Anime Next 2011: A Little Frilly Adventure

A few weeks ago I went on a surprise adventure with a few of my new and old friends to New Jersey. The occasion? Anime Next, an annual convention and one of the biggest in the tri-state next to New York Anime Fest. The convention was full of improvements from the first year I went back in 2006, including a new location that I had never been to and a much more easy to find set up! The best part about Anime Next though? Lots of Lolita friendly events! Though I didn't get to go to all of them I did go to some and the ones that I made my way to were very special memories I'll keep with me forever.

First off it's best to note the guests that were in attendance at the convention. Kanon (from An Cafe) and Mr.Sakurai (a fellow journalist and lover of japanese pop culture) were making the trip to Jersey bringing with them a love of Lolita and Jrock to the event. Also the h.Naoto spin off brand Sixh was there, selling tons of clothes and even having their own fashion show. But the one I was the most excited for? Yu Kimura. You might know this adorable idol from Kera Magazine and I'll be honest that she's my favorite model and one of my lolita inspirations. With that in mind I just had to go to Anime Next!

My first stop at the con was going to Kanon and Sakurai's panel. Though I had been to one of their panels before at Otakon of last year, this was a treat to get to hear them speak again. I asked them if they were wearing Alice and the Pirates that day to which I got a very enthusiastic yes! The rest of the questions were about Kanon's An Cafe work and some cosplay related questions. Though these were really things of my interest it was neat to hear them speak about anything.

Then came time for the Tea Party. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to go since usually I'm a bit more into going to fandom events at conventions then more fashion events, but I changed my mind when I started to follow the crowd of frilly girls into a supposed "secret area". We continued to walk down the Double Tree Hotel's hallway and noticed further and further that we weren't going to any normal location. Turns out we were going to the Presidential Suite of the hotel which has always been a dream of mine to go into!

Inside a whole party was set up for us with tons of sweets and varieties of tea. The best part was seeing them being put out for us by Kanon and Mr.Sakurai himself. We entered into the tiny kitchen of the suite and there you could see Kanon preparing the treats onto plates for us and sort of just hanging out when finished. For me this was the best treat of all, getting to see a fashion celebrity that I admired just relaxing with us and being a normal person when he would be thought of to be otherwise.

Then we were told to enter the social area of the suite. Unfortunately it seemed the hosts weren't expecting that many people to come to the party so not everyone had a chair, but Kanon tried his best to make up for it by carrying chairs to the rest of us who didn't have one. I can't exactly put into words who cool it was to have Kanon personally bring you a chair, it's one of those moments that'll stick with me for a long time. Next Mr.Sakurai asked us what we do in terms of our Lolita lifestyles which was really neat to speak of with him. I sort of wished there had been a few less people or enough space for us to even more intimately speak with him on such things but the amount of interaction we got was amazing and more then I ever would have thought possible.We then proceeded to take lots of pictures and even had a special appearance by Yu Kimura herself, who was completely decked out in Angelic Pretty's French Cafe. I even got a special picture with Mr.Sakurai and Kanon by myself!

Later on in the day I got to meet Yu Kimura again. I did get two pictures with her but they are on my friends camera and hopefully I can post them here soon since they are pictures I'll treasure forever. Ms.Kimura is beyond the sweetest girl I've met. I told her how much she means to me as a Lolita and how I only came to the convention to see her, which then she replied with the biggest smile and a big hug! I even got her CD which is adorable and I definitely recommend getting. I also was lucky enough to see her mini concert during The Masquerade and she did a great job.

Overall Anime Next was a great experience and if they get more cool guests like this next year I'll totally go again for sure. One more thing to note, I decided right after the convention to send a thank you tweet to Ms.Kimura. I just so happened luckily enough to get a response:

Dreams really do come true sometimes~!

