kimono now

Been in the book making vortex, out with a new one on contemporary kimono culture --  a few of the stars from my kawaii book will make an appearance too,  I LOVE kimonos, especially yukata, casual cotton kimonos for summer, we had a one on the Kawaii cover too.  I'll post more later, closer to when it is ready.

My happy snaps (Kurebayashi and Kaoru in Masaru Inoue yukata)

....and I just did an entire book on kawaii, interviewed Sanrio JP, and went to Puroland with the reps,  (who OK-ed my article where I describe Kitty as a "feline") and I've been covering Japanese design and pop culture for over a decade for magazines -- this is truly the first time I have heard that Hello Kitty is NOT A CAT. I swear people in Japan have NO IDEA HK is not a cat. WTF! I give up!!!

FRANKLY SPKING

FRANKLY SPKING have a nice story on Kawaii style on their blog, thanks for the shout out!

HK Con

Anyone who is into kawaii culture probably knows about this already, but HK is having a bday bash in LA. It sounds a lot cooler than what a HK con in Japan would be like, to be honest, with fashion shows, tattoo booths, panels, street artists etc. I met one of the organisers last time I was in LA,  it really sounds super fun. 

Celebrate Hello Kitty's 40th Anniversary at the first ever official Hello Kitty Convention in the world! Hello Kitty Con 2014 is a global gathering of fans and friends to celebrate all things Hello Kitty.

Taking place at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) in Downtown LA's Little Tokyo, Hello Kitty Con 2014 will offer interactive experiences and events for fans and friends of all ages, including activities, art, exhibits, exclusives, workshops, lectures, panels, sneak peeks, tattoos, food, fun, and many more surprises!

Join Hello Kitty and your friends at Hello Kitty Con 2014. As Hello Kitty always says, "You can never have too many friends!"