Merry Nightmare before Christmas, everyone!  Hope you’re having a spooky time with friends and family. I certainly am.

During the winter, there’s no need to trade style for warmth. Long skirts, velvety layers and tights are my favorite ways to beat the cold.

I’m wearing a Lippy Plaid Paradox halter ballgown, with d-rings and pyramid studs. I love how the back of the skirt is long and gathered.

Over the top, I’m wearing a Dark Delphina velvety jacket from a past Blacklist collection. It’s currently on sale via the Lip Service website!

I accessorized the look with silver cross and bird skull jewelry by Fashionology, and a Lady Gaga ribbon / bow hairstyle.

Have you been wearing Lip Service this winter? I hope this gives you some styling inspiration!

I can’t wait to share my new projects with you in 2011. There’s several video and TV projects to debut in January, including something with the Amazing Race Goth team, Kent and Vyxsin (who are also Lippy fans).

Stay warm and spooky!

La Carmina
More on my blog - http://www.lacarmina.com/blog/

A white wedding isn’t for everyone, especially if you’re of a Gothic disposition. Hail Satan for alternative wedding blog Rock n Roll Bride. My friend Kat Williams posts unconventional marriage photos and tips, encouraging couples to put a personal stamp on their big day.

I’m thrilled to interview her for my column in Lip Service Webzine. What are Kat’s favorite Goth weddings? How would she plan La Carmina’s? Read on and be inspired. (More photos of Kat from her photoshoots here.)

† Tell me about your site.

I started Rock n Roll Bride when I was planning my own wedding in 2007. On discovering wedding blogs, I realised there was a whole world of inspiration out there that you didn’t get in traditional magazines. I started the site as an online diary — a place to gather my thoughts and inspiration.

However after the wedding I decided I rather liked this blogging thing. Although I loved the blogs I read, none of them really posted about alternative weddings. So, in January 2009, I moved to WordPress and started blogging about other people’s weddings — the kinds I loved.

† What was your wedding like?

Contrary to popular belief, our wedding was actually quite traditional. We had a black & white theme — I wore a long white dress but I added a black sash, and my hair was my natural brown! Looks weird to see me in those photos now, it doesn’t look like me at all.

I really only found out about all the amazing alternative weddings and suppliers afterwards. I was sick of being told what our wedding should be like by the wedding industry portrayed in the magazines, and I wanted to inspire other brides (like me) who don’t realize there is another way to do it.

Of course if Gareth and I were to get married again now, our wedding would be totally different to how it was back then, but I don’t regret the way we did it.

† What’s your advice for planning a Goth wedding, and dealing with resistance from family?

I am a massive advocate for people doing what makes them happy and showcasing their personalities. Some of the weddings are simple and laid back, and others are extravagant affairs with burlesque dancers. But at the center of every wedding I feature is a couple in love – that’s the most important thing, so I guess ‘keeping it real’ would be my number one piece of advice.

I think these days, families are more open when it comes to themes — the media has shown a lot of differently styled weddings. I would say physically showing them your ideas is a better way to approach it then just explaining. When I told my Mum we were having a black and white theme she said ‘oh Kat, it’s going to look like a funeral.’ Luckily when I showed her some photos I’d found, she saw that it was anything but that!

† How would you plan La Carmina’s wedding?

I’d imagine you with a very glam wedding — I’m thinking a sexy and tight-fitting PVC dress (maybe black or deep red!) and jewellery with crosses or skulls. I love this crown by Butler and Wilson and this amazing necklace! For your flowers and centrepieces it would have to be decedent deep red or even black roses in tall candelabras, maybe dripping with crystals. Black tablecloths and glassware and candles.

Your cake would have to be a Choccywoccydoodah. They are the most amazing cakes I’ve ever seen, and even do skulls. Your location would obviously be in your favourite themed restaurant in Japan and your music would be J-rock! Doesn’t that sound like an awesome wedding?

And now, a selection of Goth weddings featured on Rock n Roll Bride. The headers link to the full posts.

