goth to jpop
la carmina
interview with i.t.a.
la carmina, thank you so much for gracing us with your kawaii presence. it’s just so, so fine to be speaking with such an accomplished celeb like yourself. welcome to powder.
so let’s begin where you absolutely rock carmina, you started blogging about japanese and alt fashion back in two thousand and seven. it’s a little different to your average yale law school graduate, who’s attained a jd. just what set you off into the blogosphere and how’s the ride been?
I was born in Vancouver, Canada, but my parents are from Hong Kong and we have friends and relatives all around Asia. Ever since I was one years old, my family and I would take trips to Asia at least once a year. As a child, some of my most vivid memories were visiting Japan. I felt like Alice in Wonderland, falling through the rabbit hole and ending up in 1990s Harajuku, an alien world inhabited by punks with spiky hair, and gothic lolitas in Victorian ruffle dresses. And everything was so cute! I fell in love with kawaii culture and Hello Kitty, and all the pop culture quirks that are so distinctively Japanese. Even though I loved visiting Japan and wearing Jpop fashion, I never imagined it was possible to have a travel career like mine. I went to Columbia University, and then Yale Law School – but my heart wasn’t into law. I found it dry compared to the colourful, experimental scene in Harajuku. I needed a creative escape – so I started my La Carmina blog in 2007, which is very early in blogging years. Every day, I posted about the hidden spots I loved in Japan – such as the Vampire Cafe where the waiters dressed like Dracula, or pastel Goth boutiques where the fashion is inspired by My Little Pony. I did this all out of love – I enjoyed connecting with people online over these shared passions, and never thought the site would lead anywhere. But then some of my posts about theme restaurants and cute food became popular... and long story short, it led to publishing books, hosting TV shows, traveling the world, and all the dream projects that make up my life today.
you were actually named as one of the world’s top bloggers by fashion house luisa via roma at their firenzefourever events in italy in twenty eleven and twelve. how did that feel and what did it entail?
It was a great honour to be selected among the top fashion bloggers, to take part in Luisaviaroma’s event. Such a joy to be flown to Florence, Italy to try on the incredible fashions at their boutique and model in front of the Duomo. It made me feel like a princess.
your personal fashion is so kawaii and saucy with dark edge. one can just gaze at all your photos forever. what are your inspirations both cultural and individual fashionistas? and just how do you describe your fashion?
I like to say I’m a mix of pirate and cute and Goth and Jpop. I’m not especially inspired by any particular person, but love to take cues from alternative subcultures. These range from gyaru to steampunk, Gothic to Italo Disco. I also adore Art Nouveau, especially the flowing works of Alphonse Mucha.
your makeup, oh my, it’s certainly captivating… when you get out there travelling on the road, what are the items that are a must have in your makeup bag?
Since I need to conserve space while on the road, I use travel-size brushes and compact palettes. It’s worth investing in quality brands, like Make Up For Ever foundation. I have a post about my makeup routine and favorite products.
travel writing for business insider and huffington post must be a gas. so where has your travel journalism taken you over the years and which places would you recommend as the ultimate destinations?
My filmmakers and I are constantly on the road, shooting episodes of my web travel series. So far, we’ve made episodes about the local hotspots and nightlife, with me at host, in Israel, Japan, Prague, Miami, Maldives, Dubai, Hong Kong and many more. Next up: Cape Town, South Africa! And an Asia tour that includes Tokyo, Hong Kong, Taipei and Seoul.
cute yummy time, was your second publication, a cookbook, which delves into japanese charaben food. just what is charaben and how was your book taken?
My blog posts about cute food decoration became popular in 2007-8, and this got me signed to a NY literary agent. And she landed me two book deals, with Penguin USA and Random House. Cute Yummy Time is inspired by the Japanese trend of turning bento lunches into “kawaii” cute (yet edible) works of art -- such as rice balls that look like Hello Kitty. It was a lot of fun to get creative in the kitchen, and children particularly loved the illustrated story about my cat and me!
and again you’re a tv host, having appeared on a variety of different shows and networks around the world, including discovery channel, food network and norway tv. so just between you and me, what’ve been the most challenging things about being in front of the camera and what are the most rewarding?
I love story-telling through the medium of TV. Presenting on-camera seems fun and glamorous, but it’s actually 1% of what I do. The other 99%? Mapping, scheduling, all the production planning elements that make the shoot possible. It’s a lot of work, but I love what I do, and I feel it has meaning. My passion is for shining a spotlight on Japanese artists and subcultures, and encouraging travelers to see all these wonderful places with their own eyes.
televisionwise ,what have been your favourite assignments and what are you working on at the moment carmina?
One day, a TV producer emailed and invited me to be on Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods show. That was my first taste of travel TV hosting and fixing (or production arranging), and I was hooked - it remains one of my favorite memories. Fortunately, things kept growing. More TV producers found me through this Travel Channel episode or my blog or books and once again asked me to host and arrange TV episodes: Oddities, Taboo, Roam, and more. Since there was so much demand, I started a company, La Carmina and the Pirates, with my business partner Naomi Rubin. Three years later, we’ve organized shows for Food Network, French TV, German TV, NHK Japan, CNN, Norway TV, Discovery, National Geographic Taboo, and many others. Right now, I’m working on a dream TV project… can’t reveal much yet, but stay tuned to my site to see what unfolds!
when you’re not completely exhausting yourself with all your differing creative ventures, just how do you unwind? what’s your favourite way to laze away a weekend?
I’ll simply lie in bed with my Scottish Fold cat, Basil Farrow. I’m notorious for answering emails over phone by dictating to Siri, while snuggling with my earless kitty.
and tell us about your cat, basil yuen farrow. just what is he like, what are his talents and where does his name come from?
Basil is a Scottish Fold cat, and is like a living teddy bear: round face and body, tiny ears, brown nose and short sideways feet! Ronan Farrow is his father and named him Basil since it’s a fitting name for a gentleman. He’s so intelligent and curious, and wants to stick to you all day long. Basil will never scratch or be a bad boy. There are tons of photos of him on my Instagram: @lacarmina
and lastly, what projects do you have on the boil for twenty fourteen carmina?
I'm now off to South Africa with my two-person film crew - we'll be making travel videos about Cape Town youth culture, restaurants, design scene and more. I’m also touring Asia with a travel startup, with stops in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. And there are exciting TV projects in the works…. Please stay tuned to lacarmina.com and @lacarmina to see where I journey next!
my, my carmina, again it is certainly a pleasure to have you chat with us here at powder. it’s been such a blast to catch up and we look forward to your next venture in the blogosphere/media/television network realm!
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