adventures in fashion, travel & nightlife
Hey all, it’s time I unveiled the new place I’ve been writing – Trashtastika.com.
I’m still working on the design (obvs!) but a lot of the same topics I’ve covered here will be there – alt & gothic designers, music, nightlife, travel etc – but with a little bit on theatre & creative endeavours sneaking in.
So of you want to follow me at my new home, please bookmark Trashtastika.com…and have a look at my latest post on Dystopian Designers!
Arigatou!
Awaking from my self-imposed exile I see lots of exciting things happening in the alternative fashion world, one of which is the new magazine being launched by D’s Valentine – Artism creator and Alamode Magazine publisher. I’ve carefully hung onto my issues of Alamode Magazine, being snapshots in time of the current japanese underground gothic/alternative music scene.
Now D’s gone one step further and is about to release a new magazine featuring the FASHION of the japanese alternative gothic/lolita/cyber/fetish/akiba-kei scenes: Underground Clothed’s.
Note the sexy back of Kiki on the cover 🙂 While Kikirara Shoten of Dangerous Nude is well known to lovers of Japanese gothic fashion, along with Takuya Angel and Kenzo-A of Rituals (largely thanks to Kera magazine), there are a lot of emerging labels that are barely known outside of Nippon. PureOne Corset Works and Pay *des* Fees I’m acquainted with, due to their ongoing presence in the goth clubs. Strange Artifact, a steampunk band with an accessories line, I learned of during my last trip in November. But so many are new to me : la Reinette, A closet of Alice, marchenmerry, Rouge, fake-fantasy…the list goes on.
Underground Clothed’s will be available at Takuya Angel, Dangerous Nude and Closet Child. It is also available to order online at ARTiSM, or at Closet Child’s online webstore. I imagine in time it will be available at the various stores throughout Japan that stock Alamode Magazine.
Some pics to whet your appetite:
(Doesn’t Kikirara look like blogger Cheesie here? Or is it just me?)
While I wasn’t going to return to japan for a while…I’m now considering a flying visit in March. If I manage it, I’ll definitely be bringing back copies of the mag, as well as more info about the various labels and stores in it. (I also have an interview that I did with Kiki at her home last year, that will make its way to these pages). Watch this space.
Yesterday’s outfit was all about the teal, with some metallic thrown in. I started off with a beautiful Issey Miyake top I bought at Takashimaya, from the Pleats Please range. It is a black fabric woven through with iridescent sapphire blue and emerald green metallic threads, so the total effect is a shimmery 2-tone effect. (The Pleats Please webstore is here, if you’d like to see more)
Beneath (for it is transparent), I wore a turquoise Topshop tank top. The leather skirt is from Australia..Sportsgirl I think (?) But something is definitely missing from the look… The look is completed with the addition of lipstick, a chain necklace with crosses, and the star of the show – TA-DAA!! The beautiful feather jacket from Sly.
Much better! (Though I do appear to have tickets on myself here, teehee).
The jacket was definitely a splurge..but it is so gorgeous, so in tune with my hair colour, that I had to have it. I’m sure I’ll get lots of wears from it in the cooler months.
Yesterday was Shibuya (where I only got as far as La Foret!). So pumped was I to go shopping that I didn’t even stop when one of the papparazzi on Omotesando wanted to stop me for pics! (Ok, I regretted it later, but I figured I’d ever see the photos anyway). Today is a fashion exhibition on Cat St at the Cannabis store, called “Void Of Course“, which has an alternative/fetish bent…and then general wandering in the area, as well as Omotesando. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Well, I somehow missed my blog’s 2 year anniversary recently – as in, last month, on October 7th!
Life has rather been getting in the way, and admittedly at times I’ve been questioning what direction to take or whether to continue. Looking at my very first post, “The Tokyo Obsession“, the subject shows me that while some things change, others don’t.
As in, I’m still obsessed with Tokyo, and am flying back there in 1 week. In my low-key way I’ve been keeping up with a few things there and have things to attend, such as the opening of new Alternative Club “Ground Heaven”.