Dress Up Time #13: Jem and the Holograms

I know, I know I talk way too much about Jem and the Holograms. But can you really truly blame me? It's a series that basically embodies all my favorite things about being a woman and in turn being a lolita. The main character wears pink to an extent far reached by others that sparkles and shines in a glorification of tacky yet fabulousness style. The characters all have big hair which currently is a big trend in lolita fashion, especially in sweet that also comes in a wide variety of colors and shapes. We even have budding romances with ridiculous pretty boys that probably in real life they couldn't exactly exist or probably wouldn't be the kind of guy that you'd date. Overall Jem exudes a sort of fantasy that brings about all of my female related interests along with those of many others!

So here on LVF, all of June will be a celebration of Jem as you can see already by the music and graphics on the page! So, how exactly does one bring themselves into a outfit that is truly outrageous and fabulous just like Jem and her friends? Here are some tips and ideas into becoming a frilly version of a Jem girl yourself!

The best place to start is your main dress piece. I'd go with something on the more casual side, like this AP Pop Rock Onepiece in pink! Angelic Pretty makes a couple of these sorts of pieces every year, but this one is my favorite and perfect for Jem! Next you need to bring on the neon pink with a pair of tights to continue with the 80's appeal. Though I always think tights add to an outfit, they especially add a touch to this look.

Jem is all about the dramatic make up, so don't forget to add on some high colored matte eyeshadow. My favorite comes from Make Up Forever who happens to have a great selection of Jem appropriate colors. Sometimes back in the day Hot Topic used to have some good shades that worked well too sadly though I don't remember the brand names.

Now onto the accessories and the shoes! The best part of the Jem is her magical earrings that give her the epic hologram powers that we love her for. Many people make replicas of them on etsy, so you should find them easily and for a decent price! You definitely need a big bow to match Jem's big personality. My bows come from this etsy store Miss Alphabet! She makes the accessories used in shoots of Locketship Jewelry which definitely go together with Jem flawlessly. The shoes are something essential since Jem always wears a good pair of heels. These come from Angelic Pretty as well and the bows are just to die for, also some shoes from ModCloth will do the trick. The final touch on this inspired coordinate is some kind of pink in your hair. You could either have a small extension piece or go with a full wig. Either way it's sure to complete your "showtime" look!

So think you can take on being part of the Holograms and going against the Misfits? Even if you're not a musician you can still rock this 80's glam style to the most and bring out the most outrageous side of your frilly style with the help of Jem. Try it out and see what adventures you come across!

June is Here!? Frilly Entertainments to Get You In The Summer Mood!

Summer has officially arrived and with that it's time to bring on those long summer days of relaxing, dreaming and watching tons of fun things of course to continue your imagination in the most Lolita of ways. Here are a list of Summer must sees and haves that'll get you wanting to frolic through the bright hot days!

The Little Mermaid (70's and Disney TV Series)

I've mentioned this one on the blog before, but is probably one of my favorite animated pieces ever. I can't really call it a complete film, but more like a ridiculously pretty television special. It's the Hans Christian Anderson Version told in the shoujo Anime style of the 70's/80's (my favorite time period in anime). It's absolutely beautiful, colorful and full of emotional development. I recommend it for a good snuggle movie with your prince, mostly because you'll need his shirt as a tissue afterwards.

But on the other hand we have the Disney Little Mermaid TV Series, one that is so full of fluff it will mend any broken bit you have from the previous movie. There are multiple episodes that incredibly adorable that eventually you might find yourself wanting to walk away that you can't handle it, including the music - but then there is a big catch with episodes that actually are incredibly interesting. The stand out episodes in my mind are "Whale of a Tale", "Stormy" and my personal stand out favorite "Metal Fish". This episode is one of those weird "breaking the fourth wall" kinds that features a character named Hans Christian Anderson (if that name rings a bell, it should! Thats the person that wrote the original fairy tale.) who eventually after Ariel saves him goes and writes the same exact story! Whichever you chose, you'll certainly want to splash into one of these adventures.

