, I think, a version of Kamen Rider (I’m not an anime expert, so please excuse any lack of knowledge). It also appeared as though the Joker and Harley Quinn got lost on their way to the Comicon, and the Ghostbusters roared up in an Ecto-5, lights and sirens wailing. We also encountered a few fantastic Lolita and Cyber styles.
One of the highlights was meeting up with my friend DJ Reich — if you attended the convention, or happen to know who he is, good for you! For those who don’t know, I’m going to take a moment and say that I have never had so much fun at a Gothic/industrial event in America when he DJs. Everything from the Cartman version of Poker Face to Combichrist comes spilling out of his turntable, and I highly recommend going to see him. Who knows? Maybe he’ll even do a little Baby One More Time, metal karaoke version, for you!
Since the band interviews were scheduled somewhat strangely, Shiori and I missed several events, such as a Visual Kei Make-up and Hair How-To session and DJ Reich hogging the mic during the karaoke contest. We did, however, make it to the skit and cosplay fashion show. It had some inspired moments, my personal favorite being the Full Metal Alchemist skit where the souls and the bodies got swapped around.
Thank you, Regi and Shiori, for the report! Stay tuned for Part 2, where they interview Suicide Ali… yes siree…
PS: My article about plus-sized shopping in Asia is finally out on CNNGo. I loved hearing your advice and stories. It gives a shout-out to FanPlusFriend, where you can order Gothic Lolita Cosplay outfits for any body size. Also check out my article about the Harvards of Asia and what it takes to get in.
Japanese word of the day: Kira-kira = Sparkle, glitter
Song of the Day: Shinkou Shuukyou Gakudan NoGod – Kakusei (Fab, fun new PV!)
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EDITH LEBEAU ART: FAIRY TALE & MYTHOLOGY PAINTINGS. LAST CHANCE TO WIN FREE MIYAVI CONCERT TICKETS, LA CLUB NOKIA & VANCOUVER COMMODORE.
La Carmina portrait
Edith Lebeau is a fellow Canadian, growing up in Quebec. The artist is inspired by mythology, movies and fairy tales, and always paints women with a strong expression: “The look is the most important thing in my work; it’s the way the character tells the story to the viewer…” More of Edith’s vibrant paintings are on her website.
I’m always eager to promote artists on my blog — if you’re interested, send me a rendering of La Carmina and/or Basil Farrow and I’ll feature you in a post.
In random news… if you’ve been following me on Twitter, you’ll know that my other computer refused to start up. What happened? The Cantonese computer guy looked it over and announced… “Mao moh!” That’s right — CAT HAIR. My darling Basil Farrow is responsible for clogging up the fan, which overheated and killed the video card. But how can one get mad at this plush Scottish Fold when he tries to fit into a shoebox that’s too small for his girth? As some of you Tweeted, ROTFMAO!
Since we’re in random mode, here are some outfit posts that I took on Takeshita Doori in Harajuku. Wait, what happened to my hair? Gotcha: that’s my friend Heidi, who was visiting me from Hong Kong. I dressed her up in h.NAOTO Frill and an Innocent World bunny purse.
THIS is me, in an Innocent World dress from Closet Child Harajuku. Although it could very well be my friend in an orange wig, right? These photos got us thinking… what makes up a person’s style and “image”?
While my friends and I may change things up, we all have our little trademarks. The colors we like, the way we apply eye makeup, the types of accessories we pile on. Kanae has completely different makeup/styling above and in this post, but it’s still Kanae.
The way we adorn ourselves broadcasts who we are. Kanae and Comte de Sang’s lobe piercings alone scream Gothic Underground. A closeup of a hand with yellow gold rings, in contrast, would tell a very different story.
I’m curious to know about your personal approach to adornment. What type of hair styles, makeup, etc do you favor, and does it reflect an alternative outlook? Let’s discuss in the comments (you can post as Guest without registering).
I’ll get the ball rolling…
† HAIR: I’ve been dying my hair with bright, alt colors since I was 14. It doesn’t feel right to have black or a “normal” shade on my scalp. I had short hair in 2006 but it didn’t fit me; I’m most at home with long, layered chop jobs.
† MAKEUP: Love false eyelashes, stickers on the face and having fun with colorful eyeshadows.
† NAILS: Kept short so I can type, but always painted. Yukiro has inspired me to experiment with DIY nail art.
† PIERCINGS/TATTOOS: None whatsoever (perhaps surprisingly!). I’ve never been able to think of skin art I’d want to wear permanently. I prefer to adorn my clothes and hair with kawaii toys, flowers…
How about you?
PS: Final chance to win MIYAVI tickets! It’s easy to enter my contest for passes for the LA and Vancouver shows here.
Japanese word of the day: Odaijini = Take care
Song of the Day: How about this epic Visual Kei playlist on YouTube. NoGod, MUCC, Moi dix Mois, Mix Speakers Inc and more.
LA CARMINA