Darkly dramatic Goth & rock wedding (photos by Devlin Photography)
“We were inspired by all that is dark and whimsical: a fusion of Victorian vamp, fanciful garden beauty and Old-World luxe tweaked with flavours of Rock n Roll and Carnival/Circus. Elements included mismatched French style furniture, vintage silverware abound with roses and ostrich feathers and candelabras, all in a rich palette of blood red, deep plums, black and white. I walked down the aisle to Sweet Child O Mine by Guns N Roses.”

Sleepy Hollow marriage ceremony (photos by Made U Look Photography)
“My initial inspiration was Sleepy Hollow meets a carnival meets a dark wonderland. I also wanted all the guests to wear all black. The bridesmaids’ looks are inspired by 1930s cabaret look. DIY weddings are totally worth it because it ends up really making your day.”

The Ghoulmores’ Night of the Living Wed (photos by Al Overdrive Weddings)
The colorful duo runs the horror-themed clothing company Kreepsville 666. Their ghoulish, retro-horror themed wedding took place on Friday the 13th. The cake was a skull and all the attendees took home a set of cast-silver effect fangs that said ‘fangs for coming’ [groan].

Deep Purple Wedding Gown and Ceremony (photos by Annamarie Stepney Photography assisted by Kim Hawkins)
The venue: a deconsacrated Roman Catholic Church in the centre of London. The bridesmaids wore 1950s-style swing dresses and birdcage veils. The cocktails followed the theme: Black Russians, Raspberry mohitos and passionfruit bellinis.

Fabulously theatrical Gothic ceremony (photos by Toast of Leeds)
“We got prices from Kirkstall Abbey (ludicrously cheap to hire) and the whole thing grew arms and legs all by itself. The lights, fog, music, shrubbery… we had an insanely theatrical wedding with a rock music soundtrack to boot.”

Mad Alice in Wonderland wedding (photos by Freyja Photography)
“It was like gothic Alice in Wonderland meets Avatar. The reception areas were filled with the giant mushrooms and flowers and you felt so tiny when you entered the room. For the party I asked for an old-queen crown, like Count Dracula era. I love vampires.”

Tim Burton Wedding (photos by D Park Photography)
“We were inspired by a visit to Disneyland’s holiday-decorated Haunted Mansion. After looking more at the work of Tim Burton, we decided we wouldn’t limit ourselves to just one of his movies but try to select something from all of them. The purpose wasn’t to be creepy and eerie but to help describe us (like many of his characters) as off-center.”

Burlesque Gothic reception (photos by Eden Exposed)
“The theme for the wedding really revolved around my dress, which was designed and handmade by the amazingly talented Kim Denman. 1950′s underwear themed colour scheme of dusty pink and black, with plenty of feathers, beads, and netting thrown in. Oh, and a massive stuffed pink bow on the back!”

For more corpse brides, you can revisit my Gothic Lolita Weddings post on my La Carmina blog.

† Dark Wishes †

LA CARMINA

Last month, I was in Tokyo for a few TV jobs — which gave me a chance to report on Japanese Gothic parties and boutiques. The scene’s as vibrant and elegant as ever.

I was filmed for an episode of NHK Kawaii TV. The  30 min segment is about La Carmina’s world: the spooky places and people that inspire me.

I took the TV crew to Abilletage, a recently-opened Gothic vintage and handmade corset shop in Shinjuku. The NHK cameraman filmed me meeting my spooky friends, exploring the boutique and getting fitted into a corset by designer Bambi.

Abilletage is lushly decorated with thick red curtains, chandeliers and antiques. There’s also a coffee and tea section, popular with Tokyo’s Gothic ladies and gentlemen. (Order the ice chai, you won’t regret it.)

If you’re in Shinjuku, you must stop by the boutique. Address and more photos are on La Carmina blog.

After, I took NHK Kawaii TV to Baby Doll in Harajuku. I was keen to feature this Goth Fetish boutique in the program, since it’s been independently run for over 10 years. Baby Doll’s original clothing includes form-fitting outfits worn by Lady Gaga. You can pick up everything from tutus to play-torture equipment here.

Support indie stores! A Harajuku shopping trip should include Babydoll, located here. For more Gothic Lolita Punk store recommendations, check out my Tokyo shopping guide and map.

