November 15, 2011

Themed Playlist: Sweet

Lolita inspiration comes through magazines, brands, but also other media such as music. I find lolita and music inseperable when it comes to lifestyle. I hope to make a regular feature of this, presenting songs and bands that deserve to be on your lolita playlist! This week's playlist will be sweet, so be ready for a good dose of sugar coming straight to your ears! Some are just over-the-top sweet, others are merely cute or good listens on a lolita day.



Florrie for Nina Ricci
Originally created to advertise one of Nina Ricci's perfumes (I really like it too, and the bottle is so snow white-y), this song is so joyful it makes you want to pop on one of that gorgeous pair of pink heels and go hopping around in your lolita best. The atmosphere is also perfect for lolita, full of pink grass and lace and curly hair, and sweet singing. The artist herself is interesting enough, being unsigned and independent, working for herself and her fans. See more about her here.



Kanon Wakeshima - Ennui Kibun
Emblematic Kanon Wakeshima, one of the leading lolita artists, can not be absent from any lolita's playlist. Infused with music box-like and bubbly cute melodies, her songs really catch the essence of lolita, being both sweet and classic. And aren't the cover pictures so beautiful? Also check out Kuroi Torikago and Lolitawork Libretto, a duo with singer Solita. I will devote a whole article to Kanon Wakeshima, so I won't go any further, but she is definitely worth checking out if you don't know her already!




Kaya - Chocolat
The none too serious cross-dressing Kaya has an EGL wardrobe to die for! And he's such fun to watch and listen to! Nothing more to say really, I love just his songs. Some might be more gothic-oriented, but Chocolat has sweeter tones and a his trademark choreographies.



Orange Caramel - A~ing
In the world of K-pop, Orange Caramel are on the cuter side - or at least, used to be. Their first two singles, A~ing and Magic Girl are filled with the cute imagery of fairy tales and ruffles and pastel dresses, the songs being catchy and lively - though some would frown at the shortness of those skirts! Their looks are obviously edging towards the sexier side of cute, but they're nice to listen to during an especially happy lolita day.



Kerli - Tea Party
Kerli seems to be inspired by lolita, and definitely by Alice in Wonderland (she featured on the soundtrack of the Tim Burton movie). The music might not be along the same lines of the cuter songs from above but the video is definitely inspirational! I love the dolls too! I like the over-the-top feel about it, luxurious and decadent. Her concept of Bubble Goths is also very tempting to emulate! Watch Army of Love to check it out. Walking on Air, on the other hand, is more on the creepy, gothic side, full of dolls once more.



Natsuko Aso - More more lovers
For a sugar rush of kawaii-ness!



Mindy Gledhill - Circus Girl
Circus is so often a theme in lolita coordinates and prints that this sweet song about it had to crop up. You can just picture a world full of glitter and dancing bears, and spinning ballerina. I'm also in love with her voice and the folksy sounding music.



Pogo - Alice
A friend made me discover this absolutely original artist, whose songs are entirely made from sounds extracted from movies. The concept is rivalled in originality only by its result, an entrancing repetition which actually creates good music. Pogo has applied the same concept to other movies such as Mary Poppins and Up, but Alice was most appropriate for this playlist.




Kokusyoku Sumire - Beautiful Violet Forvever
Second on the list of lolita-specific singers, this duo is incredibly creative. They sound like no one else, Sachi's violin and Yuki's voice dominating the scene. Their style is also original, drawing from theatre and circus mainly, but also sometimes looking more historical. They step across the lolita borders for a stunning result. Sometimes their atsmosphere is darker and more classical, but always has that characteristic touch of shrillness that is their trademark. I'll also write more in depth about them later, so no worries!

 I have loads more to share with you, but I'll leave at that for now and save some for later.

And here's for a Halloween treat: Jack, (kawaii) king of the pumpkin patch! He disappeared a few days after I carved him and I only have a few pictures left, thanks to a friend taking them.

November 12, 2011

Brand Spotlight: Mary Magdalene

True, for a brand spotlight, Mary Magdelene isn't the usual up-and-coming brand you'd expect, but I'll explain my choice. Mary Magdalene, though an already acknowledged and well-settled lolita brand, seems to me always under-represented, be it on the internet, in blogs, or in magazines. One of the reasons might be that Victorian Maiden or Innocent World, having much of the same concept, are more covered by media.

Influenced mainly by the victorian era, the brand's name translates its concept: that of  maiden devout and modest, a victorian ideal. It might seem obvious, as all of lolita is influenced by rococo and the victorian era, but I find that in this brand, the inspiration appears more clearly.

                               



The choice in design reflects their concept. The lines are elongating, most cuts using princess seams (all vertical seams) and emphasis being laid on the natural waist . They prefer solids rather than prints, or opt for sparser floral prints than their rival counterpart, Victorian Maiden. The colours are often demure yet elegant pastels/ dusted colors (does that make sense?) , or jewel tones for the autumn-winter collections, in blues, greens or deep reds, edging towards brown.


Mary Magdalene prefers embellishments like pintucks, often seen on their bib-collars, to swathes of lace. Lace is used sparingly but tastefully, in the highest quality. Mary Magdalene also has a slightly retro look on some of its dresses, coming from the use of sailor collars or double rows of big buttons. The necklines are either very high for a modest look, or contrarywise, rather low considering the lolita dos and don'ts, but this gives their dresses a more aristocratic, princessy ball-gown feel I love.
Hair corsages are usually elegant roses pinned to updoes or old-school rectangular headdresses.

      

All in all, MM is a brand that focuses on elegance and modesty, and perhaps a touch more of maturity than can be seen in other brands.


These last two are among their sweeter style. I absolutely love the first one, recently featured on their website, but I'm not sure about the cut of the last one's bodice. Mary Magdalene is one of my favorite classic brands, of you hadn't guessed ;)

Link to their website!

November 4, 2011

More Halloween Crafts (if a bit late)

It may be a little late for this entry, but there it is.
October style

Putting myself at risk of giving off the impression that I'm dressed for Halloween, I do indulge in orange in October, as it seems the only time of the year where I can fit it into lolita, with the trees changing to crimson and gold, and the warm feeling the color gives off.
Cute buckled shoes, brown or black, flat or heeled, give off the witchy and old pilgrim feel.
Tights rather than knee- or OTK-socks become necessary with the coming of cold weather.
I also like knits, like my orange hoodie, which gives off a very cosy feel.
And of course, I just have to paint my nails orange now that I have the color, thanks to a swap with my friend.
Longer skirts are also welcome, and look so nice when they rustle in the dead leaves.
Add black lace gloves to complete an outfit elegantly.

It's my first time using Polyvore, so please bear with me, I'm still finding my way around. And that outfit did turn out very Halloween-ish.