Interview with lolita Damien

I asked Damien to tell me a little more about himself and Lolita and a lovely story came out of that!

What is your name and how old are you?

My name is Damiën and I'm 24 years old.

Can you tell my readers something about what lolita is?

Lolita is a Japanese street fashion inspired primarily by the clothing and general aesthetics of the Rococo and Victorian periods. This fashion movement started in Japan in the 1980’s and has evolved greatly since.

Do you have a lolita character and what is his/her name?

I don't have a lolita character. When I wear lolita I'm just being myself.
So, I'm still called Damiën, while in lolita or not.

What does lolita mean to you?

For me lolita isn't only about the fashion either, but it has changed me in so many ways. Much more than I could have ever imagined. Lolita made me come out of my shell more, and I have met the most amazing people thanks to this fashion style. I can't imagine my life without my friends, and I hope we will be friends for a very long time, even when we don't wear lolita anymore. I have gotten more self-esteem and more secure about myself due to lolita. As for lolita itself, I fell in love with the details, the frills and design of the dresses. Not looking like any random teenager, but wearing a more unique fashion style. You can show elegance, beauty and class in gothic lolita, or, look very cute, playful and colorful in sweet lolita. And I also feel comfortable while wearing it ♥ I wouldn't want to miss this for anything in the world!

Where do you think lolita is heading?

I'm not sure, but the styles have become more over the top than it used to be in the beginning. When I started with this fashion style nobody was wearing any wigs, and every style looked much more toned down than it is now. Now a lot of people are wearing wigs with their lolita outfits and most outfits aren't toned down anymore.

What got you into lolita originally?

I came across the lolita fashion at the time I dicovered manga and ball jointed dolls. I fell in love with the clothing because it was cute and not a regular fashionstyle. I always loved to dress differently from most of the people and I felt this was the perfect style for me because I loved how the dresses looked with all the frills and bows on it.

What inspires your costumes, do you make them yourself and how long does it take to create them?

I don't make my outfits myself. I buy them from stores or I commission an outfit. How long a commission will take to finish depends on the design and if the designer isn't too busy. My lolita friends are the ones who inspire me the most, because everyone has their own style, and always look incredible.

Do you see a difference between the lolita culture in the Netherlands and the rest of the world?

I myself haven't seen big differences between the Netherlands and the rest of the world.

Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about you or lolita?

Don't let anyone hold you back from wearing this wonderful fashionstyle. Everyone is able to wear it, boy, girl, short or tall. If I can do it, everyone can. It's a great way to express yourself and be creative with coordinating an outfit. So, let's be creative together!

Thank you Damien for taking the time to do this interview.

Interview with Steampunker Constance Bashford

I have asked Constance Bashford to tell me a little more about herself and Steampunk and a lovely story came out of that!

Here it is:

What is your name and how old are you?
My character is Constance Bashford and I (ánd my character ;-)) am 28 y/o.

Can you tell my readers something about what Steampunk is?
Honestly I think everyone has a different opinion om whát Steampunk is...
For me it's reliving and era that has never been. There is no electricity, only steampowered machines and handcraft. In clothing you can see a lot of Victorian influences, but really you can make just about anything "Steampunk". 
Picture zeppelins, corsets on women, gallant men and picknicks in the park. And don't forget the guns!

Do you have a Steampunk character and what is her name?
Yes I do. In fact, no one knows the identity behind the character!

What does Steampunk mean to you?
 Basically what I said as answer to question 2. I would like to add that what I love about Steampunk is that you can create anything yourself and it's so much to create your own look and outfits. For instance, I really love Lolita ánd Steampunk. What do I do, I combine the two and wear Lolipunk. Dressing up is so much fun and I love the general look of Steampunk. It can be so classy, especially on the gents. 

Where do you think Steampunk is heading?
Seeing as many artists (Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber) get steampunk inspired videoclips, I would say it will become a bit more popular, though I don't know if that's the right kind of popularity we need...
Eventually the media interest will get smaller and smaller and everything will be as before. For me personally it means quite a lot, and I am not near being done with it. In facy, I am in the process of steampunkin' my own house.

What got you into Steampunk to begin with? 
Hmm, that's a hard question....I think it kinda sneaked its way into my brain. I've always love "tinkering" (which would be the Steampunk word for building things, handcrafting, etc.) and I love Steampunk/Victorian themed movies. When I went to my first event (Elf Fantasy Fair Haarzuilens 2009) I remember seeing this Steampunk girl and I was like... I WANT THAT!! And luckily my boyfriend loves it too, so we're in it together!