Finally, the TV crew filmed me partying all night at Midnight Mess, the longest-running Goth/Industrial/EBM event in Tokyo. The absinthe poured freely…

On stage with Yukiro, Maya and Selia. The all-night party featured Baroque Opera singing and an S&M bondage show. The Kawaii TV episode will air in January, and I’ll put up clips so you can see the Japan Goth party in action.

Where else to go for Gothic /alternative partying? Torture Garden Japan, which happens about once a year. There’s always a fashionable turnout, and tons of kink performances.

There’s also Walpurgis Night at Shinjuku Jam. The regular Goth event features live bands and music.

I love the 80s Gothic and synth tunes that Taizo spins. Lots of Siouxsie makeup to be found here.

And there’s always Decadance Bar, open almost every night and located above Christon Cafe Shinjuku. Drag queens and cyber kids congregate here to drink absinthe and dance.

For full addresses, reports and maps, please view my Tokyo alternative club guide.

What to wear on a night out in Tokyo? Believe it or not, Lip Service is popular here too! I wore a LS sailor costume during the filming of a Fuel/Discovery/National Geographic TV show.

Only a few days until Halloween… got a costume and party plans yet? I’ve got epic ones: flying to Mazatlan, Mexico for Halloween and Day of the Dead, courtesy of the tourism board. I’m hosting and arranging a travel  video for them, about the Gothic/spooky/art/culture of Mazatlan! (More info about my evil plans here.)

That means in the next column, you can look forward to firsthand Dia de los Muertos coverage. Now, off to catch my flight!

XXX LA CARMINA XXX

http://www.lacarmina.com/

It’s a dream come true… I’m hosting a coolhunting travel show for Huffington Post / AOL! And guess what I’m wearing in the intro to the first episode? Lip Service – Brocade Piracy dress.

In the first episode, I’m a fish out of water — a Goth girl in Wisconsin. I explore a kitschy theme hotel, complete with a bondage bed!

Will you kindly take a minute to check out my alternative travel show + Like/Share/Tweet it? This will enable me to keep the series going — and keep wearing Lippy on it. The link is: http://t.co/BRQAvIh

La Carmina‘s jetsetting adventures recently took me to Hong Kong, China — also known as shopping paradise. Naturally, I went on a treasure-hunt for Hong Kong’s best Gothic and Lolita shops.

I’ll warn you: there aren’t that many Gothic Lolita Punk shops in Hong Kong. But you can pick up terrific pieces from various Mongkok stalls, to build up a fashion-forward Gothic look. And the prices can’t be beat.

Spider is one of my favorites Gothloli clothing brands. Two sweet sisters run the small Mongkok shop. They design all the fashion, with close attention to detailing, and produce in small runs.

The clothes tend to be on the Gothic Punk side, which suits me perfectly. I love the corset lacing, punk plaids, and frills.

I bought these three items and the rose skirt, and wear them constantly (you’ve probably glimpsed them in my outfit posts). If you’re in Hong Kong and can only make it to one destination, I hope it’ll be Spider. Please say hi to owners Natalie and Queenie for me.

Spider is located at shop 130, King Wah Centre, 628 Nathan Road, Mongkok, Kowloon, Hong Kong (Map) Tel: (852) 2740 9366

Mongkok is my favorite Hong Kong district for shopping. (Take the subway there and explore the Nathan Road area). There are so many little malls that sell bright, alternative, trendy street style — at crazy low prices. Such as:

Argyle Centre Mall, 688 Nathan Road in Hong Kong (map).

This “Gothic Lolita & Punk” store is located at Shop 67, 1F in Argyle Centre. However, Mongkok stalls move around constantly; they’re open one week and closed the next. Instead of worrying about finding specific stores, I recommend exploring at random. You’ll undoubtedly come across alternative fashions.

Mongkok’s clothes aren’t the highest quality (comparable to, say, Forever 21). However, the styles are way ahead of the curve, and prices are incredible: you’ll rarely pay more than $5-15 US for any clothing item.

Hong Kong’s Goth scene is basically nonexistent (there are no club nights or gatherings). However, you can find Gothic/alternative items in the Mongkok mix — such as this jewelry, guarded by Edward Scissorhands.

