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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Sucrerie Features Loligirls!


The new issue of Sucrerie just went live, and it's one of my favorites yet!

Sucrerie, an online webzine, produced by western lolitas for western lolitas, is a great piece of reading - and this edition is no different! Not only can you read about topics like lolita and self defense, poetry, and coverage on Japan Expo, but you can also see ads for all the best indie lolita sellers (and in my case, an ad for Lolita Charm - look for it!)

I flipped open (can one do that with an online magazine?!) Sucrerie's autumn edition tonight and was delighted to see that our director, Kate, was interviewed about our upcoming documentary! The first showing is less than two weeks away, and everyone is on their edge of their seat to see what she has created. Having seen the trailers, I can only imagine that it's going to be a wonderful piece on the nature of the subculture and fashion (as interpreted by three steadfast lolita friends). Loligirls has been one of the best experiences of my time wearing lolita to date - the opportunity to talk realistically about our emotions and how that connects to the fashion. And of course I'll be taking photos at the first showing, which promises a red carpet-like atmosphere and as many interested parties as can be generated!

There are also hints of a full-length sequel following up the film - with travel to a few choice locations! Nothing is decided yet, but we shall see ;D So keep watching!

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posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 11:24 PM 5 Comments

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Lolitas And Conventions


I just got back from Connecticon (my second year in a row!) and of course, it was the usual con affair. I saw, in no particular order: a crossdressing Sailor Moon with a beard, a guy in a long black jacket who insisted on a hug, a girl dressed as a sexy pikachu, and then I ended up hanging out with a crewful of steampunk pirates. Not to mention the usual cat-eared, tailed, or fairy-winged visitors, all sipping lattes in the hotel lobby and camped on the carpeting floor of the exhibition hall. In the sea of it all you can spot a few rufflebutts, petticoats spread across several seats, looking somewhere between at home and worlds away.

Lolitas at conventions can go one of two ways. The first is that they've been congoers, or interested in con topics, for quite a while - that might even be how they got into it in the first place. Or perhaps they've never had an interest in the conventions and are just going to soak up or bring the few lolita events that will be present. In some cases there is even a division or a dislike from the lolitas directed at the otaku visitors. Even I can sometimes be seen cringing at a poorly done cosplay, or being hit on by yet another furry (?!) But in this last con, I was more involved with the con itself and the people working it, and from this I've learned a few things.

Lolitas At the Anime Convention
  • Keep an open mind about anyone you meet. If you're instantly turned off by and outfit or a fandom, you might miss out on making a good friend. Even the most unusual people at conventions, I think, have a great deal of courage. They have probably designed and made, or bought, their own outfits specially, and are sometimes in character. That takes as much guts as it does to wear lolita! I'm proud of anyone I see dressing out of the ordinary. They took a chance and I think that's commendable.
  • Accept compliments gracefully. Many people may comment on your clothes, most likely nicely (as this is an atmosphere sponsoring other people aquainted with Japanese pop culture). If this is the case, just say thank you. Nothing else need be done!
  • Give compliments often! If you see someone whose outfit is especially beautiful, or from your favorite anime, don't be afraid to say hello or mention that you love seeing their outfit. I was lucky enough to witness a Princess Tutu cosplay and several other beautiful characters I didn't even recognize. Every little compliment like that makes that person light up inside and be happy they decided to dress up. And isn't that something we want to support, as people who know the power of a well-placed compliment?
  • Don't be afraid to cross over with other genres of people. Even if you think you have nothing in common with a group of people swapping Pokemon cards, you never know! If anyone is friendly to you, return the favor.
  • Realize you're the minority. There are not nearly as many lolitas at the convention as there will be cosplayers or general anime lovers, so now is the time to realize you're mostly in somebody else's sandbox. So please be respectful of them. They came to enjoy what is mostly their hobby, and the con has probably been made possible by similar people.
  • Be encouraging and respectful to any new lolitas you meet. A lot of girls get their start from a few bad outfits worn to cons, and that's perfectly fine. They could blossom into beautiful lolitas in time, maybe even with a helping hand from you! Even girls who are considered 'doing it wrong' can shape up, or perhaps they have something to contribute besides their clothes! (I know, gasp!)
  • Don't start drama on site if at all possible. Real life drama is a pain for anyone around you. Even if you're not on good terms with so-and-so, or she's wearing something awful, keep it to yourself. If you really need to vent, talk to friends later in private or write it out in a personal journal. Making drama is messy and looks trashy, which are not things we want lolita to be associated with! Besides, wouldn't you rather have fun instead of worrying about who said what? Keep that negativity far away from you!
  • Even if you're just there for the lolita events, see if there is anything else that interests you. The best way to go to a con is to get involved! Is there another subculture or genre that you're interested in? Would you like to see a panel discussing magical girls, or see Mario and Luigi perform a duet? The more you get involved, the happier you'll be with the outcome of your experience.
  • You are allowed personal space. If someone is too pushy or tries to hug you without your permission, you are allowed to tell them to stop. Don't be afraid to stand up for your personal rights. Just because you're dressed cutely does not make you a novelty for them to enjoy. I've seen people 'glomp' their favorite character without any respect for the person in the costume, which is pretty terrible. However, I was approached by the previously said guy in long black coat, who politely asked for a hug, and though bewildered, rewarded his courtesy with the hug.
  • Treat service people well. Staying at a convention can get messy and include wet towels, banana peels, late-night runs to Dunkin' Donuts, and an endless supply of fliers and receipts. Take care of your things as well as you can, like picking up after yourself. Be polite to any servers or hotel personnel, and remember to tip your maid and bellboy. For convention tipping help, click here.
  • Bring calling cards or business cards! The people you've connected with will probably want to keep up with you online. Lolita calling cards are popular right now (yes, I have some! I'll have to write about those, too!) and serve a useful function. The bare minimum you should include is your name or handle, at least one place they can find you on the internet, and perhaps a tagline about yourself, for example, 'Jane Doe, lover and sewer of lolita fashion, janedoeslivejournal.com'. Some good places for people to follow you are Livejournal, Twitter, an email, a Facebook or Myspace page, or if you sell anything, an etsy profile or web page.
A good lolita has manners that go everywhere, even to big events and places with a more unusual clientèle. If nothing else, I hope that lolitas are defined not just by their appearance, but hopefully by their best trait: 'a joy to be around'. (Like on report cards in grade school, does anyone remember the comment 'a joy to have in class'?) Even when out of her element, she does her best to be classy.

