We joined the Crow Collection of Asian Art Museum Fashion Show once again this year for their "Japanese Street Fashion Inspired" Fashion Show and Costume Contest. This ranges from Lollita and anime all the way through "Original Character" creations such as our Steampunk Personas. Steampunk fashion is less common than straight anime in Japanese street fashion, but it does exist in a very visible way and is ever present in their art, comics, and anime. The show was judged on quality and attention to detail in the "costume" (we actually consider this to be just being ourselves and our work clothes are actually what we think of as a costume, but in this setting the term is used as one of respect for carefully crafted special attire) and overall presentation on the runway.
The crow Collection Museum site described the show like this: "Cosplay, or costume play, is popular in Japan where enthusiasts dress as their favorite anime, video game, or fictional characters. Join fellow anime-lovers, Harajuku Girls, and comic book fashionistas for this Japanese street fashion inspired show including the winners of our Next Top Cosplay Model competition!"
We purposely wore fabrics and styles that were more Japanese street fashion inspired for the show, and this was apparently appreciated since we won the Grand Prize for the show.
Radha is wearing her "An Octopus Ate My Dessert" skirt which is a special custom print with octopus tentacles being very "cute" with a dessert in each one, that was cut and sewn in Lollita style along with waist cincher, parasol, and other accents in an overall medium blue color base.
I tried to use similar color base wearing a Hakima styled pair of wrap pants in a Japanese print and a very Japanese Visual Kei style vest along with my characters other normal accents such as lightweight (we are sailors after all) partial armor with extensive embossing and decorative work.
The runner up is standing to the right of me in the group lineup photo dressed as one of the bosses from Final Fantasy 10.
There were many other wonderful outfits, and, most importantly, everyone had fun performing or watching, so we will definitely do it again next year!
http://www.crowcollection.org/event_view.aspx?date=6/17/2011
