Everyday Lolita ... This is JUST the Intro!

As we all know, I am a Lolita to the core! Well, minus the cursing, grills, tattoos ... look! You get the point. My favorite style of fashion is Lolita, hands down. As such, I travel and tattoo Lolita and get asked about the style & fashion a lot.

Recently, I've met a hand full of loli's explaining that they'd love to dress everyday or at least most days. However, the top cocerns are
A). dressing Lolita for the workplace
B). dressing on a budget

Here is my responses to that ...
there's NO EXCUSE! If you want to dress Lolita, there's moooore than enough ways!

Sometimes this gets concerning to me because what girl would limit themselves from playing dress up in an otherwise semi-drab society, right?!

What's your take on dressing Lolita ... or ANY subculture style, for that matter? How often do you dress and would you wear it to work? Is it budget saavy or a "I gotta plan my life" sort-a-thing?

This post is JUST the beginning. I've been doing hella research and trying different looks and snapping many many pictures to give sufficient example of what can happen when it comes to being an everyday Lolita.

 For now, enjoy some of my FAVORITE Lolita warnings ... & next week, let's get to work! We'll be sure to take a thorough look at Exhibit A: dressing Lolita for the workplace.

  

    

and of course, Oscar Wilde has some FAMOUS words to live by!

Just a FEW quickies ... 

Lolita posts and follow-ups to the Everyday Lolita series will NOT be posted during our NYCC coverage. (but there WILL be some Lolita posts related to NYCC)

Be sure to join us on our new Otaku Time Tumblr, for quick geeky & fashion posts. You can submit & share ANYTHING you'd like with the Otakus & Geeks crew!

If there's EVER anything you'd like to see covered, fashion or art related ... or if you just want to send a kind note, be sure to shoot me an email at imani@otakusandgeeks.com >^.*<

Til next time ...
~je t'adore!
<3 IKB

Airport Art: GLOBAL PUPPPETRY

One thing I LOVE about traveling to international airports is the Airport Art. Most airports offer something cultural from from their area that has some type of global trend.

As I breezed through the "i got the hook up" line of airport security, the exit was down what seemed to be a quite long, boring, & white wall >.< And the BAM!!! Airport Art. Before I could even read what's going on, I see American mariontettes and ornate Asian hand puppets ... (I LOVE marionettes & so hope to tattoo one -or a few, for that matter, SOON!)

With that said, what's the point of geeking out alone?! So here's a few things that I TOTALLY enjoyed from this little eye candy quickie ^.^
~je t'adore!

*Dearest LOLITA's I'm so sorry that I got sidetracked, but those tips are coming THIS WEEK! Then, we can build from there. Pinky Swear it! ;-D*

 

 

 

  

 

Andy Warhol's Art of Soup

I've been hella sick this weekend. So yesterday, weak eyes and all, I was able to watch people post where they're scouring their hoods for the Art of Soup cans.

What's that you ask and by who? Well, it's Campbell's soup saute to Andy Warhol's 50th year of canned soup art. If you don't know who Andy Warhol is or what he's had to offer the arts community, including the half tone dot matrix art style we all know and love in comics, now is a GREAT time to get your weight up.

Be sure to read more about the project at A Bullseye View: Behind the Scenes at Target and be sure to run out and pick up a few canned goods! (all pun intended)

Here are some first hand peeks at the product.

 

    

 Hope you enjoyed!
~je t'adore!

The Art of Video Games" Debuts in Florida at Boca Raton Museum 10/24

The Boca Raton Museum of Art will be the first museum in the nation to host the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s groundbreaking exhibition, The Art of Video Games, following its enormously successful presentation in Washington, D.C.

Running from October 24, 2012 through January 13, 2013, the Boca Raton exhibition, presented by FMSbonds, Inc., explores the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, focusing on striking graphics, creative storytelling, and player interactivity. During its stay in South Florida, the Boca Raton Museum of Art will offer a variety of associated programs and educational opportunities for visitors of all ages and interests.

