My Weekend at Hyper Japan – July 2014

So, as you know I went to this year’s Hyper Japan event. I’ve been to Hyper Japan a few times now over the last few years and always look forward to it. Hyper Japan has Cosplay, gaming, traditional Japanese music, theatre, martial arts, art, food, etc as well as popular culture like J-Pop, street fashion, cute plushies, collectable toys and figures, anime, manga and more. What I didn’t tell you before though is that I was picked as one of the models to take part in the fashion show but I will write more about this in a different post.

http://hyperjapan.co.uk/

Friday:

My Friday involved a mad rush once I arrived in London as I needed to get to the event so I could have a fitting for the fashion show later that day. The whole thing was chaos, I will explain more in my next post. After the fitting I had roughly an hour to wonder around the event, I checked out the stalls, picked up a guide leaflet, felt nervous and then had to go backstage for the fashion show. I took part in the last fashion show of the day which was modelling the Japanese brand Spinn’s clothing, it had a sailor moon theme. I then managed to look at a few more stalls before the event closed and that was Friday over.

Saturday:

Saturday I wasn’t needed for modelling so I had a whole day to myself. I arrived at the event for about 10am and got straight in. I visited the Love JoJo stall as she was running an event through facebook where the first 30 people who visited her could get a free squishy. I had tried on the Friday but was too late, luckily today she had two left so I got this cute purple macaroon. Isn’t it cute! I also to hug one of the many large Alpaca plushies she was selling, so cute and soft, but I managed to resist buying it – I have too many cute fluffy things.

I had a look at some of the stalls before heading over to the Fringe Stage to catch the awesome Japanese rock band Broken Doll. Broken Doll also has their own cute handmade accessories brand and are well known with the street fashion scene.

https://www.facebook.com/BrokenDollJapan

There’s a wonderful article here by Tokyo Fashion that can fill you in with all the details:
http://tokyofashion.com/broken-doll-japan/

I was so happy when I saw that Broken Doll were appearing at Hyper Japan and they didn’t disappoint.

I liked them so much I bought their album too from the JPU Records stand. Even better than that they were giving away a free Vamps poster with every purchase so I got a free poster too! Vamps are awesome.

I then watched a little bit of ‘HIROKI, The Masked Ninja Story’ on the main stage before heading to get some lunch, he was showing off some amazing martial arts skills. Deciding what to have took a while and some of it was rather pricey. Although some of the queues were long they soon moved but certain items has already sold out before the main lunchtime rush. I realised mid-eating it that I’d forgotten to take a photo and it was also time for the Innocent World and PUTOMAYO fashion show over on the Hyper Kawaii stage. I made a mad dash for it but sadly missed the start. I still got to see the lovely fashions though as the models all lined up at the end but I didn’t get any photos – sorry! Here’s my lovely meal though, it was super yummy! I think it was Chicken Katsu with rice and a Japanese sauce (Sorry its partly eaten)and I got a bottle of green tea to go with it as it was on offer if purchased with food. The total cost was £5.50 which wasn’t bad and it was quite filling. They always have a good choice of food options at Hyper Japan.

The Gothic and Lolita Special Stage event followed on from the brand show. This fashion show involved letting Japanese street fashion wearers from the UK show off their individual style on the catwalk (they were chosen online from images they submitted). They all looked amazing! Again I couldn’t get proper photos as I was still trying to eat and the few I did take didn’t come out well 😦 here they are anyway:

After this I visited the lolita Bring and Buy stall and checked out all the stalls in the Kawaii area and the Fringe Market. I bought this gorgeous unicorn necklace from Glitterbomb.

I also had a good chat with the lovely ladies from ShinkuRose who create beautiful handmade lolita dresses. So pretty! They also had their new print design on show which was interesting as I had seen the photos online but couldn’t decide about it. It’s really lovely in real life though, it was nice to be able to see the finer details.

https://www.facebook.com/Shinkurose

Next up was J-Rock band ONE NOT’E on the Fringe Stage. Ah, the singer is so cute! They are also really good live, I like their sound. They don’t have much up online yet so I really didn’t know what to expect but they are awesome! It was their first live ever as they have literally only just formed, no idea why they made their debut here but I’m glad they did. I just hope they come back again soon!

