In honor of International Lolita Day, Kinokuniya Bookstore in New York City is teaming up with Del Rey Manga, Samurai Beat Radio, and VIZ Pictures to hold the very first Lolita and Maid Day.

Lolita and Maid Day

When: June 7th, 2008, starting at 10:00 AM
Where: Kinokuniya Bookstore, New York City, New York (USA)

Here’s the official press release:
The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) today announced it is partnering with Del Rey Manga, Samurai Beat Radio, and VIZ Pictures to hold the first Lolita and Maid Fashion Day at the largest Japanese bookstore in North America – New York City’s Kinokuniya Bookstore. Taking place Saturday, June 7 2008 in celebration of International Lolita Day, Kinokuniya Bookstore located at 1073 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan will present a day-long series of events showcasing the diverse world of cute, cool, elegant, and hip fashion in modern Japan, namely Japanese Lolita and Maid fashions.

“We’re proud to help create Lolita and Maid Fashion Day at Kinokuniya,” New York Anime Festival Show Manager Lance Fensterman said. “Lolita and Maid fashion have quickly become two of the most prolific ambassadors of anime, manga, and Japanese culture in America, and the New York Anime Festival couldn’t be happier bringing these fashions to New York City – the fashion capital of the world.”

Kinokuniya’s Lolita and Maid Fashion Day will include special all-day activities as well as a series of Lolita and Maid-themed speakers and presentations…

Kinokuniya Lolita And Maid Fashion Day All-Day Events

Anime And Manga Discount: Any customer who comes into Kinokuniya Bookstore at 1073 Avenue of the Americas on Saturday, June 7 wearing a Lolita or Maid dress or anime, manga, or video game cosplay will receive 10% off all anime and manga purchases.

Lolita And Maid Sweets: Café Zaiya on Kinokuniya’s second floor presents a special menu of Lolita and Maid-themed desserts made especially for Lolita and Maid Day.

Lolita And Maid Fashion Day Giveaway: All customers who come into Kinokuniya Bookstore can enter to win a number of prizes from Del Rey Manga, the New York Anime Festival, and VIZ Pictures. Prizes include a collection of 100 of Del Rey Manga’s best-selling and fan-favorite books, free tickets to this September’s New York Anime Festival, and select films from the VIZ Pictures catalog. Winners will be drawn at the end of the day, and customers must be present to claim their prizes.

If you are able to go, send us a report back and we’ll try to post it on the site. Photos are also welcome!

When I found out that the Gothic & Lolita Bible was being licensed for release in the U.S., I was pretty psyched! For those of you who might not know what that is, it’s a collector’s magazine (dubbed a “mook” by the Japanese–somewhere between a magazine and a book) that showcases some amazing fashions unique to Tokyo. As the title implies, it’s an assorted collection of Gothic and Lolita styles as well as Punk and mixtures of said fashions (such as Gothic Lolita). It appeals to both cosplayers and fashionistas worldwide–but until now, only those able to read Japanese could bask in its entire glory.

Review

The editors state in a “popcast” that the first English Bible is more of a beginner’s guide than anything else, and that they plan on having more in-depth issues following this one. My question is: Was a beginner’s guide really necessary? Thousands of Gothic and Lolita adherents have been waiting years for this moment; we don’t need an introduction to the fashion we already like. Luckily, there is a good chunk of content that isn’t tailored specifically to the beginner–for example, there are quite a few interviews, and I enjoyed every single one! It’s also fun to read translations of some of the things I’ve seen in my Japanese Bibles.

The biggest disappointment for me is the noticeable lack of Gothic representation within the new English content. What gives the Gothic & Lolita Bible (abbreviated GLB) its namesake is the endless duality it provides by showcasing Gothic AND Lolita side-by-side. It’s 50/50, not 30/70, as senior editor Jenna Winterberg expressed in the popcast. She also noted that Gothic styles in Japan look different than they do here, a comment that I appreciate–why not show how different they are and appeal to those who enjoy them?

Why not take it a step further and examine Western-based news and trends that appeal to both Goths and Lolitas? For example, Goth-prince Voltaire, who hails from New York, recently recorded a music video with Gothic Lolitas cast among other elegant extras. Why not do an interview with him in the future? To offset that, an interview with someone from the Baby, the Stars Shine Bright store opening in San Fransisco could be placed next to it.

I do like Lolita fashion, but it’s not my preferred identity within the Gothic and Lolita spectrum, and unlike the Japanese version, the English GLB hasn’t represented me very well.

Despite this, the articles are quick, easy reads, and the vocabulary is smooth like butter. I also have to hand it to the photo management–all of the pictures are beautifully sharp, even the ones submitted by fans. This is a crucial asset to a fashion magazine.

