Here's a full body shot. Aren't the cat ears adorable? :3
Me and Chiaki! ♥
And then one with Vivian too. ^^ I always see these girls at events but I never really get to sit down and chat with them. I'm so happy I was able to do that this time. They're the sweetest! ♥
I recently started a Lookbook. If you have time, please check it out and maybe fan me if you have one! ^^ For my very first Lookbook post, I asked my uncle and aunt of John and Cay Photography to do a photoshoot with me, and I really liked how the photos turned out! ♥
They also have clothes that are appropriate for more formal occasions, like this adorable chiffon dress.
And if you wanted to go with a more "cool style," you could throw on this coordinate.
It looks great with this furry long cardigan too! :3
I saw this Asuna while waiting for the fashion show prep to start, so I just had to take a photo! ♥ My own Asuna costume had arrived before the convention, but I had no time to fit cosplaying in that year. :<
I can't even express how many SnK cosplays there were that year, but this one by far was one of the best. xD
With the brand rep for Liz Lisa! She's a real sweetheart. ^^
Liz Lisa's booth so pretty... *__* I ended up buying only a dress and a bag because I was going to Japan a few months later. The temptation was strong! :<
And that's it in a nutshell! Unfortunately, there weren't many photos taken of the fashion show's first day. D: But anywho, I need to start posting more! I miss blogging, I really do. T^T My laptop's just so old that I can barely do anything on it...
GHOST OF HARLEM
Booth #: 1733, 1735
I'm really excited about Ghost of Harlem because despite the fact that I normally associate with more cute and girly styles, I've always loved rock gyaru style too. I also love how they have Sakurina as their main model, who I've always looked up to for inspiration as a gal. There's just a chemistry between the brand and how well Sakurina wears it that makes it so appealing. ♥ I will definitely be purchasing some items from their booth! ^^
Swankiss
Booth #: 1739, 1741
Swankiss showcases a "romantic vintage" theme, and they have a very cute take on pinup girl clothing. Think lace, ruffles, flowers, and cherries! :3 Not to mention Saaya Hayashida, the producer of Swankiss, will be making an appearance at the AX fashion show. You'll even get the chance to meet her at the Swankiss booth, so make sure you don't miss out! ^^
KOKOkim
Booth #: 1728, 1730, 1732
KOKOkim is a colorful, fun, and girly type of style that draws inspiration from Harajuku and Akihabara. If you look at their official website, the front page has adorable anime artwork that transforms into the real life version of the models wearing KOKOkim clothing! :3 But don't get it twisted! The clothes are meant to be worn as daily wear and not for cosplay. Kimura U is the designer of this brand, and she's also one of the Japanese Kawaii Ambassadors of Cuteness. She created the term "MoeHaru," which means Moeru Harajuku, and is KOKOkim's brand concept. She will also be making an appearance at the AX fashion fashion show!
GOLDS infinity
Booth #: 1734
And last but not least, GOLDS infinity will be returning to AX this year! Their concept is elegant casual, and is something you'd see a sexy oneegyaru wear. ♥
I can tell this year's fashion show is going to be great since each brand is so different from the next. It's like a mini tour of Japanese fashion. ^^ And if you haven't heard, NHK World is going to be covering the event, and it will be shown on Kawaii International, a world wide TV show! If you need anymore information or are interested in applying to be a model, make sure to visit the AX Fashion Show 2014 page. Hope to see you there!
I've always liked GLAD NEWS for their sexy, punk style clothing. It's something that girls who aren't gyaru can wear too, including celebrities like Avril Lavigne!
These are two items I'm thinking of purchasing from their YesStyle store:
I really love this simple racerback tank top! It also comes in white with red text, but I much prefer the black one. I'd probably wear this with a letterman jacket, beanie, and some black combat boots. xD
I'm also really into crop tops right now, and they've got some pretty cute ones!
I love this one 'cause the model looks so good in it! Maybe it's those killer abs... If I end up getting this, it'll be good motivation for me to do more crunches. ^__^;
GLAD NEWS loves skulls and studs. ♥
After my previous trip to Japan, I really regretted not taking more photos. I'm happy to say that I did much better this time and even got a new digital camera from Take-chan's mom as an early birthday present (♥), but there's still a part of me that wishes I took even more photos! Next time I shouldn't feel so embarrassed about looking like a total tourist. :P
So for our first full day in Japan, I surprised myself by not heading straight to Shibuya. Instead, Take-chan and I hit up Akihabara first, and I was even more surprised that we spent almost the entire day there! We've been watching a lot of anime lately, so it was fun to look at all the merchandise at each store. When it comes to figures in Akihabara, the trick is to check out all the stores for the best price! Because of that, I was able to score a gorgeous Asuna figure for only ¥1,200. ♥ I also bought a bunch of other stuff (mostly Free!, Kuroko no Basuke, and One Piece stuff).
Beard Papa! I was so sad when the one in my local mall closed down. T__T
We were bound to run into Shingeki no Kyojin! There was a good amount of SnK merchandise, but nothing cool or cute enough that I wanted to spend my money on. Didn't see any figures, either. It was mostly clear files, keychains, manga, t-shirts, etc.
We entered the first arcade we ran into and found this little cutie sitting on top of some One Piece gachapon machines. One thing I have to say is that I'm extremely glad that Take-chan and I finally started getting into One Piece this year, because you'll find One Piece pretty much everywhere in Japan, be it merchandise, an entire restaurant and stores dedicated to it, or even just tiny references here and there. I would feel so giddy every time I saw anything related to One Piece. ♥
Kuroko no Basuke! I love how Kuroko and Kagami look like they're peeking at you. :3 And for the record, this type of UFO catcher is so rigged! If you look closely, you'll see a pink rubber ball with the shiny prize dangling from it, and Take-chan and I are convinced that it's meant to make you spend a good amount of yen before actually winning. It's difficult to get it in one round due to the friction of the ball against the plastic plate, plus the fact that the prize is weighing the plate down. You pretty much have to edge it little by little on both sides of the plate before it falls, and what's more is that the claw is so weak!!! U__U /rant
There it is again! One Piece appears even when we're just waiting to cross the street. xD
There were arcades everywhere! But more importantly, how cute is that giant alpaca? :3
I kept seeing posters of this gorgeous Junko figure. I haven't played or watch Danganronpa, but I'm particularly interested because Junko is a gyaru! ♥
Chopper dressed up as Buggy!!! I think my heart just melted. ♥
Funasshi army!!! O__O
We stopped to take a break at this random crepe place, and it tasted so amazing!
Mazinger Z is the anime my parents used to watch back in the day (that and Voltes V).
Sailor Moon iPhone 5 cases!!! *__* ♥ And sadly, I don't have an iPhone 5... But I bought a case anyway! I guess that'll be my next phone. :3 I wanted to buy more Sailor Moon merchandise too, but all I could find were these cases and the same so-so figure that ran for at least ¥4,000 at pretty much every store. T__T
I was debating between these two, and I ended up getting the second one. I love how vibrant the colors are! *__* ♥
Portrait of Pirates by MegaHouse is hands down one of the best series of One Piece figures! How I wish I could've taken Zoro home with me. :3
Kotobukiya is also very consistent with producing high quality figures. If I had to choose only one place to visit in Akiba, it would be this store!
So I'll have to post all of my Akiba gets later because I haven't taken any photos of them yet! D: Next post will be about Shibuya. Thanks for reading! ^__^ ♥