--- I'm catling ✦ if you found me via my art or lolita posts please know that I post body horror, insects & am a weird little freak about some things I post ✦ the dove is not quite dead but it's definitely on its way out ✦ 'dear algorithm' ---✄
Style Deficit Disorder: Harajuku Street Fashion - Tokyo
Published 2007 by Tiffany Godoy
Baby, the Stars Shine Bright ベイビーザスターズシャインブライト
Akinori Isobe started Baby, The Stars Shine Bright (commonly referred to as simply "Baby") in 1988 after working at Atsuki Onishi's design office. Onishi, Baby, and the Lolita movement were influenced by designer Isao Kaneko (see An An) and his romantic Victorian-meets-Little-House- on-the-Prairie-style outfits that were lovely, pink, and ruffled. In the early days, Isobe explains, they struggled to find a brand identity that stood out on the racks. A quick fix was discovered in the addition of lace and ribbons. Lots of them. The clothes became so decorative that the Baby team themselves were unsure who might buy such over-the-top confections. But, Baby found a silhouette that was a playful and abundant contrast to the form-fitted, sleek body-con aesthetic that was popular internationally. Just as Baby had found their aesthetic voice, the visual-kei band boom came to life in Osaka in 1997. With the bands' female fans eager to dress as decoratively as their idols, Baby's bloomers and aprons with heart-shaped pockets were the rage. Lolita fashion also gained traction as a subculture with the increasing popularity of the Internet, with girls interested in cosplay and manga starting in 1996. Featuring a character dressed in Lolita fashion, the 2004 film Shimotsuma Monogatari (released with the English title Kamikaze Girls) helped push the style still further into the mainstream. In early 2007, Baby opened a boutique in Paris's Bastille district and counts Courtney Love as one of its international fans.
Baby, The Stars Shine Bright is one of the most influential Lolita brands. The brand name was plucked from the lyrics of the group Everything But the Girl. Pictured here are images from Baby's A/W 2007 catalogue.
Opposite, below: A still from the film Kamikaze Girls (2004) with actress Kyoko Fukada. The film fueled domestic interest in Lolita fashion-the wardrobe was by Baby, and a character was named after Baby owner Akinori Isobe.
Page 144
Me, Lolita
ミー、ロリータ
Dressing in frills and lace can look like or feel like a costume, but for Raine, Lolita-style clothing is her regular, daily wear, and even lifestyle. Twenty-two years old, she is an employee at the shop Baby, The Stars Shine Bright.
You don't have a typical name.
Raine is the name I use at work. It's a leftover from my visual-kei days.
When did you start wearing this style?
I started in junior high school, 1996-97. I was into visual- kei bands at the time, but they are all so minor you wouldn't know them. I wanted to find really cute clothing. And then wow! I found this cute Lolita style. I love the frills, the lace, the ribbons. They look like doll clothes. From the first glance [placing both hands over her chest and gasping slightly] it's so cute. Some of us like strawberry prints and ribbons more than others. It's about being completely absorbed in your own world. Even down to the shoes.
Do the stares and teasing bother you?
People are mean to me sometimes and they take pictures of me as if I am Minnie Mouse or some tourist attraction. It's annoying that normal people say things to me. Why do you have a right to say things to me when you look like that? If this were the eighteenth century, this dress would be totally normal. Some girls are into early American looks, like pilgrims. Bonnets and everything. Do you get it? That's what we like. It's simple.
How would you describe the type of girl who becomes a Lolita?
She is very independent. She is not going to get a boyfriend wearing these clothes. For Lolitas, fantasy is better than reality. Seeing someone in concert, for example, is an image of perfection. All made up and dressed to the nines, a living doll-Lolitas find that much more appealing than putting up with some guy who complains. The guys in bands are beautiful. Akogareru wo yuruseru. [Roughly meaning, "It's OK to pursue your dreams."] But in real life and with real guys, there are too many things to deal with. This generation-girls in their mid-twenties now-is no longer pressured to get married and have children. Lolitas enjoy living alone, enjoy being surrounded by cute things, creating their own worlds.
Tell me about Lolita interests and hobbies.
We are interested in getting away from reality and living in our own world. We like reading Goth-Lolita-themed manga. I don't think this could happen in America. The way people think in America is free. You can lead life the way you want and have the hobbies you want. But that's not the case in Japan. On my day off I like to go shopping around Harajuku, to visit my friends that work in stores. Or else I stay home and drink my favorite tea. We will get together with friends and have tea and sandwiches. I love cake because it goes well with tea. I like ballet and opera. My home is not a castle, but I try to decorate it and create my own atmosphere. I have a lot of white furniture. Antique-looking furniture. Lots of ribbons around the room. I read about Lolita and listen to Lolita-type music. I like reading KERA and Gothic & Lolita Bible. I would love to go to Germany to see an actual castle. I've never been abroad.
What would you pack?
What I would normally wear. A lot of people look at me but this is how I am.
Who's your favorite musician now?
Kanoma-san (Kanoma). The is the vocalist of the visual- kei band Fatima.
What do you want out of life?
I am happy as I am. There are older people that come into the store. Even when I get older I'll continue living this life.
Page 145
Raine is a typical "living doll." She is photographed here across the street from her favorite shop, Daikanyama's Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, where she is also part of the shop staff. The look that she models here, including all its layers and accessories, cost her about 90,000 yen (around US$900).