The Art of Video Games

The Art of Video Games is a groundbreaking exhibition exploring the legacy of video games as a medium for artistic expression. Curated by Chris Melissinos, former chief evangelist and chief gaming officer for Sun Microsystems and Founder of PastPixels, the exhibition will give viewers an opportunity to explore the evolution of video games since they were first introduced 40 years ago. The Art of Video Games focuses on the interplay of graphics, technology, and storytelling.

“Video games are a prevalent and increasingly expressive medium within modern society,” said Melissinos. “In the 40 years since the introduction of the first home video game, the field has attracted exceptional artistic talent. Video games, which include classic components of art, offer designers a previously unprecedented method of communicating with and engaging audiences by including a new element, the player, who completes the vivid, experiential art form by personally interacting with the game elements.”

The exhibit highlights some of the best games for 20 gaming systems ranging from the Atari VCS to the Playstation 3. It will feature 80 video games presented through still images and video footage. In addition, the galleries include video interviews with developers and artists, historic game consoles, and large prints of in-game screen shots. Five featured games, one from each era, will be available in the exhibition galleries for visitors to play for a few minutes to gain some feel for interactivity. The playable games – Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and Flower – will demonstrate how players interact with the virtual worlds, highlighting innovative new techniques that set the standard for many subsequent games.

Olympics 2012 Fashions

My my my Otakus & Geeks! I have truly missed my fam during this break. But what better way to come back than to talk the hits & misses of this year's Olympics fashions.

From Team Japan to the ever controversial Team USA, I'll be spending the next few Sundays during the 2012 Olympics to see what we can gather about these hits & misses and how to do some everyday wear with any of these looks to make them complete HITS! ... who knows?! Some of these looks could definitely show up in Lolita.

So far, here are my basic hits & misses ... join in & let me know yours since we'll be digging into this yumminess and all of the geeky fashion ways it may have brought with it!

                                                           Undecided         HIT 

                                                                       HIT        HIT

                                                                       HIT        Undecided

                                                                             Miss         Miss

                                                            Undecided         HIT

                                                     Undecided         Undecided

                                                 Undecided         Undecided

Of course HITS are what they are ... and nothing's gonna change my mind. Misses can be changed, some are growing on me the more I look at them, but it could just be because I have to keep looking at them. These undecided picks can definitely go either way, so I'll probably watch those a bit closer in action to make any final decisions.

What's your fashionable thoughts? Email me at imani@otakusandgeeks.com

Until next week

~je t'adore!

Fashioning Japanese Subcultures

Since I usually blog about Japanese subculture fashion, I couldn't wait to share this bit of news! One lovely day messing around on twitter, I started following author, Yuniya Kawamura. As she tweeted most subculture fashion interests leading to the release of her book, one day I was brave enough to say something inquiring about her magazine releases in New York. Eventually we started touching base and keeping in contact. In fact, recently we were able to meet and I really hope that won't be the last/ only time

So! I am so happy to share that Yumiya's fourth published book, Fashioning Japanese Subcultures. Today is a great day for this authors work since it has officially released in the UK. Don't worry! The states gets a copy too so we aren't left out. You either hold out until the release date (Aug. 7) or pre-order it at Amazon.com. 

If you are into ANY Japanese subculture fashion, this book is a DEFINITE must! I won't give any spoilers, but if you would like to read more about this work and the author, please visit Berg Publishers. 

Be sure to follow Yuniya's twitter for the latest. I'm pretty sure her future published works are just as colorful, great, ad insightful. I ca almost promise you that!

Util next time!

~je t'adore
"paint your day bright"

Spidey Kid Customs

 

What better way to celebrate Spidey's big week than with some Adidas x Indian Pussy Brand custom kicks. This kid's DEFINITELY planning to wear his new customs & kick his feet up while playing the new The Amazing Spider-Man. Enjoy & see you soon lovelies. ~jet'adore

 

Dearest Otakus & Geeks

Dearest Otakus and Geeks,

It's been far tooooo long and I miss every last one of you cool ninjas & pirates! As always, I was away with good reason, since it IS any artists busiest time of year. But I'm not returning without goodies. As of late, I have been working on my brand, Indian Pussy Brand, complete with a new site, store, and tons of goodies. Though my last iPukeKAWAiI installation, was just a bit over a month ago now, there's still tons to do in the next month.