Content

Although they’re skillfully written, the content of most of the new English articles read more like they were written by observers of Gothic and Lolita than participants. More specifically, they read like a fanatical rehash of egl community FAQs and conversations. If I wanted that, I would just go to the egl community. Ironically, the article written by egl community members is probably the most authentic to the Gothic and Lolita subculture outside of Japan.

One of my biggest pet-peeves about Gothic and Lolita articles is that for some reason, people think that backing up their claims with research is unnecessary. I don’t even know how to correct the history article in the front of the magazine, because parts of it are true for Gothic Lolita (that it has ties to Visual-kei), but not for all Lolita, which is what the author claims to be writing about halfway through the article–and it doesn’t even mention Gothic or Lolita origins prior to their popularity in the late ’90s. There are other articles where they seem to use “Lolita” as shorthand for “Gothic and Lolita” that made me think, Wait, are you talking about both, or just Lolita?

The translated content was a let-down as well. Because most of us can’t read Japanese, the GLBs have been more like picture books than magazines. When I heard the first English version would include translations from four GLBs, I was hoping I would finally be able to read some of those interesting-looking articles. But in fact, there are more reprinted photos than translated articles. Oh well, so much for that hope.

What’s more, I assumed they would either choose content from the four earliest or four most recent volumes, but they seem to have randomly chosen volumes 15, 16, 21, and 23. Volume 16, from which they reprinted the brand catalog, is from 2005–three years ago!

The interviews are the Bible’s saving grace. They’ve reeled in some of the most influential figures of Gothic and Lolita in Japan, including Nana Kitade and Mitsukazu Mihara. They’ve also managed to catch some time from some brand-house employees as well as some Lolitas closer to home, namely Aimee Major Steinberger, author of Japan Ai, and Vivien Hoffpauir of the store Candy Violet. Being able to delve into the lives of all of these talented people was an absolute pleasure, and their thoughts on Gothic and Lolita resonated well with me.

Fan Participation

The magazine’s strongest point is the amount of participation they requested from fans and adherents of the fashion. Not only do they include some art and poetry, but an entire article is written by Lolitas from the egl community, complete with photos of some of its members. A call for submissions appears on more than one page.

There isn’t much to discuss here because it doesn’t seem like many have answered to Tokyopop’s call yet. I hope more people participate in the future, because the GLB editors are extending a generous hand out to us. The more they know what we like and want, the better they will be able to please us in the future.

Patterns

The patterns were chosen well, because there are items for Goths and Lolitas, in the true spirit of the Gothic & Lolita Bible. Also, they are not clothes, but accessories–an Alice bow and matching bag, a wolf hat and matching gloves, a bunny-ear cape, and a pirate/punk cat-ear headpiece–so no worries about the patterns not fitting you!

There are difficulty levels printed near the items and they seem simple enough to make, but I wouldn’t recommend trying to assemble them without a basic knowledge of sewing terms and techniques. All four sets of accessories are printed on one page, so the directions for each item are small and precise and there are no pictures to guide you through the process.

Conclusion

The first volume of the English GLB is either hit or miss. Some might find delightful relief in a Gothic and Lolita publication that they can actually read, and others might cringe at how hard it tries to be Lolita. I suggest checking out a visual review of the magazine before you decide to fork over $20 for something you might either love or hate. You can view Tokyopop’s popcast, an amazon.com preview, or if you can’t wait, head to your local bookstore and flip through a copy yourself. (Note: It seems some store catalogs list this as the “Gothic & Lolita Collection”–just an fyi in case you need them to help you locate it.)

Unfortunately, the terms and different types never imported well from Japan, and if I only told you about my own style, I don’t think I would be representing the whole fashion fairly, so I have been doing a great deal of research on it recently. Please keep checking back and asking questions in the future and I will keep you updated as I learn more.

Background

When Gothic Lolita first became popular overseas (approx. 2002 or earlier), we knew it as EGL, an abbreviation that stands for Elegant Gothic Lolita. We also knew that EGA (Elegant Gothic Aristocrat) was its masculine or mature counterpart.

MANA© Gothic and Lolita Bible, Vol. 25

We later learned that the style we loved was not called EGL, but Gothic Lolita. E.G.L and E.G.A are actually two categories for the clothing brand Moi-même-Moitié©, created by Mana, the apparent King of Gothic Lolita.

Yet, even though we ditched the terms, deeming them incorrect, we still thought in the same binary: Lolita vs. Adult. We simply dropped the “EG” and began to call our Lolita counterpart “Aristocrat”. And to this day, the mature, elegant fashions of Gothic and Lolita subculture still retain this label in Western communities.

Japanese adherents don’t think in this same binary. Whereas we think in terms of Lolita vs. Adult/Aristocrat, they think in terms of Lolita vs. Gothic, because the subculture is called Gothic and Lolita.