ONE NOT’E Website: http://one-not-e.com/

Not long after that the event closed so we all had to leave for an hour. Due to queue issues last year Hyper Japan decided to implement a different system this time where the Saturday would be in two halves. I was doubtful about how well that would work but it went really smoothly. Having to go stand outside in the boiling hot sun for around 30mins in full lolita and wig wasn’t fun, though at least it wasn’t raining. I did start to feel rather ill and a bit dizzy/faint but luckily they let a load of us in after 30mins or so to stand in the main entrance of the building which has air con so I felt better then. They then re-opened the doors promptly at 3:15pm.
On returning inside I went to buy water (£1.50 a bottle!) and sit down for a little while until I felt better and then I went to visit all the Japan travel related stalls. I picked up lots of flyers and leaflets, all the staff were very helpful. There are all sorts of organised trips including some aimed at the more pop-culture and anime side as well as the traditional but it’s so hard to decide what’s best when going to Japan is so expensive. I really hope I do get to go one day though. Here’s the pile I collected:

I then went to watch the COSparade on the main stage, it was so busy I couldn’t get a decent view to take photos. There were some awesome Cosplays though including a super cute tiny Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Penguin from Batman, Link and amazing Gundam cosplayer. I then wondered around the more traditional stalls and briefly visited the gaming section before heading back to the stage for Siro-A. I was very happy to see they were back at Hyper Japan, their show is so clever and really good fun. You can view their stuff online and they are doing some live shows here in London towards the end of the year. I highly recommend them. They also spend all their time around their stand interacting with people, handing out flyers and posing for photos which I think is really nice.

https://www.facebook.com/SiroAUK
I then headed across to the Hyper Kawaii stage for the Aymmy in the Batty Girls brand fashion show which I actually got photos of!

I then dashed back across to the main stage and caught the end of ‘DEN Entertainment: THE SAKE’ performance which seemed interesting but sadly I missed the beginning so I was a bit confused about what was going on. I then took a seat nearer the front and waited for ONE NOT’E to come and do their set on the main stage. Sadly the sound balance wasn’t quite as clear on the main stage which is a shame but they were still good! So that was then end of my Saturday.

Sunday:

I was needed for the Spinns fashion show at the end of the day again so I didn’t manage to do much on Sunday. I caught The Creation of a New Robot Era talk on the main stage, the little robot, who I believe is called Robi, was so cute! I’d so have one. I checked the bring and buy again, chatted to a few people, visited stalls, saw a bit of the Dragon Gate wrestling, Siro-A again and then watched a bit of the karaoke contest final on the Hyper Kawaii stage before heading back stage. I then spent my time there and did the fashion show before getting changed and making a mad dash to catch ONE NOT’E again on the Fringe Stage. They sounded great and afterwards I managed to get a photo with them, happy! The photo is unfortunately a bit blurry, that’s what happens when you need to rely on kind strangers to take a photo for you though. Ah well. And that was the end of my Hyper Japan.

Random Photos of the Weekend:

Quick Update – Blogging Issues!

Hello Everyone, I hope you are all doing well!

I’m currently writing up my Hyper Japan blog posts but my camera has broken and wordpress is playing up for me too – typical! So it’s going to take me a little while to get it all sorted. Bear with me, it’s not far off!

Here’s a photo of Totoro at Hyper Japan to help you pass the time:

Outfit Shot – Hyper Japan (Saturday)

This is my co-ord for Hyper Japan on the Saturday. I decided to wear Bodyline as it’s a convention so there’s lots of food, kids, cosplayers (painted people/objects), heat, etc and I don’t want to spoil any of my clothes, hence also choosing black.

Apologises for the bad photos, the lighting in Earls Court is not great.

Bow – Bodyline dress bow
Wig – Coserstudio on ebay
Blouse – Bodyline
JSK – Bodyline Ice Cream print
White Underskirt – Peacockalorum
Wrist Cuffs – Peacockalorum
Necklace – Claire’s
Bag – Loris
Rings – Pink bow from New Look (I think), Ice cream scoop from BubbleGumCandyCane on etsy, Cupcake from local art gallery shop.
Ankle Socks – Primark
Shoes – Bodyline

Hyper Japan Outfit Plans – sneak peek

Hello Everyone,

I had hoped to get a blog post done today of a review from buying from Glitzy Wonderland but I don’t have time so I will do it after Hyper Japan. It’s Hyper Japan tomorrow, exciting! If any of you are going and spot me please say hi! I would love to meet some of my blog readers in person. Here’s a quick look of what I should roughly be wearing on which day to help you out.