In short, I'll be back with goodies in art, fashion, and now ... MUSIC! Otakus and Geeks is also letting me grow here as an artist, so I'll also be a bit more visual in my sharing and some other future treats for the blog I love calling home. All of this will begin August 1, right in time for some of the East Coast's dopest anime & comic conventions!

Don't worry! I'll still be posting until then, but in the mean time, let's hear from you. If there's any fan art, music, news or cool what have you's that you'd like me to consider covering ... reach out! Let's build.

Sun, August 5 @ 1pm
(& every Sunday thereafter)
This Week in ... ! <3 IKB



Until then ... iPukeKAWAiI
~je t'adore!

100 Years of Kimono Exhibit

  

Great Sunday kits, kittens, and otakus & geeks! This share was A LOT for my life. A good friend of mine and I got a chance to partake in seeing the exhibit "100 Years of Kimono" for the centennial celebration of the gift of Cherry Blossoms in the US. Sounds like it should be fancy, right?!

Unfortunately, this exhibit did nothing for me! The kimono, don't get me wrong, were GORGEOUS. But being crammed into some "conference room" labeled 'gallery' that was set up for a lunch conference buffet thingy was not the move.

While I was totally interested in gib=ving you all play by play and setting the mood of how the kimono were displayed so rich, with soft lights, and some in cases ... blah blah blah ...

NOT!!

So! Let's forget about all that jazz and see kimono, shall we?!

These were some of my favorite kimono and next to them are some detail snippets of the kinomo.

 

 

Obi: Sorry, they were extremely hard to photograph, but I think you'll get it.

    

   

More kimono. The fabric and color in these were extremely rich, though not among the favorites, for my style/ taste. Maybe they'd suit you or another reader better. But they were definitely worth the share!

 More Kimono detail :

I took pictures of these for tattoo reference but I couldn't be selfish! ;-D

 

Until next time kiddies!

~je t'adore

<3 IKB

New Star Trek Game Trailer & Concept Art

With the Star Trek sequel on the way pretty soon, the game is in development and we have the trailer and concept art for all the Star Trek fans out there. The game is third person shooter so far, and it looks pretty cool. Stay tune for more details soon.

Tattoo Convention KAWAII :: A Talk With Hemet

So! I had the opportunity to tattoo at the San Francisco Body Arts Convention. I'm not too sure that you may be too familiar with the Rock-A-Billy style of tattoo-life fashion, but it's awesome. Aside from that tattoo conventions get overlooked for some of THE MOST kawaii finds ever! That being said, I thought I'd have a chat with one of the con's vendors.

Being that this was my first convention, I was pretty shy about the people and the things I would attract or even gravitate towards. However, after a few quick twirls around the show's floor, I kept visiting Hemet's booth for both the good vibes and smiles ... AND for spending money! *sheesh!* That being said, I  felt it only natural to share some of their Kawaii goodness with you. 

This week in ... Fashion <3, IKB!

IKB: What's your store's name and how long have you all been around?

HEMET: Hemet and we've been around since 2005.

IKB: Tell us a little bit about your brand.

HEMET: Hemet's style is influenced by our lifestyle, rock-a-billy, vintage, and cultural wear. Apparel and jewelry are our own designs and all hand-made.

IKB: In Japanese, kawaii means cute. Can you give show us around your booth with your top 5 kawaii items?

HEMET: Sure! Let's start here ... 

1. the Monster Safari Dress                                       2. Lolita cameo wristlet

 

3. Lolita necklace

(the necklaces hung from an AWESOME tree display!)

