JAPANESE DRAG FASHION IN AKIHABARA, TOKYO CROSSDRESSING. FAIRY DECORA HARAJUKU GIRLS STYLE, PLASTICGOD JROCK ART.
Cute Japanese girls wearing street fashions? Close, but not quite. Look closer…
… all of these models are males! Tokyo New Tribe did an encouraging report on the changing face of drag fashion in Japan. Thanks to prominent TV hosts and cosplay, people are now more open about crossdressing, and realize that it’s not necessarily indicative of gender or sexuality. Once a month in Shinjuku, a drag event presents the opportunity to meet others.
Style Tribe also snapped Neo Fairy Decora girls at a Popples exhibition in Tokyo. (Wow, I’d love to go to that!)
I’ve done many posts on this 1980s-girly-pastel style before (type “Fairy Kei” in the Google search box on the sidebar for more). Here are some closeups; many of the girls are wearing 6% Dokidoki and Spank! (Coming up: a behind-the-scenes report from a New Tribe photoshoot.)
While at the club night Mr. Black, I met LA pop artist Plasticgod. You may have seen his Lego-form renderings of celebrities — they include Malice Mizer and Dir En Grey (above), and X-Japan (below)!
Plasticgod tells me, “I can’t remember when I first saw J-rock but it must have been in the mid 90s. I remember walking around LA’s Little Tokyo and looking at all the Japanese magazines that I’d never seen before. The J-rock ones stood out with all the amazing outfits and creativity but mostly because I couldn’t believe they were boys. I thought they were cool looking rocker girls!”
“The bands I chose to depict I thought had the best sense of style and seemed to have the best following. My favorite is Malice Mizer; every outfit I’ve ever seen in pictures was an absolute uncoiling of the brain. So inspiring and fun to re-create/parody in my style.” Check out Plasticgod’s distinctive artwork on his website.
Isn’t it nice to see Visual Kei bands inspiring American artists? And for drag and fairy decora fashion to be making waves?
PS: My new CNNGo gallery about how Buddha is everywhere. In a pear, a chair, a scary gold costume…
Song of the Day #327: D – 7th Rose (Do you like the new song and PV? I do.)
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GOTH BATS DAY AT DISNEYLAND! TIPS FOR ANAHEIM THEME PARK VISITORS: BEST TIMES TO VISIT DISNEY & CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE, AVOIDING LINEUPS & CHILDREN, DISCOUNT PASSES.
I had media passes for Disneyland and California Adventure — and I was afraid to step through the gates for the first time since childhood. Small children. Three hour lineups. Overpriced food. Mascots.
The other members of the Adventure Team were killed by the Fame Monster (see video), so Yukiro and I had to brave this mission alone. Onward… to Adventureland!
Disneyland field notes:
† It’s expensive. We were lucky to avoid the entrance fee ($97 for a day at Disneyland and California Adventure). But parking is $14, and the Jack Skellington merchandise will set you back…
† To minimize expenses, try eating a big breakfast and bringing your own food. I took along vegan snacks from Trader Joe’s and a bottle of water nabbed from the movie shoot.
† The best time to visit: a weekday morning in the off-season. In the sweltering summer, you’ll have to queue for hours — whereas we hardly waited at all. It got busier in the afternoon and we had to stand for 15 to 20 minutes for some rides (not bad, but I prefer instant gratification.)
† Dress smart: good walking shoes, a jacket for when it gets cold. I’d wear clothes that you don’t really care about as they might get soaked.
† Speaking of… these are our angry faces after riding Splash Mountain. It left us DRENCHED in dirty water!
† There are no extreme rides at Disneyland (go to Six Flags for those). But we had fun on the “big thrills”: Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion.
† California Adventure recently opened up next door, and is well worth visiting. Not all the attractions are up, but we loved the Screamin’ roller coaster (which goes upside-down and has a zippy soundtrack) and Mickey ferris wheel with sliding gondolas.
Have you heard of Bat’s Day? Every year, Goths invade Disneyland — what a sight it must be! This year, the meet-up is from April 30-May 2. Wish we could be there (but every day is Bat’s Day in our calendar!).
Our final mission: we invaded the Halloween Club, a giant retailer of costumes and scary props. Turn off on Carmenita Ave or Garfield Ave and go wild.
Have you been to Disneyland? What are your favorite attractions? Any tips for making the trip a success?
Song of the Day #326: Alice in Wonderland – a neat remix that Pogo made out of audio/film samples from the Disney animation.
LA CARMINA