Friday:

Saturday:

Sunday:

Hope you all have a great weekend whatever you get up to!

Peacockalorum – Review

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Peacockalorum

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Peacockalorum

I have bought a few items from Peacockalorum over time but thought I would review them together rather than as individual transactions. All items are hand-crafted here in the UK and can be bought from etsy or over facebook.You can also place custom orders too, just send her a message to discuss things.

Wrist Cuffs.

I now own 4 pairs of wrist cuffs by Peacockalorum. She produces them in different fabrics and in a huge range of colours, plus you can order custom ones too so they can match your co-ords. Prices range from about £6 – £8 excluding postage depending on design and materials etc.

 

They are always really nicely made and very pretty. I intend buying some more very soon and loads of other lolitas also regularly buy wrist cuffs there too which is a testament to how great they are. Postage is always really prompt, if what you want will take longer she will usually give you an idea of what time frame you can expect. I bought all mine over facebook, I talked to her in a message and she sent an invoice to my paypal for me to pay.

 

This last pair of cuffs were not quite as fancy as the others as she had been away and didn’t see my message so as I wanted them for a meet urgently she used what she had. They still looked nice when worn with the rest of my co-ord.

Headbow.

I ordered one of her Alice Bow’s in pink and white.

Stock Photo:

My photos:

The bow was sent in a small clear packet. It’s really large and I think is supposed to be worn flat on the top of your head. I wore it more upright though with my co-ord for S-Con. The bow is on a simple metal hairband, its just through the loop so you could put it on a different hair band if you wanted, it also means you can position it as you want. It’s really nicely made and very sturdy. The Alice Bow costs £8.

White Ruffle Underskirt.

This was a custom made item but is very similar to the Sweet Lolita Ruffle Skirt that she sells. I wanted it a certain length to go under my JSK and stated the waist size that I wanted. She answered all the questions I had, told me how much it would be and how long she would need to make it then sent an invoice. It got to about the time that she said it would be finished but I hadn’t heard anything so I needed to send an email to chase it up. She replied straight away though and said it was finished and would be sent the following day so it wasn’t an issue.

It’s exactly the right length and really nicely made. It’s much fuller than it looks in the photos, my petticoat easily fits under it plus it was the perfect length for under my JSK. I’ve shown the inside of the skirt too in the last photo to show the finish. I think it cost me £35 which is a pretty good price, I couldn’t find anything else as nice in the same price bracket so I definately recommend her underskirts.

Update – Reviews and Hyper Japan Incoming

Hello lovely blog followers, I hope you are enjoying the nice sunny warm days we have been having. Hopefully those of you not in the UK are having nice weather too!

You will probably have noticed that I’m posting a lot of reviews currently, there are still lots more to come. Unfortunately I got a bit back dated with them so I really want to get them all uploaded and then I will move on to different Japanese style introductions, events and other things. Also all the items I’m reviewing are items I have bought as a customer. They are not free items, items from friends businesses or items I am reviewing on behalf of companies. They are genuine reviews to help give people input and advice about different companies or products. Also they document my personal opinions and experiences so again always bear that in mind when trying to decide where to buy.

I’m going to Hyper Japan at the end of the month which should be lots of fun. They have a much larger Kawaii fashion section this time and all sorts of models coming from Japan so I should be able to bring you all sorts of lovely pretty and cute things.
You should check out the website for more details: http://hyperjapan.co.uk/
I’m hopefully trying some slightly different styles (non-lolita) for Hyper Japan including trying to customise and make some stuff. I really hope it all goes to plan and I can share something a bit different with you all 🙂

I hope some of you manage to get to Hyper Japan, I think they are running a Christmas event this year too if you can’t make the summer one. Until then, keep kawaii!

Lockshop Wigs Lucky Pack – Review

A while ago Lockshop Wigs put together some lucky packs, I think it was because they were moving to a new location so the more stock they sell, the less they need to move. Hopefully they will do them again in the future, they seemed very popular.

http://lockshopwigs.com/

The lucky packs came in 4 choices, Lights, Darks, Bright/Un-natural Colours and Surprise Me. I opted for surprise me as I already had quite a few darker wigs, light colours don’t always suit me and I have a few un-naturals too so I just couldn’t decide what was best. The lucky packs all contained at least 2 wigs and 2 accessories that had a value of at least €75 in total. The random surprise me pack was also cheaper than the others at €49,95 (roughly £41) rather than €54,95 – I guess because you are happy to take whatever.

