LVF: Off to Otakon

La Vida Frills is off to Otakon 2010 for the weekend! Keep checking for updates and coverage of all the lolita events, including h.naoto's Fashion Show and The Ultimate Lolita Fashion Show (which I'll be doing all of the multi-media work.)

If you are coming to Otakon, I recommend you come check out the fashion show. Kelsey of I Do Declare, Zoh of Morrigan NYC, Miakoda of Perinanth and Lindsay of Lolita Nouveau (along with others) will be showing ! Also, Martha of moss garden will be doing a panel on Natural Kei/Mori Girl type style~ Please support them and there events if you are around~

Hope you are all excited for (finally) some new videos, photos and more!

Print and a Movie #5

With it's parisian style charms, I decided to do another Print and a Movie post this time around! Here to celebrate Angelic Pretty's latest (and one of my favorite) new print, Fantastic Dolly ~ Let's go on with the show:

Print: Fantastic Dolly

Movie: An American In Paris

Though there definitely have been Paris themed prints in the past from every brand out there, this happens to be one of my favorites (Along with Magical Etoile and Baby's Paris Logo Print) Angelic Pretty's Fantastic Dolly is an absolute joy of perfection when it comes to adorable, girly whimsy. The color combination (a unique selection of reds, mints, blacks, creams and pinks) with a touch of cosmetic items makes it a very different piece then recent AP prints. My favorite part though is a light polka dots on the sold colors, that only on the red and black can you really see. These light touches make the print a must have!

But what movie to go with it? Though I have many movies about Paris that I love, I chose An American In Paris to go with this one. Maybe it's because of Gene Kelly's fantastic performance, or the last iconic ballet sequence (A depiction of France's many artistic heros, celebrated in dance.) But this film really speaks to the high levels and dream like feeling I get about the legendary city. All the glitz, romance and fantasy that many American's feel about it come from this movie and can be represented through Gene Kelly's post-war character. Not to mention, Kelly's looks ain't bad to dream about either.

Both of these are true treasures in both Lolita and Film. They will be remember as unique pieces, that can't not be part of someones collection. But if you haven't checked out either, go and have a ball with them! Enjoy all the magical they poses, just like Paris itself.

LVF Update: The return of reviews in August

Though the past months have been very few of the original reviews that started this blog, that trend will come to an end. Don't worry, the new series that have been started will not end in the slightest, but traditional frilly movie reviews will return this August. But what shall the theme be? With August being the last month of Summer before the fall, I thought a great transition would be that of Seasonal Romances. Your probably confused by that statement, so what do I mean by it? This refers to Romantic films that surround around a certain or all seasons, year around. To give you a taste of what I refer to, here is a list of what to expect:

• The Barretts of Wimpole Street
• Ever After
• Random Harvest
• Dangerous Liasons

I hope you are excited about these reviews that'll be coming to you shortly, as I am very excited to show them to you. Also, keep a look out for new Dress Up and Print and a Movie Posts to come! Another exciting thing is my trip to Baltimore for Otakon 2010. This is my absolute favorite event of the year, so expect a nice entry about that as well. So keep looking out for these new posts and more.

Dress Up Time #2: Princess Odette from The Swan Princess

Keeping up with a sort of Princess theme this month, I've chosen Odette from The Swan Princess (1994) as the next subject. Though most Princess type characters seem to be fallen flowers in terms of courage, Odette stands among others as the opposite. Yet she might become doubtful at times, she never loses her sense of right and wrong. She stands by the idea of "No Fear" and sometimes shows off her whit, more than most of her male counterparts. But what is amazing about Odette is her ability to not be taken for granted. When she finally falls in love with Prince Derek, but she asks of him what he likes about her. He only replies of that of her looks, but she just won't take it. Most female characters in fairy tales don't even go about with that question, which makes Odette different from the others and a great heroine to look up to.

But what about looking the part of this powerful royal? First off, Odette's main color palette is white with hints of mint (or turquoise, however you take it.)Sadly, not many brands feature pieces with such colors, so instead I took separates and put them together. Chose any sort of bolero or cardigan that features a "princess sleeve" style to it, in either mint or white (basically, whatever the opposite color of your JSK or OP is.) It's best to select a main dress piece that is a bit longer. Though I picked one that is more on the normal lolita length, a longer piece is preferable (only to match the length of Odette's actual piece.)

The center piece of the entire outfit needs to be any sort of gold heart pendent jewelry. I picked mine from Forever 21 (who always comes out with great heart shaped pieces for reasonable prices.) This is an important keepsake to Odette, as Prince Derek gave it to her as a baby. It's the symbol of their relationship and is important to make the outfit sparkle. You'll get bonus points if you find a piece with a Swan decorated on it.

In terms of hair, Odette actually doesn't wear any sort of headdress (except in the final scene of her marriage.) So go with a tiny crown or Swan hair charm, preferably in gold to match the necklace. Shoes and tights also go into a much more simple setting, so cream/white is preferred as an undertone.

But one slight, cute thing to remember is Odette's nails. In most animated movies, hands and nails aren't featured in the frames because of their difficulty to be drawn. But in The Swan Princess, it seems Odette's nails are almost a character within themselves. So remember to always have your nails painted in a deep red, to give it the final touch!

So now that you know how to embrace your inner Swan Princess, go forth and make your own fabulous coordinates, and fly!

Hope you enjoyed this one ~ Please give out some ideas in the comments, especially if you have a character you wish to see in the series.

Dress Up Time #1: Princess Irene from Princess and the Goblin (1992)

So for the past months, I've been doing the sort of posts that would require you to sit on your ruffle-butt all day and do nothing but watch some movies. But wait!? What about expressing your love and interest of your favorite frilly (or non- frilly) characters through your own wardrobe? Then came about the idea of a new post series called, appropriately so, Dress Up Time! This was always a favorite activity of mine when I was little, to go about watching a movie and coming up with outfits my favorite character would wear within it.