What inspires your costumes, do you make them yourself and how long does it take to create them?
Unfortunately I can't sow. So the clothes I wear are bought or I have others make them for me. The props I make myself and love to do so. What inspires me are things like movies (for instance Sucker Punch), stuff I find on the internet and random stuff that comes out of my brain.

Do you see a difference between the Steampunk culture in the Netherlands and the rest of the world?
Yes! There is a huge difference! In the USA for instance, you see a lot of huge chest/shoulder/arm pieces in heavy chunks of leather and lots of stuff glued onto them. In the Netherlands we hardly see that kind of stuff.

Is there anything else you would like my readers to know about you or Steampunk?
I would like to say that anything is possible within the Steampunk genre. You don't need the standard goggles, steamwings or guns that everyone else wears to be a Steampunker. Just be who you want to be. You don't want to be like the rest.

Thank you Constance for taking the time to do this interview.

The first picture was taken by Chopen. The second picture by Eric Oaktree.



  

Creep

I wish I was special, but I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo, what the hell am I doing here, I don't belong here.

These are the lyrics of the song Creep by Radiohead, THE song of my local bar back in the late 90s. I went there twice a week and had a blast.
What did I do?, you may ask. Well, just sat, drank and smoked. Oh and the occasional shot of pool. Other than that, nothing much really. But we didn't care, as long as we were away from our parents and we could be ourselves.
You see, that bar was a bar where only alternative people came. We didn't like it when people called us that, but basically that's what we were. Not belonging, being creeps. And it was the best time ever (at that time at least haha)

I used to write poetry and when I look at it now (yes I still kept the journals) I realise I was a lost soul, someone who didn't really belong, a creep. And it made me into the person I am today.

I am thankful for that time, I am thankful for those people who took me in as one of their own. I am thankful that I could be me, a creep.

No matter what people say, always stay true to yourself, even if it makes you feel left out.
Because somewhere there is that group just like mine that take you as the person that you are..... a creep.

When you were here before
Couldn't look you in the eye
You're just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry
You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
I wish I was special
You're so fucking special
But I 'm a creep
I 'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here

I don't care if it hurts
I want to have control
I want a perfect body
I want a perfect soul
I want you to notice
When I'm not around
You're so fucking special
I wish I was special

But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here

She's running out again
She's running out
She run, run, run run
Run

Whatever makes you happy
Whatever you want
You're so fucking special
I wish I was special
But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here
I don't belong here.

How did I

..... become involved with the scene?

Well there is a nice story! It was the beginning of 2008 and my friend, Sanne (from Atelier Phantasma & Helena) asked me if I wanted to go to the Elf Fantasy Fair in Haarzuilens, near Utrecht, The Netherlands. It is the biggest fantasy event in the Netherlands and I think the biggest outdoor fantasy event of Europe.

Ever since I was a little girl I always had an interest in dragons, vampires and skulls, so I didn't have to think long about wether or not to attend! YES of course! But I didn't want to go in my regular clothing, so I went through my closet and found some clothes to wear :-)
Since I didn't want to use my own hair, I started to search for a wig. This was also the beginning of my company, Hairs4u2! (so thank you, Sanne for inviting me!)

Here is me:
















Well I think we only went one day (can't even remember haha) and I had a blast! I was amazed at all the people that walked around in their costumes and I was even more amazed at how often I was asked if they could take a picture of me! (Still can't believe it haha, since the costumes I wear now are WAY more advanced haha).
But that was the beginning for me to go to these events more often :-) The next one was Castlefest, in Lisse, The Netherlands. The second largest fair of the Netherlands.
Again I went with Sanne, and we went one day.

I had my mother make me a skirt, bought another wig, even had special vampire teeth! And again we had a blast :-)
Then it became a regular thing for me to attend these fairs and since then I have been going a lot and almost every time I had a different outfit! Don't like it when I have loads of the same pictures at every fair haha.

Here are some examples of outfits I wore:

Ps: if you recognize your photo, please send me a message, so I can add your name :-)

Photographer: Eric Oaktree

Welcome

Welcome to my blog, a place where you can find all kinds of info, pictures and interviews about fantasy, gothic, lolita and steampunk.