 

I’d never bought from them before but it was easy to use the website and I paid with paypal. Shipping was quite expensive even though they are also in Europe, it cost me €12,75 which is roughly £11. The advantage though is because they are also in Europe at least I didn’t need to worry about customs. The full amount with shipping was €61,65 (roughly £52). I recieved an email confirming and thanking me for my order. The lucky pack was sent via tracked delivery, they emailed you the code when it was dispatched so you had an idea of when to expect it.

It arrived in a standard plastic postage packet. Inside was a lockshop bag which contained all the items and was taped up, a business card and a print out care sheet for looking after your wigs.

Here are the items I got in my pack:

Bob Wig: Pastel Raindrops Bob Lavender & Mint

Stock photo:

Wig:

The wig came inside a bag with card around it to give extra protection during shipping. It’s pretty pastel lavender and mint, colours are the same as the stock photo. It seemed to shed a little bit but is really soft and quite thick and full. It’s also shaped really nicely though one side seemed to be more curled under than the other. The wig was in the sale on the website at the time of the luckypacks for €21,56 (roughly £19).
Worn Photos:
Like usual I just gave it a light shake and stuck it on my head without styling etc so you can see how it comes. I tried parting it both ways to see how it looked having more pink or mint around my face. The wig has a straight across fringe which is too long for me as it is. Look how nicely its shaped at the back though! Plus I also took the last pic in better daylight to show the colour off better.

Although its a pretty wig it just doesn’t work on me. I don’t know if its the colour’s, the fact its a split or because its a bob. I won’t be keeping it but only because it doesn’t suit me.

Long Wig: Silky Straight Royal Brown

Stock photo:

I believe this is the correct one, unfortunately it doesn’t say so I had to guess. I’m fairly certain I’m correct though.

Wig:

This wig also came in a bag with card around it. It’s super long, sleek and straight, is a really natural colour and has a parting down the middle. It is however very thin, they have a statement on their site saying its the perfect thickness for the length but personally I would have liked it a bit thicker.

Worn photos:

Like with the other I just gave it a light shake and stuck it on my head without styling etc so you can see how it comes. It’s so long I had problems trying to get it all in shot. Also it’s so long and has a long fringe which I was having trouble keeping out the way – I felt a bit like cousin Itt, lol. The last photo is in better daylight again to show the colour.

In the end I gave up and added a clip on the fringe which I think helps show the wig off better:

I love this wig! I loved having such long hair and the colour is really nice as its not too dark or light. It also didn’t seem to tangle or fluff up much either, though I didn’t have it on very long. I can’t wait to wear it out! The price on the website at the time was €32,95 (just over £27).

Headband: Studs & Roses Headband

Stock photo:

Headband pics:

This headband features pink roses and metal spikes on a black band. It seems sturdy and well constructed, wasn’t too tight on my head which is good. The only downside is that the flowers seem a bit cheap, they are made of scratchy fabric and are quite flat which is a shame. From a distance you wouldn’t be able to tell though. The price on the website at the time was €16,95 (roughly £15).

Tights: Royal Ribbon Tights

Stock photo:

Tights:

The tights came in this packet with care instructions. I won’t be keeping the tights as they don’t really go with anything I own and I can’t imagine they will fit me. I did open the packet to feel them as people had commented on how nice they felt. They are really smooth and silky feeling, the print is really clear and crisp (from what I can tell). I’ve heard good things about their tights from other people too. Price at the time was €16,50 (around £14).

 

Sum up:
My lucky pack cost €49,95 and I paid €12.75 in shipping bringing the full total I spent to €62.70. The contents were worth €87.96 though so even with shipping added in its still worth more than I spent. Lucky packs are a gamble but they are fun at the same time, waiting for them to arrive and seeing what you got is exciting. Lockshop are highly rated for their good quality so I knew even if I didn’t like my items I should be able to sell them on fairly easy. Also as I’m in to various styles and love wigs I wasn’t too fussy about what colours I would end up with which also helped. Overall I am happy with my lucky pack, its great value for money and Lockshop are great to buy from.

