J-Pop Summit 2013

Between work and packing to move to a new house last weekend I actually managed to squeeze in J-Pop Summit both days. The line up of actual models this year and the musical performances were way too good to pass up. I had lovely ladies also coming up from SoCal as well so you know that I was going to make this happen after I got word of it. 

3 AM I WOKE UP AND GOT READY. You guys, never-a-fucking-gain. I went to bed at midnight planning shit out for the next day/next couple of hours and had to wake up at three to get ready to leave around 6/borderline 7 to beat traffic among beating other things. Being a gyaru I've learnt to accept the challenge of getting ready in a short amount of time and still looking good or making the sacrifice of hardly getting at sleep to look crazy glamorous for big events. I've always treated J-Pop Summit like a grand fashion week even though it's not. With fashion being my guilty pleasure and currently what everyone knows me for, I feel like I have to look my best. 

My coordinate for both days? Ma*rs limited LA collaboration designs! I didn't get hardly any coordinate pictures showing off the outfits but there's a make-up pic. When we hit Japan Town it was fucking COLD. Actually it was freezing the whole weekend. I should never trust weather reports. Especially for SF. Everytime I dress like a damn hooker it always turns out that it feels like fucking winter time. 

When my photographer friend Dennis (you all are familiar with him, he's kind of like a manager to me too. we always schedule things/events/do trips together because he does the photography for my stuff and does competitions) and I arrived at had Benkyodo for breakfast. I love the atmosphere and mochi there. I've talked about Benkyodo many times but I highly recommend it to everyone if you want good Japanese sweets and just a great atmosphere to relax in the morning time. The staff and even regular customers there are all so very sweet. I got a lot of non-judging 'You look really cute! Is that Juicy Couture?' as I left by a couple of older women who also wished me well in my day. YEAH I got that type of kindness. Totally made my morning.

I roamed around a bit and took some pictures with Dennis as I waited for opening ceremonies to start. He had to leave for a bit for another engagement so I was left in Japan Town alone for a bit. I roamed around for a bit and waited for Kinokuniya to open so I could grab up a couple of magazines. I have this unhealthy addiction towards gyaru and lolita magazines right now. Egg, Ageha, and Kera have been huge fixes lately. I for sure want to get September's issues of Ageha and Popteen for my birthday though! The cover girls are Ayumi Hamasaki and Sakurai Rina and that should say enough! 

In the end I ended up picking up an Ageha magazine because the cover really appealed me. The last Ageha I got had the same exact cover model on it so she must be pretty popular right now! I looked for the August issue of Kera that was there the weekend before J-Summit but it had sold already! Ahhh! I should have got it before it sold! 

While I roamed for a bit I got creeped on a bit. This one guy from outside LITERALLY followed me into the mall to bug me. I get that I was dressed weird in frilly short dresses and thigh highs but there was obviously an event going on and Japan Town has always been this amazing safe haven for me when it comes to cosplaying/doing Japanese fashion because everyone is so adapt with people dressing in it here. ANYWAY this awesome security guy intercepted the douche to ask for a picture. He told me that everytime he's seen me (I hit Japan Town pretty frequently) I'm dressed really nice so he took a picture and intercepted this guy who realized this person was mall security. I was secretly thankful. Ugh... As the day went on my clothes blended in painfully compared to the lolita girls around the area. I think I was one of the few gals there at the event.

However a fellow gal I ran into was Jobi! Jobi and I were in the Liz Lisa Fashion Show Contest last year and this lovely lady won second place! She totally deserved it and she was incredibly sweet and warm hearted so we continued to stay in contact after the event and say hello to each other. This year we actually decided to hang out! Me, Sarah, and Sarah's boyfriend waited for New People to open with the Harajuku Pop Up Shop. The line was long but we did eventually get in. 