 

4. pastoral mini dress                                                     5. skull & roses skirt

 

IKB: Where can we buy the goods after the convention?
HEMET: You can chop our online store, selected boutiques and tattoo expos or follow our FB!


IKB: Last but not least, is there anything else you'd like to share?
HEMET: Sure! We are a family run business, we love what we do, and appreciate all of our customers!

THANKS HEMET!!!!!

These little kids were awesome! And though I was able to buy 2 ... I wanted to take them all away with me! I had to take pics instead :(

This was my pull from Hemet. The sweet cupcake apron and messenger bag and two figurines, a unicorn and a monkey.

    

For future shopping at Hemet, be sure to visit their website. You can explore your own kawaii rock-a-billy style and then you can be as diverse & unique as you want to be ... 

~je t'adore!

Nicki Minaj Explains 'Harajuku Barbie" ... I think?

So! Of course being all Lolita and stuff, on a typical dress down day, my style looks more Harajuku ... Simply put, I just dress how I feel ... HOWEVER, the combination of dressing how I feel with ruffle & bow accents AND being black puts me in this wretched "Barbie" category that Nikki Minaj lovingly flaunts.

NO! this is not a post of hating on her. But, sweet baby Jesus! I'm not Barbie. I'm me ... I get up, I want to wear stripes with ruffle bloomers, leg warmers, cool kicks, a svelte tee ... all topped off with a few bows & some blush & wig or not, this equals Barbie (go figure!). Since I have these random moments where dressed full Lolita I want to yell "I'M NOT YOUR EFFIN' BARBIE!" I decided to go on a Nikki Minaj fashion dig. Not surprising, most of it is *meh* BUT there is a video where she (kinda) explains her Harajuku Barbie concept. In my opinion, she fell short with her explaination of Harajuku fashion so here's a HARAJUKU FASHION GUIDE ;-D

Now! After watching this and checking in with the fashion guide, I'd LOVE to hear what my Lolitas and Harajuku fashion lovers everywhere feel. What types of responses do you get when in public? Ever have any "Barbie" moments that you're just NOT a fan of? etc, etc, etc.

I REALLY want to hear from you!



until next time
~je t'adore! >^.^<

Cosplay ... or Fashion ...

It's my personal belief that Cosplay can cross over into everyday fashion, if done right. And if done spectacular, you can cosplay all day and make it seem to be something that's ALWAYS meant to be worn as an everyday outfit.

Of course, roaming the halls of the Gaylord during Katsucon was not a disappointment to that. As I clicked photos, my imagination started to run wild about the different styles that can happen.

But enough yapping on his fashionably beautiful Sunday. Here are some of my favs!

  

 

 

 

   

My Katsucon Weekend Lolita Looks

  

This is an entire functioning wardrobbe. Would it work for you? >^.^<
Til Nex Time
~je t'adore!

SteamPunk Lolita Ultimate Looks #1

Below is an outline of the basic anatomy of any Lolita outfit. I'll be sure to repost it for the coming looks. However, I would encourage you to be sure to check out Lolita Fashion, for a more detailed explanation of its parts.

Now!!!!! Shopping. For Look #1 I've visited Fan Plus Friend and Clockwork Couture. I have found that most relate a steampunk look to muted colors, like brown and orange. But as the rules state in last week's post, it has NO color. So why not a cutesy bright Steampunk Lolita?!

SteamPunk dress by manufactured by Fan Plus Friend

Since the dress isn't very printed and overly exaggerated with details, as some Lolita outfits would be, I think some prints and straps would be what makes the dress sing. It also comes with a hairpiece, but I've decided that you should have options. And if you're feeling extra cutesy, why not make them both work together, right. ;-D

If you'd like to see the actual product, feel free to click on any of the pics to take you there.

Tomorrow, Steampunk Lolita Look #2 

until then!

~je t'adore! <3 IKB  

Gone SteamPunk Shopping ... Join Me?!

And a VERY Happy Sunday!!! 