Fairy Tale Theater

If you grew up only a mere 20 or more years ago, you probably know about Fairy Tale Theater. If for some reason you don't I say with love and devotion, shame! Fairy Tale Theater is the work of everyone's favorite cheese-ball Shelley Duvall, where she would produce these mini movies of famous tales (she would also star in some of them too!) and get big stars of the time to play important roles. I have a couple of favorites to mention such as "The Frog Prince" (Robin Williams), "Beauty and the Beast" (Susan Sarandon) and "The Nightingale" (David Bowie) just to name a few! But if you get a chance, see them all - they'll bring you to a clean fresh world of fantasy this summer!

Yu Kimura's EP "Transcendent Harazyuku girl revolution"

I'll tell you a little secret that actually isn't little in the slightest, my favorite model and idol is Yu Kimura of Kera/Angelic Pretty/Fairy Kei fame! She was the Ambassador of Cuteness in 2009 and is now fully going into an epic and adorable singing career. I got the chance to see Yu this past weekend and let me tell you, she's got the making of something great. She's got the whole package of adorable personality, spunk and fashion sense along with really catchy tunes. Though maybe not something you'd bring about to your frilly ears, I definitely recommend checking this girl out and is the perfect set of tunes to lighten up your summer!

Jem returns to TV on The Hub

A few of you Nostalgia freaks like myself might be in the know, but if you don't know the most totally cool news on the block this summer then let me tell you: Jem and the Holograms is back on TV! I've already discussed Jem in one of my Iconic Love Letter articles, but if you don't know a thing about Jem or just have heard the rumors of this pink beauty then I absolutely demand you to see this! It'll be on in the mornings and late nights on The Hub, the greatest new channel on TV with tons of other nostalgic and soon to be nostalgic TV shows! (Look out for another Jem related post soon!) If you need something that can give you fun music, silly moments and total fashion inspiration look no further then Jem!

Scented Cooling Mists

I can't hide it, I'm someone who gets hot and burns really fast (I suffer from being ridiculously pale and Irish). The Summer for that reason isn't a joy for me in the slightest - that is until only a few weeks ago! I just discovered the rebirth of the Cooling Mists and now this new creation at stores with Scented versions! My favorite comes from Bath and Body Works with their name Coconut Mango collection. If you are looking for the most perfect thing to have this extremely hot summer I can't recommend this enough and how it is 100% a Lolita must have!

So those are some of my recommendations for this summer - it beats the heat and adds a splash of new inspiration! What is something you girls recommend for the summer? Let me know!

Dress Up Time #11: Some Kind of Wonderful

Recently today I decided to pop in one of my favorite movies ever that I haven't watched in a couple of months: Some Kind of Wonderful starring Eric Stolz and Mary Stuart Masterson. Though not exactly anyway or shape frilly related, it some how puts me in a great mood and thought it would be fun to make a Dress Up Time post on it (I've missed making these!)

The plot of Some Kind of Wonderful is your basic high school behavior: The outsider loves the popular girl but can't seem to get her. Keith (Eric Stolz) is a less then cool student at his high school - He's poor, a painter and works at his Dad's Car Repair shop (But he's so my kind of guy, le sigh!) On the other hand we have Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson), the most popular and prettiest girl in school. She has everything - the hot popular boyfriend, tons of beautiful friends and a sweet bitchin' wardrobe to match.

Yet there is one character who is in the middle of these two, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson). Watts is by far my favorite female character in film history, truly my hero and basically who I was in high school with a slightly more girly edge but only slightly. Watts is an independent and free speaking girl, who never questions her actions or her opinions. She's Keith's best friend and Amanda's worst enemy - yet there's one thing she can't seem to be honest about: She's in love with Keith. I can't spoil the entire movie, but this slightly conventional story is actually super unconventional and I love it for that.

Now, how do you exactly embody the whole style of this little movie into your own frilly side? Let's take a few cues from Watts and see what happens!

First I chose a JSK that was with a darker tone with a tiny print. I also had to Musical style especially since Watts loves playing the drums. Watts also has a thing for Men's clothing, including jackets and hats. The Jacket and hat are from Forever 21 and happen to go very well with the dress in my opinion. The leggings bring in a super punky and 80's feel, and I can't explain how much I love these Sex Pot Revenge ones. The boots are Steve Madden, which are a Watts trademark along with the fingerless gloves. The finale touch is a pair of Rhinestone studs, which are a symbol of the movie and something Watts dreams of getting as her own. There's a lot of ways of taking this sort of outfit in different directions, but anyway it can be tons of fun!

