June 26, 2013

Tea Time with a Lolita


 Two cupcakes, mugs of tea and hot chocolate, ready, action!


I have recently been involved with a project that has been ongoing for several months now. My friend and housemate Alizée Musson has started filming a documentary about myself and lolita. I began as part of a university project, which she has taken further into a full-fledged mini-doc to be sent to festivals!

There are few documentaries about lolitas, and I refuse to count in the odd opint-the-finger "documentaries" which amount to little more than modern freak shows (I'm staring at you, afternoon TV reports).  The director, Alizée, was genuinely interested and excited about documenting lolita, so it was great fun to help create this. We discussed the best way in which to convey the information, I gave her links to various blogs or forums that would help her, and I really appreciated that she completely involved me in the project, not just as a subject.

Just a few years ago, when I was still a little budding rufflebutt, I watched with amazement the girls talking about the fashion in Frilly in the City or Loligirls, without an inkling that I might one day be in their shoes... It was a daunting, scary, exiting, fun, and challenging experience, and one that I enjoyed more than I can tell.
It was most pleasant to be faced with a director who was genuinely curious and came to me without preconceived ideas about lolita. She asked me for links to information beforehand, and her questions during the intervew were invariably on key. As I said, I had not seen the questions beforehand - though I expected some of them-, so I was suprised and really delighted when Alizée asked me about ILD - it just served to show how much she had invested herself in the preliminary reasearch. (As you now know, I spent ILD lounging in fairy lolita eating at an asian buffet and playing video games...)

A formal interview was the first sequence she chose to film. It was a great honor to be able to give voice to what I feel for our fashion and subculture. I know I was nervous, and sometimes I'm not sure I was quite making sense, but Alizée assures me it went fine. Being interviewed is actually really difficult! You may think you know what you do and why, but expressing it is rather hard! And I kept thinking after the event of something I wanted to add... Alizée was great and let me amend a few sentences though, but I hadn't seen the questions beforehand . As a result I was always "umming", which was certainly a nightmare for editing! She also had to cope with how long it takes to get ready, especially when you tell her "take your time"...

 The funnest part was the stop-motion, which I think was a great alternative to the usual lolita transformation video! It  was a long and difficult process but the result is so cute! Other sequences were a make-up/ casual interview, a mannequin coord exercise, a photoshoot, and the opportunity to pick a lolita pastime of my choice and indulge in it for filming! I couldn't believe it. I was pretty much told that doing what I enjoyed would be of interest and help to someone else. Actually, that goes for the whole documentary. No wonder I was a bit giddy with excitement throughout!

In the full documentary, expect animated cupcakes, photoshoots, and decoden galore! We are also involving an illustrator friend for the graphics in the movie, and animated sequences.

 We considered organinsing a tea-party or meetup in London during the MCM Expo, but due to complications with locations, we gave up on it. I would still love to host a meetup someday, but now I know how much organinstaion goes behind it all!

I am looking forward to the full movie - I'm tremendously excited! So to give you a taste of what is to come here is the teaser!

I give you: Tea Time with a Lolita!

  (Sorry I couldn't embed the video >< Please click on the image to follow the link!)

Please remember that neither the director nor I claim this to be an extensive definition of lolita - in fact the cue for the assignement, to be honest,  was to present someone passionate about something. So...it's actually a documentary about me as a lolita;  this is my opinion, and only engages me. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with my statements, please keep in mind that this represents someone's efforts to create a piece of work for their learning and career, and we both did our best.


That said, I would be glad to hear about what you thought!

Yours,
Miss Milly

June 4, 2013

Summer International Lolita Day, 2013 Edition

  I was looking forward to wearing lolita these past few weeks, as I barely had the opportunity to wear a proper JSK coord. I have been spending most of my days in th 'shop for my course hand-in (making samurai armour samples and stuff), or in the museum doing research, where lolita was hardly appropriate.

  Since it's the end of the course year here, I had a whole day going out and just hanging around! TT.TT Bliss!
  I headedout in the morning going to the Boscombe vintage market with a few friends, including my best friend who came specially from France to visit! There were such nice tidbits, and even a lolita selling dresses and hats! But why am I so broke at times like these? I did get a copy of Lucy Barton's Historical Costume, which was a lucky find and will come in handy! And I couldn't resist a saucer, because I recently bought a very delicate teacup which it was lacking. I enjoy mismatched wares as much as sets, it has a quirky feel I like, and I just go for what I think is pretty!

We also took a look in a comic book shop; I wasn't familiar with the quantity and diversity of comics around! To be honest, I thought comics barely existed anymore ^^' We visited a military surplus store (believe it or not, I was the one who wanted to go in), and finished with Geek Boutique, a shop that sells, well, anything geek-related. There were vintage bedsheet dresses with a 60's cut (which my friend wanted and I offered to make one for her birthday), acrylic jewellery, plastic toy brooches, old toys, and a few ponies! I am pony obsessed at the moment, ever since MCM Expo - of which you will soon have a report - but none of them caught my eye. I'll have a rummage in my own old toys when I get home, a lot of it was inspiring!

After that, Penny and I joined some other friends at Day's, our beloved asian buffet in Bournemouth, where we all ate enough for a whole week! It was delicious, and fun!

Finally, we all went over to one of our places to play video games! We kicked butt at Street Fighter (Cammy is definitely my fav to play) and Mario Chase, and before we knew it, it was 9.00 in the evening and we had to forgo relaxing on the beach. Really I was asleep half the time, when I wasn't actually holding the control! But it was the nicest day and it felt good to finally go put with my friends after all this time.


My outfit was relaxed enough for a day out walking, eating, and lounging in sofas. I wanted a bit of the fairy kei dynamism in there, so I chose my sneakers and long jumper, with lots of accessories, and the lopsided tail. Half the outfit is courtesy of Amber, who gave me a lot of clothes that she doesn't wear anymore. I especially love the rabbit eared jumper, as I never seemed to find one that suited lolita! I added the bows and perl string at the front as well.




Lounging! I was wearing my bloomers, but censorship still applies ;)


 And sleeping! I told you I was tired! 

The brooch on the bodice is from the Expo; Penny listened for every item that I fauned over and went back and bought them as my birthday gift. Isn't that so lovely? The pony poster was her gift as well. The brooch is from the crazy cute boutique Roxie Sweetheart; check them out for pastel rainbow galore, with a touch of a darker edge!