Let's get busy ... At the moment, I'm still shopping, but I have a more intimate surprise for later days (Monday! @ 1pm) 

Since I can't physically put together my steampunk Lolita look (I'm broke y'all! LOL)  I've decided to take the anatomy of a Lolita outfit and piece together two ultimate looks that I would lust for on any given Sunday. I'll be visiting Fan Plus Friend, Clockwork Couture, Wicked Clothes, and Shrine Store. 

Be sure to check them out ... maybe make your own steampunk Lolita look and we can share!

So! Monday, 1PM ... Ultimate looks ... BE THERE!

Until then 

~je t'adore!

<3 IKB

Steam Punk ... Rules of Engagement

So! There's good news and then there's bad news. I'd ask which you'd like to know first, but the good news that I am getting some good tips on dressing Steampunk and marrying it with Lolita. However ... it's gonne be EXPENSIVE! I'm not too sure kiddies that I'll be able to pull off looks the way I would like. But future cosplay at San Diego Comic Con may be a great place for some outfit critiques.

For now, I'll take this time to give you a head's up about Steampunk and we can set a hot date and try it ... togther?

Fortunately for us, I've found some rules to live by and some other gems to be shared in the near future.

{Rule One: Steampunk fashion is a real-world reproduction of the clothing that is or could be found in steampunk literature. It's that simple.

Rule Two: When in doubt, dress Victorian and then add. The Victorians were the first people to fully capitalize upon steam technology in a way that affected everyday life, so it is no surprise that most steampunk writing either takes place in the Victorian world or is strongly inspired by it. If you're afraid that your outfit is "too Victorian" you're probably doing it right.

Rule Three: Steampunk fashion is about creating an outfit that delights the senses, entertains the wearer, and engages the viewer. Never feel obliged to take away from the style or appeal of an outfit simply because you fear it will be "not steampunk enough." Do not be misled, coerced, or second-guessed into including a collection of "steampunk status symbols" (goggles are the most infamous, though we do love them) if they do not fit with the outfit, or with the vision you are attempting to produce.

  

Rule Four: There is no "steampunk color." Some people have claimed that steampunk is only brown, or only black, or only white, or only light, or only dark. They are wrong. Virtually any color can be steampunk (though perhaps one might balk at neon). If you like to wear black, there is a steampunk justification; if you like to wear brown, there is a steampunk justification; if you like to wear bright colors, there is a steampunk justification. Remember, steampunk is set in a world of comparatively advanced technology, so it is perfectly reasonable to have vibrant colors and complicated machine-made patterns.


Rule Five: You are allowed to like other genres. If you like a style of fashion that does not fit into steampunk (Enlightenment era, Pulp Adventure, Mod 60s, Medieval, etc.) be proud of it. Do not feel compelled to try and wedge it under the steampunk caption. These are all genres that people have worked very hard to create, expand, and explore; so we rather owe it to them to respect the diversity and uniqueness of their differences. You are all diverse and well-rounded people with differing interests. Let that be a source of pride.

Rule Six: Have fun and be yourself. That's what this is about. Don't feel compelled to conform with everyone else. Don't feel shy about posting just because you don't want to dress like the other people who you've seen post. And don't post with the question "do you guys think this is steampunk enough?" Post with the statement "I feel that this is steampunk, and here is why I think so." At worst, someone will disagree and then the two of you can discuss your conflicting views, get to know each other, and come to an understanding; or, you can simply feel free to ignore them, and you have every right to do so if you don't feel like arguing over a simple difference of opinion.}

Don't worry! There'll be more to come for next week as we wrap up! PROMISE ^.^

until then ...

~je t'adore!

Steampunk + Lolita = Heaven?

Happy SUNDAY!!!!!!