So definitely look into Some Kind of Wonderful, the most underrated John Hughes movie and you'll see just why it's so incredible - you'll share in the inspiration if you try and outfit out like this!

Lolita Day - Summer 2011 Edition

Loli-Day is fast approaching and I am beyond excited! I'm always curious was to what my readers plans are, so give them to me! Are you going out with friends or spending a lovely day pampering yourself? Maybe you're going to a meet up or just a date with a special companion? Are you doing any fun activities or trips? Let me know!

For me personally I have two big goals: Baking delicious Homemade Oreo Cookies and listening to a ton of my favorite Lolita wearing inspiration tunes! Here is a list of my current favorites that maybe you could find inspirational too:

1. Glamazon - RuPaul

I can't explain exactly what it is, but RuPaul has this ability to make me instantly like anything he creates musically and everything new tune is beyond addicting. Glamazon is currently my favorite, mostly because even though it has nothing to do with Lolita lyrically it has this confidence boosting sound and has great motivational messages "She's taking names and kicking ass", thats how I want to and eventually feel everyday in Lolita! I also recommend "Main Event" which is so disco fabulous I can't even.

2. One in a Million - Private

Private is one my favorite music finds ever. Every single song of theirs is a great deal of "catchy" that is hard to exactly put a point on why it works. Think about all those great 90's dance hits with a modern twist and you have Private. One in a Million is probably my favorite next to "Crucify My Heart" - but the reason why? Simple, cause it makes me feel special. Isn't that enough to understand?

3. Alice in Wonderland - Lisa Mitchell

This somewhat sad tune is not exactly like the others but has this beautiful atmosphere it creates. Of course it's speaking of Alice in Wonderland, everything Lolitas favorite - but more importantly the music itself is delicate and very Lolita appropriate. It tells a great story through lyrics and melody. You'll truly never want this song to end, at least I never do.

4. The Spell - Alphabeat

I've spoken of Alphabeat before, but I can't get enough of their Euro-Pop energy. The Spell is one of their singles and is perhaps my favorite. It grooves and moves like no other and will definitely get you in that magic like mood for Lolita.

5. Gumdrops - The Smittens

Though short, "Gumdrops" is one of the cutest songs in history and probably my favorite song to whistle in the elevator these days. It has an equally cute video to match and overall The Smittens can light a room with their happy go lucky sense of music. This is the sort of happiness I love getting when wearing Lolita and "Gumdrops" just puts me in that frame of mind.

What songs make you ready to frill? I need more tunes to get my going so tell me.

This Lolita Day I also plan on wearing something extra summery and probably wearing my favorite dress, Meta's Cherry Gingham. But maybe I'll change my mind? Probably but for now thats the choice! Oh Lolita Day, what fun you'll be ~

Otakon 2011: Are You Going?

Now that the suppose threat of "The Rapture" is over, I can talk about this with pride! My favorite time of year is coming ever so fast, Otakon: The East Coast's Premiere Anime Convention (July 29th - August 1st!). What does one do at Otakon? The answer is simple, have a blast beyond compare. This convention seems to celebrate both the newer anime fans and the older anime fans (like myself) and also, for those who read this blog, it's very Lolita friendly. For awhile, it would have the occasional Lolita related event, last year was a turn for the epic where everyday had something Lolita related. Now this year definitely has some shoes to fill, but we can dream that it could be better or just as good.

For me, I will hopefully be presenting a panel about "Lolitas in the Media", so please keep your fingers crossed that this happens. It will be a hilarious look at the idea and I hope that if it does happen you'll come, and get prizes if you do come!

Also, it seems an old favorite will be back as well, a fashion show perhaps? I believe so!

So curious, any of you East Coast Lolitas coming to Otakon? I want to meet any of you readers if you are!

