TOKYO REBEL: GOTHIC LOLITA SHOP IN NEW YORK CITY. NYC LOLITAS SHOPPING, GOTH PUNK STORES, BUYING HARAJUKU CLOTHES IN AMERICA.
Yell it to the rafters: there’s a Gothic Lolita store in New York City — Tokyo Rebel! The lovely husband and wife team behind the new boutique invited my all-girl Visual Kei group to visit. (I believe This Maddening Shroud is our favorite of all the killer band names you suggested for us.)
Jeff (a web designer) and Masayo (a nurse) opened Tokyo Rebel “because we love Japanese street fashion and we wanted to bring it to America.” Tucked away in the Lower East Side, they’re the only retailer in NYC to stock Japanese brand-name Goth Lolita Punk clothing and accessories.
Kanae headed straight to the vintage rack in the back (the store will accept and sell your secondhand Lolita clothing.) I couldn’t resist putting on an old-school Algonquins dress (left). Atelier Pierrot (right) is one of the bestselling brands because it appeals to a broad range of shoppers; a girl looking for an alt prom dress fell in love with the one I’m holding.
The Sweet Lolita dresses from Angelic Pretty (left) are the same ones on the racks at Marui One Shinjuku. Masayo and Jeff source the clothes and accessories directly from the Japanese designers, which include Victorian Maiden, Innocent World, Putumayo and Maxicimam.
All new Lolita clothing is expensive ($150-300 range). But at Tokyo Rebel, the price tags aren’t — or are barely — marked up. Amazing, and well worth saving up for.
I tried on an Evil Tail Frill One-piece by SEX POT ReVeNGe. Regi couldn’t resist buying a two-piece jumper set by Algonquins. We were also tempted by the crucifix/cute accessories under the glass counter, and the display of Kera Magazine. (Need we say the selection is excellent, and ranges from casual rock/punk to lace and bows elegance?)
I ended up with a warm and fuzzy Sex Pot Revenge skull scarf. And if I may reach for a metaphor… that’s the feeling we got from visiting Tokyo Rebel! Masayo tells me she first fell in love with Gothic and Lolita fashion over a decade ago, in Tokyo. She wanted to create a haven where she could be around the elegant clothing and meet others who appreciate the fashion — and the boutique was born.
Jeff says the store aims to stock more items from the current brands, including shoes, and expand to include more lines. If you’re in NYC, even for an afternoon, you’ve got to stop by to say hi and try on a couple of coordinates. Happy face for those who live elsewhere: you can order from Tokyo Rebel’s website as well. (All photos by Shichi.)
Have any of you been to Tokyo Rebel? What are your thoughts on the atmosphere and selection?
Song of the Day #301: The Creatures – Right Now
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VIDEO FOOTAGE OF JAPANESE AMERICAN BENTO DOCUMENTARY! LA CARMINA ON NHK TV SHOW, JAPANESE POP CULTURE & CRAZY FOOD.
The NHK documentary about cute bentos has aired! Come watch my segments on my YouTube channel (please subscribe) or embedded below. Japanese TV is absolutely bananas, isn’t it?
In Part 1, I show the reporter how to draw and create cute character bentos. How many times can you spot my Scottish Fold cat, Basil Farrow?
Part 2 documents my visit to the Harlem elementary school to teach children (and their parents) how to make cute and healthy sandwiches. Don’t you love their enthusiasm?
Some parts didn’t make the final cut: the reporter and I had a five minute race to make cute food faces, and there was a segment where I modeled my fashion line. But I’ll post behind-the-scenes videos from the shoot later on (shot by Shichi, as were the photos above). You can see more from the NHK Japanese TV show in the last few pages of this blog — and to learn cute bento-making, do consider my book Cute Yummy Time!
Yesterday was an interesting press day. The Guardian (UK newspaper) reported that Cute Yummy Time was named one of the oddest book titles of the year — along with “Bondage for Beginners” and other head-scratchers. I hope my book makes the shortlist…
Moreover, a giant image of Ronan Farrow (Basil Farrow’s dad) is currently gracing the front page of Rosie O’Donnell’s website. The photo was taken by me! Next time, Rosie should post a photo of our fat, furry, earless son, don’t you think?
What do you think of NHK documentary? Are you eager to make kawaii character bentos now?
Song of the Day #300: Whatever happy tunes are going on in the NHK episode.
LA CARMINA