In contrast to the typical con atmosphere, I'll be at InnoSera next weekend, which is entirely populated by lolitas and doll-owners, so it will be interesting to see what that is like! Tomorrow I'm flying out to Seattle, so expect more soon!

I'd also just like to add that the Connecticon Fashion Show was a wonderful success and there will be photos along soon. I was dressed in supremely dark Gothic lolita and loved it! Plus, the last shoot for the documentary, LoliGirls, was wrapped up - ready to premiere in September!

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posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 3:41 PM 6 Comments

Monday, July 13, 2009

The Last Shoot Until The Big Day!


Sunday was a bright summer day on set with LoliGirls again! Unfortunately my camera got left at the house, but Megan from Kato Productions got some great photos :)

It was also a full day because it was our first formal meetup with all of the models for our Connecticon lolita fashion show. Over a table of cupcakes and ice water (it was really hot yesterday! As you can see I opted out of blouse and socks both) we discussed all of the logistics, from the lineup to shoe sizes to security. Schedules were coordinated and carpools arranged, and quite a few 'that's what she said' jokes were cracked. After we took measurements (with Miss Julia on tape measure and myself as secretary), we concluded our meeting.

So, want to know more about our fashion show? This year we are putting on a full-fledged lolita fashion show in the main events hall on Friday, July 31st, at 5:30 PM. Last year we only put on a panel, but there was such a demand for our return from congoers that we arranged for something a little more epic :) We'll be showcasing examples of all styles of lolita dress, including various boystyle and aristocrat. There will also be a short preview of the documentary LoliGirls: The Story Behind the Frills and Bows, and a special audience participation show. So if you're planning on coming, come dudded up so you can show off in the spotlights! If you're in Connecticut or any of the surrounding states (Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, or New Jersey) we'd love for you to come! Of course, if you're not able to make it, rest assured that I'll be covering everything for you on Lolita Charm ;)

After we closed up the meeting and filmed our commercial for the opening ceremonies (you'll see it on the big screen at CTcon!) we headed out to Blue Back Square in West Hartford for a little more on-location filming. This was the easiest shoot we've done yet - we sipped iced chai lattes (the official drink of LoliGirls' star actresses, I believe we always order them!) while the public reacted around us. We also had a special guest today, our CT lolita friend Jesi (shown above) - she taught me how to make lucky paper stars while we were on set :) I'm really glad she came with us that day, it was a lot of fun. And as usual after shooting, we retired to a nearby cafe for eats - this time at Cosi's, one of our usual haunts for a good soup and sandwich.

Sunday was the last shoot for LoliGirls until the fashion show (two weeks)! I am quite sad to be done with it so soon, we've had a lot of fun filming this movie. I really hope we get the backing to make a full-length sequel - I hope our journey doesn't end here!

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posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 12:12 PM 11 Comments

Friday, July 3, 2009

On the Set of LoliGirls: Take 2!


Thursday was another filming of the upcoming documentary LoliGirls! It was another excellent take.

We began our day at the Curiosity Shop, which is a vintage shop of all novelties. Some of the pretties we spotted included: Victorian eyeglasses, embroidered gloves, beautiful furniture, antique lockets, crazy fur stoles, and the most fantastic hats since 1920. My treasures were a pair of black leather gloves embroidered in very tiny stitches. On further inspection they were revealed to be from France. My other find was a very pretty gold and pearl crown pin that I'll wear on the lapel of my coat this winter.