Iconic Love Letter: Paul Williams

Last couple of posts have either been about a songwriter or something nostalgic, and this post is going to have the amazing combination of being about both! Today I'll be discussing probably the most underrated songwriter ever, one that you probably know more then you think and will probably want to dig into right away after reading this (or that is my hope). I give you an Iconic Love Letter to my favorite songwriter, Paul Williams!

Now, just like your reaction might have been to Rufus Wainwright: What the hell does this guy have to do with Lolita Fashion? Simple, just like Rufus he provides a great soundtrack. But unlike Rufus's sad and more moody music, Paul provides a variety of emotions and types of lyrical stories within his songwriting abilities. Now you're probably scratching your head going "I don't know anything this guy has worked on." You'll be surprised to know that you probably do more then you think. For instances, ever wondered who wrote the song "The Rainbow Connection" from the Muppet Movie? Paul did. Paul is actually responsible for many of the songs from the Muppets catalog, my favorite being his work on A Muppet Christmas Carol.

Paul is no stranger to many genres, related to movies or just music as a whole. My favorite work of his overall would be "Phantom of the Paradise" (if interested, check out a review I did of the movie on the blog Twenty Four Lies Per Second) for which he wrote the entire soundtrack and played the villain Swan. He also wrote a ton of songs for the Carpenters and was almost cast as a member of the nostalgia group The Monkees (for whom he also wrote songs for!) Paul's also a bit of an actor, starring in the film mentioned above along with "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" and in all of the "Smokey and the Bandit" films! He also wrote the scores for many children's movie, including one of my favorites "The Secret of Nimh"!

But the best part of Paul Williams is just when he is indeed himself and brings about a sort of silly charm that is so attractive in so many ways. It's the kind of charm that I find myself loving about Lolita, it's oddness is it's overall appeal. For example, Paul is one of the shortest men in music, which he mentions a lot when he made his appearance on the Muppet Show in Season 1. He seems like someone that wouldn't be that interesting, but in fact is so complex that you can't stop being interested in him. I think this is the sort of reaction people get when they find out normal looking people like ourselves have this life where we wear Lolita Fashion, which is so interesting beyond even our own understanding.

Paul carries that very similar idea that like Lolita Fashion, he's very surprising and not one to judge right off the bat. No one could believe the guy that wrote songs for The Muppets also wrote songs for The Scissor Sisters and Dexter's Laboratory! So for that alone Paul Williams is by far someone you should check out and feel that he is in fact one full of interesting surprises. This month on LVF, you'll hear some of his songs pop on here and again along with some other Muppet's related classics (Is that a hint I hear of a future post?...maybe!)

But how does one go about and bring a bit of Paul Williams into your Lolita life? Here's some tips!

Paul seems to have a thing for big glasses! Pick up a cool pair of your own. I'm personally in love with any vintage looking shades with big frames like the ones on UrbanOutfitters.com.

That ipod feeling a bit boring these days? Why not invest in a record player and buy yourself one of Paul's albums in vinyl. I can't express how much better music sounds in this form, really it's an experience. Check out these old school styled babies.

Buy yourself a vest in a dust color palette to go with your usual outfit that needs a bit of love and spicing up! I can't get enough of the ones on ModCloth.com! Granted they might seem a bit more on the Mori Girl side, but why not add something a bit different to the mix?

Why not have a musical themed picnic meet up! Go to your favorite park (that is music playing friendly of course!) and have everyone bring their favorite CD to play and make a special meal themed to their favorite music. Maybe you can surprise your friends and bring a Paul Williams album and make "Rainbow Connection" cookies with M&Ms and sprinkles?

So I'm pretty sure by now you have to be digging some aspect of Mr.Williams and his amazing career. Paul's lyrical power of whimsy and fantasy really makes his music amazing and really is catchy in a way that is good, unlike most of the music that comes out these days. It's playful, sometimes dark, but always intelligent and fun to listen to. Go check out Paul's stuff, and trust me you'll love it.