Strawberry Skies Interview!

Meet Manon Marguerite of Strawberry Skies! This new pop-loving indie lolita brand is coming from Australia, with plenty of fresh summery styles for you ladies down-under (wish it was summer here! 3:) Lolita Charm gives you the scoop on everything Strawberry Skies from strawberry space rangers to pink-pocky-printed dresses!

Give us some background about yourself & your lolita style (how you got interested, your favorite brand, lolita idol, etc).

My first experience of Lolita was when I went to Japan in 2006, at the time I dressed in my own, probably terrible, interpretation of FRUiTs style, but was totally blown away by Lolita and knew it was for me. I started off as a sweet Lolita and still am one, but my style these days is much more casual and mature. When I finished school, I was lucky enough to be an exchange student in Japan before I started university. This was an amazing experience, as I could spend my weekends in Harajuku and really see the fashion move. Since I have always loved making things and designing, when I came back to Australia, I decided to study fine art, majoring in fibers and textiles, which has been a great choice.

For a long time, my favorite brand was Metamorphose and I still absolutely adore Kuniki Kato’s designs, but recently I am loving Emily Temple Cute and Jane Marple too. Of course, like any sweet Lolita, I adore Angelic Pretty as well! I guess more than any one brand, I like particular designs, so it’s really hard to say which is my favorite!

Describe your style and inspiration behind Strawberry Skies.

My inspiration comes from all over the place, from other Lolita designs, to artworks, to music or things people mention. I like getting inspiration from everywhere since I’m still trying to define the Strawberry Skies ‘look’. The best ideas always come when I least expect them, so I carry a notebook around with me just in case.

If you could describe the Strawberry Skies style in five words, what would they be?

I like to think it’s ‘Lolita you can wear everyday’.

Labels: fashion, interview, shopping

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 4:20 PM 6 Comments

Candy Violet Atelier!

Vivien Hoffpauir, businesswoman and designer of Candy Violet, has long been a staple of the lolita world. Often she's been used an example of a high quality Amerian lolita brand. Previously her line mostly handled a unique system of free-standing bodices or bustiers, meant to be mixed and matched with her various skirt designs. She now takes her style up a notch to begin her new line: the Atelier Collection (currently featuring beautiful winter coats and accessories)!. She graciously agreed to a Lolita Charm interview, and gladly tells all about her dreams for Candy Violet, the styles of a Victorian-inspired winter, and the new, whimsical world of the quaintrelle.

Lolita Charm: Why did you start the Atelier Collection, in addition to the usual line of Candy Violet?

Candy Violet: I started the Atelier section to be able to out out more experimental pieces without taking the huge gamble of manufacturing the pieces on a large scale, as well as some intricate handmade items to keep things creative and interesting. My dream is to be able to have items like we currently have in the atelier section manufactured for our regular catalog, and to fill the atelier section with some really extravagant pieces that we really couldn't have mass produced. Steel panniers, corsets and gowns. The only way we can make that happen however is through strong sales of our label, supported by the community.

LC: What inspired your last line, Visions of Versailles?

CV: I've had a long time love affair with the 18th century and after a trip to Versailles in the spring I thought that might be the perfect place to start! I took inspiration directly from some of my favorite portraits of the women of Versailles. Each dress was based a famous (or infamous) Versailles belle!

LC: What inspired your current line, Stroll About Town?

CV: This one came from a coat I made last year, and one of my favorite items in our regular catalog right now, the Victorian Promenade dress set. I was thinking about Victorian walking dresses when I designed that set, and took it further for this event with all the clothing and accessories a girl might need for a stroll about town in Victorian style! This event is pretty much all the things I wished I could have released into the main catalog along with those dress sets.

LC: So, it seems that the Atelier Collection rotates on a theme. How long does on rotation last, and what can we expect to see for the next theme?

CV: These have been by season, but the future is pretty unsure right now. If the items don't sell well from this event there's a good chance there won't be a next event. Right now any possible future atelier events look like they are going to be accessories only. The clothes were in large part an experiment to see if the market was ready to spend money on high end items from a brand outside of Japan, and right now I'm not sure that they are. The sad thing is as a designer you always have to bow to the simple economics of it all when it comes to running a business. I have plans for a jewelry event next time around, but right now we'll have to wait and see.

LC: You also moderate the Livejournal community, lifestyle_lolis. What is your concept of a lolita lifestyle?

CV: That's a tough one. To me just as the fashion is about escapism and taking that old world charm and frivolity into your wardrobe, "lifestyle lolita" is about taking the same ideas but in things beyond clothes!

I don't think a "lifestyle lolita" should have to drink tea all day or follow etiquette manuals to the letter 24/7 (unless that's what she wants to do!), to me it's more about trying to bring a little old fashioned fancy into your regular life. I like to collect tea cups and drink out of those on a night when I'm winding down, but I'm still also a hardcore girl and enjoy working out to old youth crew records. To me it's about striking a balance and making your life feel as beautiful as you do if only for a few minutes a day.