So, it's no secret that I am thoroughly obsessed with Lolita fashion. It's been a little over a year and being bored is no where in sight. Consequently, last night I was watching Firefly and started paying attention to the fashion. In allllll the times I've loved to curl up to this series, I've never once taken notice to that fashion. Of course, the setting allows for something very Steampunk

To make a long story short, it's my latest sub-obesession in fashion. I promise, it could not have come at a better time. I've been looking through my closet and while I love the Lolita pieces I have acquired ... it is definitely time for more. And now that I am comfortable in some of my latest fashion skin, I feel like its time for some more "grown-up" fanciness.

Since Steampunk fashion is a happy marriage of goth meets victorian ... we'll pair it with Lolita & blast off into fashion heaven! Here are a few of my inspirations and next week I'll share some of what's in my closet that can be all Steampunk dressed up.


Let's have some fun shall we!

~je t'adore

Take a SUGAR PILL!

We're always yapping about clothes and fashion and blah blah blah girly stuff! Not that this week is annnnyyyyy different. But we've seemingly forgot that any girl who IS a girly girl, will not leave the house without putting her "face" on.

Now, I'll be the first to say that I am a girly girl at heart. However on a daily, despite the ruffles, bows, and excessive amounts of pink, I am truly a tomboy. So! When I put my face on, I look for make-up that accents the important facial features ... Eyes, cheeks, lips. that's it! That's all I got! I want to spend less than 15 minutes in the mirror, still look the same when I'm done, but a bit enhanced and somewhat on the colorful side (occasionally).

With all of that being said, my FAVORITE make-up obsessions are eyeshadows and eyelashes. usually a M.A.C girl, I have finally found another that makes my heart stop and my mouth water. with some of the BRIGHTEST colors I've seen by far. That would be the goodness of SugarPill! Now, M.A.C has the everyday and not so everyday make-up items from beginning to end. But what I love, love, LOVE about SugarPill is that they're "eye" specific, specializing in luxury eyeshadows and a few pair of lashes to die for! They offer bold colors in a great formula that last forever in a day! Ladies ... do you KNOW how hard that is to find?! ... 

I won't say too much more, but here are some pics I've been able to grab of Sugarpill at work, via Facebook! And while I was not able to catch up to Amy, just yet for an interview, here's what she's shared with the public via Cinnamon Kitten. 

Be sure to check out SugarPill's Make-Up Tutorials. Follow them on Twitter & Like 'em on Facebook! You'll never lose with these goods ... for sure!

~je t'adore! <3 IKB

The Art Of Mass Effect Universe Review

Title - Art Of Mass Effect Universe 
Authors - Casey Hudson, Derek Watts 
Pages - 186


Mass Effect is one of the new generation's most beloved gaming franchises. It is one of the most anticipated games for 2012, and with Mass Effect 3 setting for release in March. Fans will be happy to know that a great concept art book is on the way in February. "The Art Of Mass Effect Universe" gives fans a deep look at the designs, concept art and sketches of Mass Effect 1, Mass Effect 2 and the upcoming Mass Effect 3. The art is fantastic from early designs of Saren, to planets, armor, weapons. The book gives great insight on why some designs didn't work, why this type of color was used, details on how characters are drawn. If your a fan of Mass Effect and want to know more insight on the universe, this is the book to get. It has tons of great artwork, with 186 pages of content you can't go wrong. The only thing is if you don't want to know anything at all about Mass Effect 3 and the designs, hold off the last chapter. The book is a great love letter to Mass Effect fans, and it's very informative on the designs, characters and planets. Fans will not be disappointed. Final Grade A-/9.0.


Art Of Mass Effect Universe will be released February 8th 2010. You can preorder the book here Pre Order Art Of Mass Effect Universe

RUNE Boutique World Debut Videos

Of course I went surfing the net for video content on the Rune Boutique World Debut. To my surprise, I found some great highlights of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu performing live, for the first time in the U.S.

  

  

These are the two music videos released for her hit single PonPonPon & TsukemaTsukeru, to be her first single released in January. 

And what would such an event be without featuring the fashions of 6% DokiDoki ... here are 3 parts to their presentation! And if you just want to see the entire party live, head on over to NicoNico!

  

  

~je t'adore!