Unfortunately the day was just as hot as yesterday, and the air conditioning was cut to reduce background noise. On just such a day, our saviors were fabulous iced chais! I love chai tea but usually enjoy it hot. These absolutely hit the spot with a gingerbread-nutmeg flavor. We also had takeaway from the nearby wrap and sandwich shop, supplemented by fresh cherries when returning to the studio.

At the studio everyone started unpacking lolita clothes for the next segment of the film. The above photo is the entirety of our bounty - about one quarter of each girl's wardrobe. So you can imagine how much each of us really have! It was even more expansive when we skipped over to the impromptu fashion show aspect, and realized we could clothe three girls four times in twelve distinctly different outfits. The fashion show was an absolute ball. There is nothing more fun that dressing up in your friends' clothes, everyone grappling for control of the computer to choose the next song, and stomping around perfecting your runway Clydesdale step. Of course it shortly degenerated into a dance and hula hoop party.

See what I mean?



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posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 10:45 AM 6 Comments

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Coffee and Kittens: On the Set of LoliGirls


Yesterday Miss Lumpy, Miss Julia and I attended another filming for the upcoming documentary of LoliGirls! I'll try not to give too much away about the film, but thought that you might reading a bit about the process and the experience of being a documentary subject.

Most of my work has been in photography modeling or some runway work, so it was something else all together to take direction in front of a camera. As a film maker for my amateur vlogs, I know that you sometimes take much more than you'll actually use. Or sometimes a take doesn't got the way you'd like, and thus the blooper reel is created. Nothing too crazy occurred, but I'm such a klutz on my feet, so...

We visited a coffee/teahouse in Wallingford, CT, for our set. It's a charming place called 'Coffee And...' which offers an array of sweets, pastries, and delicious teas and lattes. The day was really quite hot, so we decided to sample the chilled peach tea. I really recommend it! I'm not a big fan of iced tea but this was very delicious without being too sweet or too bitter. We also had some tasty macaroons with sprinkles, jam-filled tarts, and a scrumptious item that was two flavors of cheesecake... covered in chilled dark chocolate. If you're in the area I definitely suggest giving them a visit! The staff was very helpful to our filming endeavor as well :)

As last time we were kitted out with microphones to pick up our individual sound. Mine was strung right up the back of blouse and bustier, I felt like a marionette! Until this project I'd never realized that sound was such an important part of film, but it really does make all the difference! Even tiny background sounds can be picked up.

After filming there, we headed back to our director Kate's studio for a more formal filming. A big excitement is that she has a new kitten named Bean, who as a constant, lovable distraction!

It was also my birthday, and they surprised me (and Miss Julia, whose birthday was the week before) with pink cupcakes and icing! It was very sweet, I can't think of anything else I would have liked to do for my birthday :) Thank you everyone!

You can view more on set production photos at the LoliGirls Official Website.

And I'm happy to say that Kate has also given an interview on the film and making of it here!

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posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 1:36 PM 2 Comments

Monday, June 22, 2009

LoliGirls Trailer!

The first few clips from the previous filming are up! Personally, I am quite in love with it - Kate, our director, has done a beautiful job. Enjoy!




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posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 6:23 PM 6 Comments

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The Fairy Court


A few of the first photos from Sunday have been released! This was one of my favorites - I spotted a dragonfly in the pondweed.

Sunday was the first photoshoot for the Lolita Girls (working title) Documentary by Kate Slomkowski. Kate has an interest in lolita fashion peaked by her cousin, Miss Julia - and is also a professional documentary maker. She recently approached us, the Court, about filming us. Currently the rough draft for the documentary seems to follow a series of interviews, watching the Court in its natural habitat, and culminating at our project of the Connecticon lolita fashion show (the biggest lolita fashion production in New England). This documentary, we believe, is the first of its kind outside of Japan.

This documentary is going to be an average of ten minutes long; however, there is the possibility of submitting it to a few film festivals and looking for the backing required to fund a half-hour documentary. That would really be quite something!

We had already met with Kate informally for short, unfilmed interviews; but today we planned for a Midsummer Night Dream themed photoshoot, reality television style filming, and some one-on-one interviews about our lolita philosophies and ideals.

I got there quite early (and had to get up before six to curl my hair and apply my makeup!) and then did last-minute touch ups with Miss Lumpy and Miss Julia before the shoot (and play with Miss Molly, their beautiful long-haired calico!). Then we had individual microphones pinned under our petticoats and taped to the insides of our dresses, so that the camera crews would not miss a word between us! During the day we were being filmed by two cameras, and we also had a wonderful professional photographer. He was excellent at direction and even asked for our input or ideas for the locations! We used several different settings, including a pond, a 'magic orchard', a picnic, and a brook. To get around the 24 acres of the location we had a few wild rides on the golf cart!

It was one of the best shoots I have ever been on. Direction was excellent, the prepared backdrops were wonderful, and it wasn't at all cold (somehow, every shoot I have been on was bone-numbingly cold for the models).

I'll continue to post about the documentary as it progresses, from my point of view as one of the main subjects. But you can also read the director's blog and view her Flickr (with a few more shots from Sunday)! There is also the tiny video I shot on location.

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posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 1:44 PM 7 Comments