I think it's personal to each lolita though, just as the fashion is. I've also recently changed the community to vie_quaintrelle to open the community up to a wider group of people who enjoy these fancy things.

LC: You’ve toyed with the name lolita before in the past, using different terms like coquette and quaintrelle to describe your fashion’s style. Can you expand on that?

CV: Basically the word "lolita" has a hard and fast meaning in the West, and it's not one that fits the style or lifestyle in my opinion. I also feel it's kind of sad when a person comes up to me and my friends on the street and asks what we are about, that there is always a one minute explanation, followed by a two minute excuse about the name. After a few qualifiers you've lost their interest. I never want to feel I need to make excuses for something I have pride in.

Coquette came from the gallants and coquettes in 18th century literature, the flirty, fashionable, and fantastically dressed young men and women who were the driving force of the fashionable scene. That one again fell short with the modern meaning that can sometimes have a negative connotation too.

Quaintrelle however is a word that perfectly describes lolita, even the stem, the word "quaint" perfectly describes the style without any bias that skews us away from the gothic or sweet style. A perfect neutral and a perfect fit!

"A 'quaintrelle' is a woman who emphasizes a life of passion expressed through personal style, leisurely pastimes, charm, and cultivation of life’s pleasures. Quaintrelles are not female Dandies; rather, they share the same philosophical underpinnings of dandies, developed within feminine nature and styles."

LC: Do you think that the term quaintrelle is different than the term lolita, and in what way?

CV: I do, it's more than lolita. It's a term that for any one who dresses in an elaborate style based on the past and enjoys a lifestyle that reflects that. I think my site Fancy Girl is a good example of what I'm shooting for. I would say lolita is a style that can be worn under the blanket label quaintrelle, as well as others like neo-historisim or natural-kei for the Japanese street fashion oriented. But the word quaintrelle is more open and means much more than just another word for lolita. It's a subculture and not just a style (like many see lolita) it's also not dependent on the whims of Japan the same way Lolita seems to be. For me as a designer it's a word I hope to operate under in a way that leaves me more open to trying new things outside of the tiny lolita style box, and one to really bring together girls who share the same outlook. I think it could make us fancy girls a stronger group! I just launched my_quaintrelle as a daily style community so every one can share and see the different looks people are creating in that same theme.

LC: What’s the best advice you could give a beginner lolita?

CV: The biggest piece of advice I would give is build a solid foundation of separates, such as dress sets and accessories, these will make a versatile wardrobe fast and on a budget. It's hard to wear one dress many ways, but if you have a lot of smaller pieces you can put together so many knockout outfits with relatively little in the closet! Be yourself, and look deeply. Look at lolita images that move you and think about what it is that speaks to you, and how you can pull that together into a lolita style that suits who you are. I think those are the biggest lessons I learned!

LC: What is your favorite Candy Violet accomplishment to date?

CV: That our garments are professionally produced. It was a huge investment and a huge risk, but it meant that we have been able to serve so many more people, and offer a consistent high quality in our pieces. I think everything I did up to that point was building to that.

Want to support the Stroll About Town Atelier Collection? Click here!

Labels: interview, shopping

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 1:11 PM 6 Comments

Pink Macaroon!

Adorable chihuahuas. Bright pink hair. Unicorn prints. What do all of these things have in common?

They're all hallmarks of Sarah Ruth, the creative mind behind an up-and-coming American lolita brand.

When I saw the first print of this new brand, I knew that I had to have some pretty unicorns for myself! And I knew that you, my wonderful readers, would love to hear more about the girl behind the fabric! So without further ado, I set out to find what really makes Pink Macaroon tick.

Lolita Charm: Tell us something about yourself - locale, interest in fashion, etc.
Pink Macaroon: I live in California with my husband and work full time in the fashion industry. I also as a freelance children's shoe designer for "Livie & Luca".
I adore all kinds of fashion, particularly children's clothing and vintage and historical clothing. My hobbies include crafting, traveling, hiking, karaoke, going out to dinner with my friends, and walking my chihuahua Mae.

LC: How did you get into lolita?

PM: My love affair with Lolita fashion began in the summer of 2001. It was during my first trip to Japan, and having read the "Fruits" fashion book I was very eager to visit Harajuku and see all the colorful street fashion. I was overjoyed by the creativity of Japanese fashion, it was very inspirational. At the time, I did not have a concept of what lolita was, but when I saw loli's on the streets in Sunday in their finest, it was like love at first sight! Later in the trip I visited a bookstore and saw a peculiar magazine on the shelf. It was volume 5 of the "Gothic and Lolita Bible". I bought it right away and had my boyfriend translate every article. I have been hooked ever since!

Starting the fashion has been amazing experience. It helped me meet so many wonderful people in my area and abroad who have become valued friends. It's also given me the opportunity to work for great "for lolita" organizations "Cosplay Oneesan", and model in two Angelic Pretty US fashion shows.