Style Deficit Disorder: Harajuku Street Fashion - Tokyo
Published 2007 by Tiffany Godoy
Baby, the Stars Shine Bright ベイビーザスターズシャインブライト
Akinori Isobe started Baby, The Stars Shine Bright (commonly referred to as simply "Baby") in 1988 after working at Atsuki Onishi's design office. Onishi, Baby, and the Lolita movement were influenced by designer Isao Kaneko (see An An) and his romantic Victorian-meets-Little-House- on-the-Prairie-style outfits that were lovely, pink, and ruffled. In the early days, Isobe explains, they struggled to find a brand identity that stood out on the racks. A quick fix was discovered in the addition of lace and ribbons. Lots of them. The clothes became so decorative that the Baby team themselves were unsure who might buy such over-the-top confections. But, Baby found a silhouette that was a playful and abundant contrast to the form-fitted, sleek body-con aesthetic that was popular internationally. Just as Baby had found their aesthetic voice, the visual-kei band boom came to life in Osaka in 1997. With the bands' female fans eager to dress as decoratively as their idols, Baby's bloomers and aprons with heart-shaped pockets were the rage. Lolita fashion also gained traction as a subculture with the increasing popularity of the Internet, with girls interested in cosplay and manga starting in 1996. Featuring a character dressed in Lolita fashion, the 2004 film Shimotsuma Monogatari (released with the English title Kamikaze Girls) helped push the style still further into the mainstream. In early 2007, Baby opened a boutique in Paris's Bastille district and counts Courtney Love as one of its international fans.
Baby, The Stars Shine Bright is one of the most influential Lolita brands. The brand name was plucked from the lyrics of the group Everything But the Girl. Pictured here are images from Baby's A/W 2007 catalogue.
Opposite, below: A still from the film Kamikaze Girls (2004) with actress Kyoko Fukada. The film fueled domestic interest in Lolita fashion-the wardrobe was by Baby, and a character was named after Baby owner Akinori Isobe.
Page 144
Me, Lolita
ミー、ロリータ
Dressing in frills and lace can look like or feel like a costume, but for Raine, Lolita-style clothing is her regular, daily wear, and even lifestyle. Twenty-two years old, she is an employee at the shop Baby, The Stars Shine Bright.
You don't have a typical name.
Raine is the name I use at work. It's a leftover from my visual-kei days.
When did you start wearing this style?
I started in junior high school, 1996-97. I was into visual- kei bands at the time, but they are all so minor you wouldn't know them. I wanted to find really cute clothing. And then wow! I found this cute Lolita style. I love the frills, the lace, the ribbons. They look like doll clothes. From the first glance [placing both hands over her chest and gasping slightly] it's so cute. Some of us like strawberry prints and ribbons more than others. It's about being completely absorbed in your own world. Even down to the shoes.
Do the stares and teasing bother you?
People are mean to me sometimes and they take pictures of me as if I am Minnie Mouse or some tourist attraction. It's annoying that normal people say things to me. Why do you have a right to say things to me when you look like that? If this were the eighteenth century, this dress would be totally normal. Some girls are into early American looks, like pilgrims. Bonnets and everything. Do you get it? That's what we like. It's simple.
How would you describe the type of girl who becomes a Lolita?
She is very independent. She is not going to get a boyfriend wearing these clothes. For Lolitas, fantasy is better than reality. Seeing someone in concert, for example, is an image of perfection. All made up and dressed to the nines, a living doll-Lolitas find that much more appealing than putting up with some guy who complains. The guys in bands are beautiful. Akogareru wo yuruseru. [Roughly meaning, "It's OK to pursue your dreams."] But in real life and with real guys, there are too many things to deal with. This generation-girls in their mid-twenties now-is no longer pressured to get married and have children. Lolitas enjoy living alone, enjoy being surrounded by cute things, creating their own worlds.
Tell me about Lolita interests and hobbies.
We are interested in getting away from reality and living in our own world. We like reading Goth-Lolita-themed manga. I don't think this could happen in America. The way people think in America is free. You can lead life the way you want and have the hobbies you want. But that's not the case in Japan. On my day off I like to go shopping around Harajuku, to visit my friends that work in stores. Or else I stay home and drink my favorite tea. We will get together with friends and have tea and sandwiches. I love cake because it goes well with tea. I like ballet and opera. My home is not a castle, but I try to decorate it and create my own atmosphere. I have a lot of white furniture. Antique-looking furniture. Lots of ribbons around the room. I read about Lolita and listen to Lolita-type music. I like reading KERA and Gothic & Lolita Bible. I would love to go to Germany to see an actual castle. I've never been abroad.
What would you pack?
What I would normally wear. A lot of people look at me but this is how I am.
Who's your favorite musician now?
Kanoma-san (Kanoma). The is the vocalist of the visual- kei band Fatima.
What do you want out of life?
I am happy as I am. There are older people that come into the store. Even when I get older I'll continue living this life.
Page 145
Raine is a typical "living doll." She is photographed here across the street from her favorite shop, Daikanyama's Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, where she is also part of the shop staff. The look that she models here, including all its layers and accessories, cost her about 90,000 yen (around US$900).
i've been chipping away at this robot bunny sculpt for a long time, and she is DONE. because of the complex claws & head i had to print her around 55cm tall, and i'm so glad i did. being big makes her so compelling.
[here's a post showcasing the head prototype, because i didn't really play with the modularity of it in these photos. i edited the sculpt a bit for the finished version, but it's essentially the same still.]
This Halloween, I will be dressing up as your grandma’s couch.
…
Or, maybe I’m just making an excuse to show off this glorious old JetJ piece, from 2003(!). (I can’t believe it’s almost 20 years old…)
Made from a heavy and thick textured gobelin with a generous (and long) flared skirt, I think this piece suits autumn perfectly.
If only I had a matching gobelin couch to sink into and camouflage with.
Joking aside, I do have a couple more ‘typically halloween’ themed outfit pictures coming up, and will post those soon.
JSK (Reveur Somptueux): Juliette et Justine
Blouse, Bonnet: Mary Magdalene
Shoes: Fint