All of the artists sound interesting (including DJ Raveman from Aural Vampire), but it is Steampunk band Strange Artifact that has really caught my eye. I don’t know of any other Japanese steampunk bands, and it is refreshing to see a band doing something other than the usual visual kei! I’ll let you know how they are when I’ve seen them live.
Strange Artifact recently featured on the Steampunk compilation Pergasia Music, The Lost Journals Volume 1, alongside known talent such as Abney Park and Vernian Process. This was released on October 13, so it’s hot off the press, so to speak! And be heartened, dear budget-conscious readers, for it is FREE! Download at your earliest convenience.
Another of Artism’s projects, the Alamode Markets, was recently held on October 15
Alamode Markets are a great place to nab one-offs from emerging designers in the gothic and lolita fashion field. See more from this post, which I wrote a few years ago when I visitedthe markets for the first time.
You can read about the recent day here in the goth loli blog, and more events from the organiser D’s Valentine can be found at Artism.
The other very exciting night I’m attending is Tokyo Dark Castle!! It’s one of my fave clubs, and the line-up this time is SUPERB!!! Check out the promo video here: Tokyo Dark Castle November 19
There’s Kozi!! (ex-Malice Mizer), the Candy Spooky Theater, Velvet Eden, and of course Auto-Mod and Dj Chihiro. What a night!
But wait!! Whilst finding the poster for that one, I saw that the very week before there’s the Tokyo Dark Castle vs Rituals night! The Rituals part of the night means that not only will Kenzo’s band Gabriels Stiletto be playing, but his fashion line Rituals will be there for the buying, as well as Pure One Corset Works. Hmm…better take some extra cash then!
I’ll be hitting the Shinjuku Marz both Saturdays and having a super bumper time basically. OK, so rescheduling my trip meant I missed Japan Fashion Week, but to have these fab clubbing nights whilst I’m there makes me very happy 🙂
As long as there are cool things like this going on, I’ll be reporting on them. So, though I may not be as prolific as I used to be blog-writing wise, the Fashionate Traveller hasn’t hung up her travelling boots just yet, and will be around for a while to come 🙂
Although interior design has more been occupying my thoughts of late (due to me doing up my new house), a few things have made me go “SQUEE!” lately.
You may remember I wrote about KTZ or Kokon To Zai last November. From Marjan Pejoski of Kokon To Zai come these amazing cow-footed boots:
Crazy, huh? Of course, KTZ’s latest shoes in fluoro pink/orange and yellow have been making waves too. Nicki Minaj was spotted wearing the fluoro pink platforms at NY Fashion week, somewhat drawing attention away from Anna Wintour!
Below is the mens neon yellow biker boot, which also makes me swoon. The whole KTZ Austumn/Winter 2011 range is outstanding, fusing the current trend for vibrant colour (which they have ALWAYS used), with detailed tailoring and japanese influences. See the obi in this outfit:
I adore the juxtaposition of the trellis print with the zigzag print, offset again by black contrast accents. The angular lines of the black vinyl accents seem almost Gareth Pugh-like, were it not for the whimsical fringing (which some may prefer to be absent):
The print is used throughout the collection not only in the yellow, but also in the aforementioned pink, and khaki green.
There is a great range of menswear too, and it is something I can see walking out the door of Shibuya edgy boutique Candy. Check out the KTZ range they have at Fake Tokyo.com, which includes various jackets, skirts, t-shirts, vests, shoes, bags and scarves. But be warned, they are not cheap!
Oh, and before I go, I leave you with this a-maaaa-zing leather jacket with crystal embroidered spiderweb, from the KTZ archive collection:
How I would LOVE to wear that to the next Cobweb Club! Mind you, I think I feel a DIY cobweb jacket moment coming on….
I love to explore alternative subcultures and scenes, in Australia and around the world.
I love bright coloured hair, big circle lenses, fake lashes and Japanese gothic and rock gyaru fashion. Stay a while if you love these things too! [More …]
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