The Pop-Up shop wasn't unfortunately what I expected. There were a lot of cute clothes but nothing that was my style. I was hoping Hellcatpunks would really go all out and bring a few of their skirts/one pieces/accessories but they were crazy limited. I was hoping also that Liz Lisa's inventory would be crazy updated and while they had some cute stuff that I ALMOST got; I decided not to because there are a couple fall coordinates from their new line that I actually really want more than what they had there. 

In the end Jobi, Sarah, and I went up the Baby the Stars Shine Bright and I actually tested my luck. Baby was selling lucky packs for the event. For those of you who don't know what lucky bags are they usually sell during the end of the season. The biggest ones are usually during the New Years time in Japan. For this we were told that the coordination would be perfect for first time lolitas. Despite me not being a first time lolita, I was looking forward to the winning situation of having a solid color dress. I couldn't go wrong with that. 

Lucky bags are a set price and are pretty much mystery bags. You either get what you paid for in the amount of items or the items can be more expensive/more popular/ect. than the price you paid for. I happened to get really lucky because I scored something that wasn't pink. I'm not a pink girl so the fact that I got white was relieving to me. Not only was the dress white but it was a one piece meaning I didn't have to worry about purchasing or coordinating a blouse for the dress The dress came with a matching bow and a set of bloomers which also made me very happy because they're considered 'under garb'. Usually lolita petticoats are foofy so if you bend your actual underwear could show hence the bloomers. But I never wanted to pay a crazy price for them so I never got them and just tried to be mindful of stairs and how I went down to pick up things (kneeling instead of bending). So the good deal was a really good deal.

After we were all done shopping we met back up with Dennis and we all watched the Harajuku Kawaii Fashion show. My friends looked very gorgeous in their outfits on stage! I liked how well the fashion show was organized this year and how they described each outfit and brand for those who weren't familiar with the Harajuku life style and clothing. The clothing for me was a little simple for my tastes but maybe its because I'm super essentric. DokiDoki 6% and Innocent World looked the best in my opinion. I like the others brands like Nadia and Hellcatpunks too but I'm used to these babies being crazy. I think honestly they were toned down a bit. Regardless all the girls up there looked lovely, OGAWD BEAUTIFUL ZIPPER MODELS KILL ME NOW..<3 Ayumi Seto and YURA..ugh. Gorgeous glamorous girls are gorgeous. I need to be that cute..kill me now please...? Done spazzing I swear.

Afteward me and the lovely ladies went to have Okonomiyaki at Mifune Don. This was their first Okonomiyaki experience! I feel like a true gal its a really great idea to have okonomiyaki together. Unfortunately you can't cook it yourself here but it was really delicious anyway! 

After Mifune Don we actually went to go have tea and I think this is also when Vale came to say hello and join us. Vale was super late! We had tea at TanTan however I had Amitsu because yet again, quaint hole in the wall Japanese sweets places are THE BEST. Not that Benkyodo or TanTan are hole in the wall places-I think people just don't know exactly what is in there. Jobi and I looked over my Ageha at pretty models an clothes and we all talked for a while.

We met back up again with Sarah to take a PuriKura together and afterward the girls went home. Around that time I met Leslie, Amorita, and Hana for the first time! Kyaa! They all wanted to roam J-Town so I didn't hold them up but I had lovely conversations with people and at one point things became a blur. I forgot what we did. Kinouniya? Maybe. At one point there was a crazy Daiso raid and from that we met back up with Amorita and Leslie. I think I died on the floor while talking. We photowhored and acted silly and it was just a glorious time. Eventually they headed places and Dennis and Vale and I headed out to get noodles and afterward Purple Kow in which i got sick from exhaustion. As I said, 3 am never again. I died in Dennis' car and collapsed the hell out when I found a bed. 

SUNDAY

Sunday was a little more relaxed. I wore the exclusive LA design one piece dress from ma*rs. The other dress I wore the day before was actually a CAMISOLE but I had actually FIT it like a dress. I was kind of shocked how well this dress fit me. I actually thought I'd love the dress I chose more but I REALLY love this dress. It's super short and clingy. I seriously felt like Park Bom from 2NE1 all fucking day in this dress. 