LC: What style of Lolita are you interested in and why?

PM: I particularly enjoy sweet lolita style. It is the style I dress in most often. It's difficult to express what exactly draws me too it. The color palette perhaps? Lovely light pastels, mints, colors that remind you of candies and toys. Or maybe just that sweet lolita refuses to take itself too seriously? I admire that there is nothing it will not do, no boundary it will not push. From the tasteful into the ridiculous, sweet lolita touches on them all at one point or another. It's hard not to feel happy or care free in such outlandish clothing.

As I've gotten older I have gravitated more to classic & country lolita styles. With country lolita I love the berry motifs, the straw bonnets, and the look like you are walking into a picnic. It's a very, very charming and natural look, great for going outdoors. With classic I enjoy the historical silhouettes and feminine styling which I have found often transition easier into a daily wardrobe.

Really though I enjoy all the styles of lolita. I think it's fun to dress in each different one depending on your mood or event. I have friends who dress in all styles, and I always look forward to seeing what outfits they come up with.

LC: What made you decide to start your label, Pink Macaroon?

PM: I graduated in 2007 with a BFA in fashion design, and currently work in the apparel industry. This has experience has given me a passion for clothing and an intimate knowledge of its construction. While I love my full time job, I wanted a side project where I could utilize my skills to execute designs for a personal label. Lolita has been such an influence on my life, that I want to pay homage to it by reinterpreting it in my own way. Pink Macaroon is the fruition of that dream.

LC: Why did you choose the name Pink Macaroon for your label?

PM: In the spirit of sweets and alternative flavors, came the name Pink Macaroon. Not to be confused with the French macaron, Pink Macaroon is in reference to the delicious coconut and almond pastries found in bakeries and even grocery stores. I'm a huge fan of sweets in general and like coconut and almond flavors which are the typical flavors of the Macaroon.

While the Macaroon is not often one of the most decorated of sweets, its flavor and the retro kitchy-ness associated with them make it an interesting sweet. It's original and quirky, and I rarely hear of a person disliking their taste! The "pink" part of the name came because pink has become such an indispensable part of my identity (as my friends can attest) it had to be added somewhere. ^-^

LC: You say your label is a lifestyle brand. Could you expand on this?

PM: I would like to think of this new label as a "Sweet Lolita lifestyle brand", to have it embody the values and aesthetic of lolita culture and style. A "By a lolita, for lolita" label so to speak. Many of us are drawn to the fashion for very similar reasons. We all have a unique take on life that has shaped not only our fashion but our community as a whole. Lolita is such an interesting and multifaceted fashion movement, and I want this line to be a celebration of Sweet Lolita commonality and interests. For example, the feedback so far on unicorn fantasy has been interesting. Many people have easily guessed the inspiration for the print and were pleased with its sources. I am beyond happy to hear this feedback, and wish to keep producing prints that touch on themes that lolis love and have in common.

LC: What do you want your customers to get out of your brand?

PM: My ultimate goal is to provide a beautiful, unique, and high quality products that my customers can love and enjoy as they would any other lolita brand. I want them to enjoy what they wear and feel special every time they put on a garment or accessory. I am very happy to have the opportunity to finally be realizing this dream.

LC: What was your inspiration for your new line, Unicorn Fantasy?

PM: I wanted to create a print that would relate easily to what lolitas love but would fill a needed void. Bunnies, Cakes, and Carousel horses, are all motifs I adore, but other brands have addressed them beautifully. I thought that unicorns were a fun fantasy creature that seemed so very, very sweet loli, but no brand had ever used directly for inspiration. The actual print design was a mix of many things that I liked growing up, and many lolis still love today! My Little Pony figures, the Last Unicorn movie (which I have seen at least a thousand times!), and Lisa Frank trapper keepers (the 1980's trapper keepers in bright colors with unicorns, horses, leopards etc). The color in the print keeps to the candy themes of sweet loli so it can be mixed and matched in a variety of coordinates. I also wanted to create a print that could have a matching plushie bag. I'm addicted to stuffed animal bags. ^_^

LC: What sort of motifs would you like to work with in future?

PM: Many are already in the works. Some motifs that may arrive in the future are, a "Lolita meets Marie Antoinette" print, a bunka doll print, a Siamese twin print, and a circus poodle print. I would also like to work with more pink and black motifs, as well as sweet patterns with spring colors and white backgrounds. More then anything, I would like my motifs to reflect the interest of the lolis wearing them so I will keep an eye out for what motifs are really desired and missing and create around this.

LC: What sort of items are you interested in producing in future?

PM: Certainly more printed goods! I would also love to get into cutsews as they are such functional items, and a valuable part of a wardrobe. One item I am very excited about that will be produced in the near future are acrylic plastic necklaces cut in various adorable Loli-specific motifs. Recommendations for new items are always more then welcome!

Labels: interview, shopping

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 7:55 AM 1 Comments