So how does it work? Each week, a new character from a film with some frilly touches will be chosen and a coordinate relating to that character will be posted. Each post will include details on how you can achieve a similar look yourself (even without the specific items).

But who will be the first to be featured of this series? Well, if you have seen the new header, you might notice a little pink girl in the left hand side. That girl is non-other than Princess Irene from The Princess and the Goblin (1992).

Princess Irene isn't a very well known character among those of the modern fairy tale lovers. Though everyone knows of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, Irene is a royal lady of grace, who only happens to be of a mere tween age. What I appreciate of her character is that of her good nature soul, but the obvious features of someone that is in many ways still learning of everything in life. But she definitely knows how to take charge in times of trouble, even if she is frightened. Fighting Goblin royalty can be tough, and looking pretty while doing it is a hard task too for any princess.

So what should you wear to capture the elegance of this princess? Here is a little coordinate idea I came up! Most of the items are from Baby The Stars Shine Bright or off-brand.

The first thing to remember with Irene is that she mostly wears different shades of pink, sometimes royal blue or cream with gold trim. Though pink is not such a hard task for any sweet lolita fan out there, the trick with Irene is to keep it elegant and toned down. Hence why I chose a slightly more tame piece such as Pocket Embroidery by Baby, with a slightly high-necked princess sleeve blouse from the brand as well.

Another thing to keep in mind is the jewel headdress that Irene wears is very essential. Small pendents of any kind are very important to her highness, so always have a bit of shine to your outfit. You could have a pearl headband, a jewel encrusted headbow or even make a jewel headdress like Irene yourself! I though happen to love the bow from Baby, which is decorated in pearls and lace all over in the most delicious of ways!

Comfortable understated ballet flats or kitten heels are best for Irene to stomp on the feet of the Goblins! I chose a pair from Baby that seemed like the most fancy of shoes Irene would wear, but even the most simple shoes from Urban Outfitters would do as well.

The key words to keep in mind are regal and active! That way you can save the kingdom from the royal monsters and still look your magnificent best.

Overall, Irene is a great fashion idol to look too when needing something to make you adventurous. If you are interested in checking out The Princess and the Goblin, here is a trailer which should have some online video viewing options with it. It is also available on DVD on Amazon and other online shops!

Hope you like the new series. Let me know if there are any characters your interested in seeing in future posts.

Print and a Movie #4

Rather then using a print really, I've chosen a design from Angelic Pretty this time ~

Print: Angelic Pretty's Frill Marine

Movie: Rodger's and Hammerstein's Carousel (1956)

Though judging by the names of these two creations, you would think another print would be in relation to this film, you guess wrong. Though this story looks to be nothing more then the story of people riding the infamous childhood favorite attraction for two hours with song, you are miss informed. Carousel tells the story of the lives of many people within a New England seaside town during the course of over multiple decades, from the perspective of an already deceased man, whose death was caused by multiple events, leading to his suicide. But what were those events? Who were the people? Most importantly, who is Julie? Carousel explains all this, but with grace and beauty. As you can tell, this isn't the most innocent story and actually a very tough subject matter. But this film truly knows how to deal with this subjects in a way that's easy to understand and take in. The best things about the film include the music (by the famous and legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein.) along with the performance of Gordon McRae as Billy, the films lead and tragic hero. He truly keeps you emotionally attached to the story, even in it's most dark points. You can see this in the famous duet, If I Loved You.

But wait, what about Frills Marine?! I personally chose this piece to go with the film, because rather then it being something to wear watching the movie, it's something I could see someone in the film wear. It totally captures the victorian seaside charms in the New England vintage setting within the plot, but has a modern twist for you Angelic Pretty girls. I especially love the sax/pink colorway, the best of the choices that this piece comes in, in my opinion. The details it includes are also very pretty, especially the top.

So together, Carousel and Frills Marine are fabulous matches. The film has continued to make me smile and cry with joy on these summer nights and Frills Marine seems like the perfect piece to wear while enjoying it and walking through the taffy shops and beaches during the summer.

Print and a Movie #3

Continuing with the Pixar trend of the last post, here comes another new print and movie combination!!

Print: Metamorphose's Sweet Park

Movie: UP

Though many might not connect the story of a old widow man in a flying house with a cute print such as Sweet Park, it's very obvious to see the relations. Many prints don't involve the illusion or idea of flight, but of the few that do this is my favorite. And what better a movie could you find about such a "flying" journey then Disney - Pixar's UP. The story is that of Carl Fredrickson, a man who just lost the love of his life and is now being forced to live in an elderly home. With his strong will and not wanting to let go of the house he and his wife built together, Carl does something extraordinary. Using hundreds upon hundreds of balloons, Carl creates his ordinary house into a flying machine of true power. With that and the help of a boy scott named Russell, They travel to the magical Paradise Falls, a dream of Carl's and his late wife to visit the location. But what is in Paradise Falls lives the true adventure.

But what about Sweet Park? With it's balloon details and beautiful color shades, it's definitely a unique print ~ I especially love the cream color, which can be seen above. Fun Fact: If your interested in the print, it's on mega sale right now on Meta's website. Sadly it's only in Pink and Sax right now, but still adorable.

LVF Update: We are past 70 followers!! Keep telling your friends about LVF, especially since we are getting so close to the big 1-0-0 ! Keep looking out for new posts with more reviews and articles. For the time being, you can also see the other blog I contribute reviews to here (incase your looking for some non-lolita movie reviews) and also my tumblr here.