Little Booteek – Review

Website: http://www.littlebooteek.co.uk
I recently came across the company Little Booteek online while searching for Cupcake Cult items. I love the name of the business, it’s so cute. They sell mostly gothic/punk/alternative items but Cupcake Cult and Luv Bunny’s (by Poizen Industries) do some super cute and kitsch items which I think can work for some Japanese Street Fashions. The price of items is really reasonable and they have never ending deals, offers, giveaways, etc on their facebook page too.
https://www.facebook.com/littlebooteek1?ref=hl
Little Booteek held a sale recently so I eventually had an excuse to purchase some items, birthday money and a lack of Cupcake Cult items = excuse to shop. I placed my order through their website and paid with paypal, it was all straight forward and easy to use. Their site sometimes bugs a bit for me but I think that’s more down to my security software than their page. I ordered late on the 21st June and received a confirmation email about my order the following day. I saw a post on the facebook warning that the dispatch time could be slower than normal due to how busy they are with sale orders. On the 28th June I got an email confirming my order had been dispatched and it arrived on the 30th.

They state on the website that dispatch time can be between 7-10 days or sooner if items are in stock. I paid £3.99 for shipping and it was sent via Royal Mail recorded delivery which means it’s signed for making it more secure and safe.

The items arrived in a standard plastic postage packet (I don’t have photos of opening as I arrived home really late so it was too dark). Inside the items were each in a plastic packet and then there was a cute note, freebie and envelope included too. I think the note adds a nice personal touch to your order, most companies just send the order info. The freebies included were nail foils, apparently they regularly include some form of free gift with your order, isn’t that nice! The envelope contained a cute Little Booteek logo keyring and loyalty card with a sticker and full terms and conditions printed on a flyer. These little touches make it much more personal and were such a nice surprise. It made the whole order feel special and really brightened my mood after the long draining day that I’d had at work. I would definitely buy from them again.

Stock photo of the nails, I think mine are of the purple fairy at the bottom left.

So, here are the actual items I bought. I may as well review them too.
***I tried to take some worn photos but they didn’t come out well so I will try and get better ones soon and update the post, sorry****

 

LB List Top by Luv Bunny – Review

The top is very long, could possibly wear it as a short dress with thick leggings. The fabric is nice and soft and quite stretchy. I could probably have done with a slightly smaller size, so much emo/scene type clothing runs small so I usually order a size or so larger but surprisingly this is truer to size. The sleeves are longer than usual and have a hole in so you can wear them over your hand and poke your thumb through. They are much longer than you need them though so if you didn’t want to wear it that way they would totally cover your hands. Not a big issue, just makes it slightly annoying to wear. Also even though it has straps at the top it still feels like the top is slipping down, this could be because it’s a bit big on me though so it probably doesn’t fit quite like it should. It is really nice, great for slightly cooler days, though your shoulders will feel cold. I like the cute touch of adding the bunny ears on the back, pink bows and paw prints on the pockets. I really like the fact it has pockets, it’s an unusual feature to find on ladies tops and dresses, they aren’t very big but it’s nice to have some even if just to put tissues or your hands in.

 

Dart Time Dress by Cupcake Cult – Review

Like with the top I ordered this in a size bigger than I would usually and it fits perfectly. It’s supposed to be the same size as the top though, I wish ladies clothing would follow actual sizing rules, it’s so hard to know what size to buy, especially when ordering online. Anyway, it fits nicely and is of thicker fabric. The fabric is not very stretchy though so getting it on and off due to the design is a bit difficult. My only other criticism is that it’s quite straight. If you are nice and thin its fine but if you have larger hips it clings around them and distorts the bottom of the dress slightly. You can even see it in the stock photo, and she is much thinner than me. I know I’m being picky as its not overly noticeable, it’s just if it got a bit wider towards the bottom it wouldn’t happen. The print is rubbery so I fear it will crack over time, may be hard to wash and because it feels slightly sticky tiny bits of fluff and dust cling to it. Again its not a major issue but could easily have been avoided if they used a different print type. Also the very top part of the dress bulks up a bit on the back and doesn’t sit very smooth. However, I love the design of the print, the colours, dress design, bows and again it has pockets! The dress is really comfy to wear and overall fits nicely, I also love the fact it’s a bit longer and doesn’t only just about cover your bum like a lot of clingy alternative style dresses do.

 

Sum Up:

Little Booteek – are awesome, can’t fault them at all.

Clothing – super cute designs but not 100% executed. The items aren’t the best fit and the actual design of them creates a few flaws with being able to wear them comfortably. I also worry about how well the print will wear. Also sizing is a bit all over the place. All my faults are small though so I’d score them 4 out of 5.