It’s necessary to understand that Lolita and Gothic are seen as opposites: while Lolita is girly and cute, Gothic is dark and brooding. Common sense dictates that anything that is not Lolita (in this subculture) is Gothic–unless it is Gothic Lolita, which is an eerie oxymoron to Japanese ears.

Which brings me to my point: Aristocrat is a Gothic style.

What’s ironic is that the style we think of as Aristocrat is called Elegant Gothic in Japanese communities. It’s like we dropped the wrong two initials from EGA! Did they get the name from the same place, or is that a coincidence? I can’t say for certain.

Fashion

There are several Japanese styles that are commonly lumped into the Western label of Aristocrat. The ones I feel confident enough to teach you about, besides Elegant Goth, are called Madam and Ouji. Due to article length, however, I will only be able to tell you about Elegant Goth today.

Please note that these are not the only Gothic styles that exist in Japan. This article only touches on the aristocratic Goth styles, which make up a fraction of the entire Japanese Goth fashion. (It is also worth noting that “Real” Goths do not associate themselves with Gothic and Lolita culture, or even Visual-kei for that matter. And they are right, in a way.)

Na+H and Atelier Boz© Gothic and Lolita Bible, Vol. 8

Some similarities between these styles are:

• Common symbols include crucifixes and Christian imagery, angel wings, butterflies, crowns, keys, Vivienne Westwood orbs, skulls, roses, card suits, and the Fleur-de-lis.
• Asymmetrical hems are popular, as is general asymmetrical balance (for example, wearing one black lace glove and one solid black glove.) So are square-shaped skirts and dresses, which is what gives skirts like those found in Atelier Boz their jagged shape.
• When making your own clothing or buying off-brand garments, use cotton and polyester blends for fabrics; unique fabrics like velvet, taffeta, and silk are virtually never used.
• Female clothing usually incorporates frills and always uses skirts instead of pants (unless she is dressing Ouji style); male clothing is usually much less ornate than female clothing, and either pants or skirts may be worn.
• Gothic makeup can be bolder and more artistic than Lolita makeup, which is meant to look natural. However, makeup is meant to match the face to the outfit, not be the center of attention, so use balance, and look at a lot of pictures for ideas. Both ladies and gentlemen wear makeup, although it is not necessary for men. Do not paint your face white unless you want everyone to think you are a cosplayer. This is especially true in Japan. (Only, my Aristocrat roommate looks pretty hot in whiteface, so I might make him do it anyway.)
• These styles are as modest as Lolita and most of the same body areas tend to be covered (legs, shoulders/bust, midriff, back). Maybe this is overstepping the boundaries, but it is probably possible to add an Ero (short for Erotic) feel, similar to that of Erololi, which uses fetishistic garments as opposed to less garments. For example, wearing underwear such as corsets or waist-cinchers, petticoats, bloomers, or crinoline as outerwear are common Ero traits. (I don’t know of an Ero style for men, sorry guys!)

Elegant Gothic Fashion

ARIKA ©Gothic and Lolita Bible, Vol. 25

In Gothic and Lolita, “Elegant” seems to be an umbrella term loosely used to describe beautiful fashions that hint at antique aristocracy. Thus, “Elegant Goth” is exactly what it sounds like it should be. It might describe only female clothing, because I have not yet found a young man whose outfit was described as “Elegant,” but I have seen young men dressing in styles that I find elegant, so until I learn otherwise, I will give them the benefit of the doubt.

The stage costumes of Arika Takarano (see photo), lead vocalist for Ali Project, could be considered an elaborate version of Elegant Gothic style.

Tips for dressing in this style:

• Wear dark, deep colors. The main color is usually black, sometimes accented by another color, such as white, deep red, or deep blue. Experiment with other combinations if you wish. You are not really trying to achieve “Gothic” in the usual sense as much as you are trying to be pretty, elegant, and Romantic–but also dark.
• The opposite of the above color scheme is to go completely white, or white with black accents. This is called “White Goth“. Sometimes people choose more of an ivory color.
• Skirts tend to be full-length, do not resemble Lolita and may or may not be poofy or require a petticoat. Atelier Boz does make long petticoats for long skirts.
• Men might wear a jabot and long pants, and maybe a corset. Pants are usually loose-fitting. I’ve seen some men wear capes.
• Some brands to consider are Atelier Boz, Na+H, Moi-même-Moitié©, and Miho Matsuda.

This concludes the first installment of A Gothic Aristocrat Primer. In the next article I will continue describing other styles such as Madam and Ouji, and include links to stores that you can purchase clothing or evoke inspiration from.

Read A Gothic Aristocrat Primer, Part Two!