VERSAILLES NEW TOUR DATES, SUMMER 2010 EUROPE! BRITISH PATHE COLLECTION: VINTAGE FILMS FROM VICTORIAN & JAZZ ERA. DIGITAL MULTIMEDIA LIBRARY WITH OLD JAPAN FASHION FOOTAGE.
Susie Bubble (of fashion blog Style Bubble) recently learned of British Pathe’s giant archive of films (1897-1970). She was amazed by the wealth of material available — free to stream — on the site. Thinking I’d have the same jaw-dropping reaction, Susie referred the site to me. And boy, was she right. I could spend hours watching rare footage of Victorian ladies, 1920s jazz dancers, Hong Kong’s skyline in the 1950s, Emperor Hirohito attending the premiere of Ben Hur…
Cute Japanese food (1968) (click to view)
The British Pathe has over 90,000 reels: there’s something to hold everyone’s interest. I searched for “Japan” and came across this remarkable food demo at a London restaurant. Believe it or not, the Japanese were making food cute even in the 1960s! In the video, Chef Kusama Toshio carves birds from sweet potatoes and places them over vegetable flowers.
When you search for “Japan,” the highlights include…
† Very early 1930s mute reel about Japanese ways
† 1963 footage of Japanese fashion models in Australia
† Japanese students in London, 1970
† 1950s Geishas entertain men at a business meeting
† Japanese Royal wedding 1959: “Crown Prince Akihito has married a commoner, so breaking Japanese tradition of more than 2,600 years”
† Two year-old Prince Hiro, 1962
Tokyo ladies’ fashion show (1954) (click to view)
Here’s a video of Japanese models displaying the latest designs at Tokyo Kaikan Hall. I love the kimono and princess-style ladies overcoat.
Victorian corset striptease (1960) (click to view)
For all you Victorian/Rococo/Steampunk lovers, British Pathe is an excellent plae to find retro inspiration. The clip above shows a Victorian-attired girl performing a striptease, and models showing off historical corsets.
British Pathe is a wonderful resource for anyone intrigued by bygone eras. Come take a gander at the videos, and let me know if you find anything that amazes you! (You can share the link in the comments, which are always appreciated.)
VERSAILLES has announced Summer 2010 World Tour dates! The epic heavy metal Visual Kei band is hitting Europe and South America. Will you be at any of these J-rock concerts?
Apr 30 2010: Tokyo JCB Hall (I’ll be there!)
Jun 4 2010: Sao Paulo
Jun 6 2010: Santiago
Jun 9 2010: Buenos Aires
Jun 11 2010: Lima
Jun 13 2010: Mexico City
Jun 27 2010: Moscow
Jun 29 2010: Helsinki
Jun 30 2010: London
Jul 2 2010: Barcelona
Jul 3 2010: Montpellier
Jul 6 2010: Amsterdam
Jul 7 2010: Cologne
Jul 9 2010: Hamburg
Jul 11 2010: Budapest
Jul 13 2010: Paris
Japanese Word of the Day: Instrument = Gakki
Song of the Day: Seal – Kiss from a Rose (for Adventure Teamster K!)
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NYC GOTH CLUBS & LOLITA CLOTHING STORES. NEW YORK GOTHIC INDUSTRIAL FETISH PARTIES. ALTERNATIVE NIGHTLIFE MANHATTAN.
New York City is known as Gotham for a reason: it’s one of the best cities for all things Goth. Here’s a round-up of my favorite NYC spots for darkwave/industrial/neo-Victorian clubbing, shopping (including a boutique that carries Tokyo Gothic Lolita brands), alt-punk neighborhoods and more. (Photos by Shichi.)
ST. MARKS PLACE & LOWER EAST SIDE remains the Goth/Punk hangout.
† Tokyo Rebel (above) is a boutique that carries Japanese Gothic and Lolita brand clothes, such as Angelic Pretty, Sex Punk Revenge, Algonquins, Atelier Pierrot and more.
† Trash and Vaudeville sells punk and Gothic clothing such as Lip Service, Shrine and Tripp. Downstairs, there’s a great selection of hair dye, accessories and shoes. The exterior is also an ideal spot for a photoshoot.
† Search and Destroy is packed with vintage punk tees, gas masks, horror hentai…
† Kenka is an authentic izakaya (Japanese homey bar food) — one of my favorite places to chow.
† Tokyo Toy, a store filled with Japanese figures and collectibles, is around the corner.
† Check out this post for more alternative/Goth shopping recommendations, mostly in the East Village.
† Don’t forget to stop by Kinokuniya Bookstore to stock up on Japanese fashion magazines and drink tea. You’ll also find my books on the shelves.
NEW ROMANTIC GOTH ROCOCO PARTIES & JROCK CONCERTS
† Dances of Vice is your go-to for Rococo, Victorian, Jazz Age and New Romantic parties in NYC. The Edward Gorey-themed Halloween ball was filled with wonderful costumes.
† Glamdammit puts on glam nights, such as David Bowie birthday party.
† Killer B’z Productions specializes in events with dark themes, such as the Vampire Masquerade Ball.
† NYC is a gathering place for steampunk. There are often designer markets or special events, such as the Steampunk Haunted House.
† New Yorkers are lucky: many J-rock and Visual Kei bands pass through the city. I saw Lilac, Gurigula and Uzuhi at Webster Hall.
I’ve added links on the right sidebar to the rest of my Goth Tokyo and LA city guides. If you or your friends are travelling to any of these cities, I hope you’ll find them helpful. Please pass along the links, and feel free to ask me questions in the comments.
† WHO IS LA CARMINA? † I am a professional Goth/subcultures blogger, travel TV host and arranger, author of 3 books (Penguin USA and Random House), designer and CNNGo.com writer. My popular blog on Japan Gothic Lolita fashion / Visual Kei – www.lacarmina.com/blog – has been featured in major publications (The New Yorker, Washington Post, WWD, Village Voice, Time Out New York, LA Times). I’ve appeared on The Today Show and co-hosted an episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern for Travel Channel, which airs in 75 countries. NHK Japan filmed a documentary about my work; recent TV hosting and arranging credits include Dutch Pepsi, Sony Australia, Canal Plus France, and CNN International in Tokyo. I will be the Asia host for educational travel TV series, Project Explorer.
View my TV reels and full biography.
I run a coolhunting / trend consulting / TV hosting and arranging company: La Carmina & The Pirates.
– We specialize in Japan, Goth, alternative, cosplay, burlesque, LGBT, fashion, pop culture.
– Our services include TV production coordinating, on-camera hosting, Japanese translation and guiding, coolhunting, consulting.
– We’ve worked with CNN, NHK, Travel Channel, Canal Plus, Sony Australia, Dutch Pepsi, NRK Norway.
– For more about our services, please visit our Pirates website.
Please feel free to contact La Carmina if you’d like to work with me in any capacity (TV hosting, arranging, writing, etc.) You can also keep in touch via my social networks below. Domo arigato gozaimasu!
Japanese Word of the Day #11: Funeral = O-soshiki
Song of the Day #352: Glamrock – Crucified (an Army of Lovers cover. The makeup, OMG!)
LA CARMINA