 Dennis and I arrived early, ate Taiyaki for breakfast before the Baby the Stars Shine Bright Fashion Show which was Enchanted Forest themed. Spectating the contest for the second year in a row, I must say each year its more organized and honestly the ladies and gents are getting better and better with their coordination and make-up skills. San Francisco Lolitas, you are by far the loveliest people I have met and the classiest. Super glad over who won. Totally deserved it after a couple run ins with a couple other contests Was super happy for them. Jeeze.

Afterward we hit Izumiya to have yet again, MORE Okonomiyaki. Afterward I went into Kinokuniya and busted bank on another book because Liz Lisa had a special book solely for the My Melody collaborations. Being a gal fanatic/Liz Lisa follower I just had to get it. It also came with a super cute bag that I've actually been carrying to work lately! One day I WILL own an actual Liz Lisa bag because their bags are gorgeous.

I ran into my kouhai Ashley for a very short time and I took pictures of her and Jobi (who was also in the Baby contest together) because they looked super cute. We also took a selca. Ashley is an up and coming cosplayer and lolita/gal. Super proud of this lady because she's working SUPER hard. 

Jobi and I then headed off to go see the concert down in Union Sqaure and I met some lovely people. Shana who I already knew (she made this super adorable Sailor Moon dress <3), Alina who trolled around with me later on, and one of my instagram followers Sophia who looked SUPER dead on with her coordinate. I seriously fucking thought she was wearing Liz Lisa. <3 There were other wonder people in this group too but we're not creeping on each other on facebook or insta (I don't think), but it was so great seeing/meeting everyone. 

Kylee was the first act and she was AMAZING. She's been doing a lot of covers lately! During her sound check the day before she was doing a Rurouni Kenshin song in English and it was super neat. Though it was great hearing the Japanese songs that she regularly does. Dear god Lavendor came on and everyone went crazy. Apparently the lead singer is a previous member of Morning Musume and if there weren't Lavendor fans there were was sure as hell some old gen MoMuSu fans there. 

We like everyone else had actually been waiting for Kyary. The ride up on the bus was crazy, my feet were killing me, and the crowd was getting super crazy. In the end Alina, Jobi, and I left and headed back to Japan Town after over looking the crowd from the Cheese Cake Factory's balcony. 

Heading back the girls and I got crepes and took PuriKura together after we yet again ran into Aya, Leslie, and Amorita. Yay I was with my lovely girls all at the same time like I had intended to be! I LOVE OUR PURIKURA. Jobi got super tired so she didn't want to take any but Alina, Amorita, Leslie, and I look super kira-kira! haha~

Jobi and Alina went to hang with their friends so the rest of us escaped to Tan Tan yet again because Dennis insisted. Aya and Dennis joined us later. I actually got an iced matcha this time because I was actually still full from my crepe. Around this time I also got to see Johnny, Greg, and Jimmy! They were in Japan Town for a bit so I divided my time between three groups of lovely friends who happened to be in the same area at the same time. 

THANK YOU JOHNNY FOR THE THAI TEA! It seriously got me through my packing for the rest of the week! It was so nice seeing you all! I hope you all ran into more familiar faces that day!

After TanTan we all decided to have Korean BBQ together to take our Non-Native San Franciscians at least one other place that wasn't Japan Town. We hit a place on Filmore street which ended up being a great idea because it was cozy and the Japchae was delicious! I also got to meet Ying midway! Ying is such a sweetie! We now officially creep on each other on facebook. How pleasant. haha~

After this we chilled and went home a little later but IT WAS A REALLY GREAT TRIP HOLY CRAP. Thank you guys yet again for an amazing time-especially an amazing (yet again) J-Pop Summit adventure. It was nice seeing familiar faces and seeing new ones. Everyone looked stunning, the events were well planned, the food was delicious, the guest were awesome. Another year well done!