Baby, The Stars Shine Bright Sparkles at New York Anime Festival

PREMIER JAPANESE FASHION DESIGNERS COME TO THE NEW YORK ANIME FESTIVAL AS GUESTS OF HONOR

The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) today announced designers from Baby, The Stars Shine Bright – Japan’s premier Lolita fashion brand – will participate in its 2008 event as Guests of Honor. Baby, The Stars Shine Bright designers Miho Satoh and Masumi Kanoh will attend the New York Anime Festival to speak about the history and philosophy of their brand, welcome fans to a special Baby, The Stars Shine boutique, and even enjoy a cup of tea with NYAF attendees during a Baby, The Stars Shine Bright tea party. All this will occur at the New York Anime Festival, an anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture convention from the creators of New York Comic Con, that takes place September 26th through the 28th at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Born on the streets of Japan, Lolita fashion adopts child-like charms and details from periods such as Rococo France and Victorian England. The Lolita look is full of knee-skimming skirts, pintucks, petticoats, and blouses edged in lace. Developing since the 1970s in Japan, Lolita fashion is now rapidly gaining a wide following worldwide.

“We’re very honored to have Baby, The Stars Shine Bright take part in the New York Anime Festival,” NYAF Show Manager Lance Fensterman said. “NYAF is a celebration of all that is part of Japanese pop culture, and Lolita fashion is a dynamic part of what’s on the cutting edge — and Baby, The Stars Shine Bright is largely responsible for getting it there.”

Baby, The Stars Shine Bright was founded as a boutique in Shibuya, Tokyo in 1988 by husband and wife team Akinori and Fumiyo Isobe. Baby, The Stars Shine Bright has since grown into an international phenomenon with fans around the world and stores as faraway as Paris. The brand has collaborated with numerous famous icons including Sanrio’s Hello Kitty and Japanese pop star Nana Kitade. Anime fans and followers of Asian cinema will no doubt recognize Baby, The Stars Shine Bright as the clothing line at the center of the feature film Kamikaze Girls.

Baby, The Stars Shine Bright designer Miho Satoh was born in Tokyo, enjoyed handicrafts since she was young, and started studying clothing design as a high school student. Even now, after joining Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, she continues her studies in clothing design. Designer Masumi Kanoh was born in Miyagi, Japan. She’s always loved cute things and discovered Lolita fashion in junior high school. She joined Baby, The Stars Shine Bright right out of university.

Further information about Miho Satoh and Masumi Kanoh and the Baby, The Stars Shine Bright events at the New York Anime Festival will be available at newyorkanimefestival.com in the coming weeks. Tickets to NYAF are on sale now at newyorkanimefestival.com.

ABOUT THE NEW YORK ANIME FESTIVAL

The New York Anime Festival takes place September 26-28, 2008 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan and is organized by Reed Exhibitions, the creators of New York Comic Con. The New York Anime Festival showcases the best of anime pop culture, including the latest anime, manga, Japanese cinema, music, and games, and anime-influenced comics, animation, and films from around the world. The festival features exclusive and extensive screenings, a gala cosplay masquerade, sessions with the some of the biggest names in anime from Japan, Asia, and America, and explores the Japanese cultural experience with displays of both traditional and cutting-edge Japanese life. NYAF’s partners include Bandai Entertainment, BookExpo America, Dark Horse Comics, Del Rey Manga, Kinokuniya Bookstore, New York Comic Con, Samurai Beat Radio, Subway Cinema, TheOtaku.com, and TOKYOPOP. Further information can be found at newyorkanimefestival.com.

ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS

The New York Anime Festival is operated by Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading events organizer. In 2007, Reed brought together over six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today, Reed events are held in 38 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia and organized by 39 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a FTSE-100 company and world-leading publisher and information provider. In 2006, Reed Elsevier made adjusted profit before taxation of £1,052 million on turnover of £5,398 million.