I could have taken a million photos of Hong Kong shops. Rocking horse shoes; rose rings. (More shopping photos in this Mongkok post.)

Want to learn more about Hong Kong’s Gothloli and kawaii fashion? Check out La Carmina’s Hong Kong Gothic Lolita guide.

What do you think — is Hong Kong shopping heaven? Which items in this post would you most like to own?

Now I’m off to JAPAN, for a new TV hosting job with Food Network… you can see details and Tokyo fashion photos on my blog. Sayonara!

XXX LA CARMINA XXX

http://www.lacarmina.com/

La Carmina’s Global Gothic travels recently took me to Italy, where I was involved with several artistic projects… including a collaboration with director Carlo Roberti of Solobuio Visual Factory. While we were working together in Rome, he introduced me to SURGERY — an intriguing Horror Apocalyptic Industrial band, with an incredible live show and powerful lyrics.

Carlo manages the band, and filmed 4 of their music videos. Surgery wears custom cyber masks (one has light-up trails) and the live performance involves a dancer with wild, butoh-inspired movements. Their songs have been remixed by Combichrist and famous Italian singer Donatella Rettore sang on a track.

I was keen to learn more, as I’m sure you are. So I asked Carlo a few questions…

How did you meet Surgery? What made you interested in them?

I met them four years ago in Rome. I was a media partner with my video factory Solobuio for a festival, and Surgery was the guest band on the main stage. For the first time, I saw this electro industrial band, performing in horror gothic post-atomic masks. There were two performers on the stage, playing shockingly good music. People were dancing and having fun. So the day after I contacted Daniele Coccia (the singer) to have a beer and speak about the future. I told him that the band needed a strong video impact. He agreed. And that day the partnership Solobuio-Surgery was born.

Tell me about the new masks.
We are very proud to have a great artistic partnership with the famous Master of special effects Sergio Stivaletti. A  master of international horror, he worked with Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava on many movies. He’s a cult artist. So you can imagine how important it is for a masked band to have the masks designed and created by this big artist. Everyone in Surgery grew up loving these films, and now, to have Master Stivaletti as an artistic partner — really great. The design of the masks perfectly matches Surgery’s atmosphere and mood: obscure, dark, post industrial, biomech, and crazy. The next video will feature the new masks, so we’ll show our fans the cinematic look of these creations.

Why the masks? Well, they are very important to us. They represent our way to face the system. It’s both an eternal contrast and fighting, at the same time an awareness of being the victims of the mutation, like in a post-atomic disaster. We are monsters, but we’ll never give up the fight. We are the last scream before the explosion of the bomb.

Can you tell me about your music video MORITURI TE SALUTANT?
“Morituri te salutant” is the latest video for the Italian scene (the title is in Latin). The song tells about a kamikaze mission against injustices. The video is the story of revenge by the hand of a merciless lady killer. The ending is open to other missions. Italian fans really love this video and, at every concert, they go crazy when Surgery plays that song. There are a lot violent and erotic scenes I really love. I think that the lady killer could strike back in the future.

Can you tell me about STUPIDA ESTATE? How did you get international guests involved in the video? (Spiritual Front, Xp8, Klimt1918)

Because of Solobuio Visual Factory I have the oppurtunity to work together with a lot of international industrial, EBM and folk artists. People don’t know many of them are from Rome. That’s why it featured Simone H. Salvatori from Spiritual Front, Maruko and Marco Visconti from XP8, Paolo Soellner from Klimt1918 and many others. Stupida estate is the story of a bunch of blind people lost in the night. All of a sudden a dog comes close to them and barks. So they start running and singing the words of the song. Is a nonsense video; it’s crazy, like a chorus of blind men without hope, someone losts the cane, someone smiles, someone cries. It’s a mad video but the atmosphere perfectly fits in with the mood of surgery. This was the first video without the masks but since everybody sings you can’t find the band members. Stupida estate is the funniest video I shot. I still can remember all the people waiting for his time to run. And when, at the concert, this song starts a lot of fans simulate the blind running. And every time I’m proud about it.

(Above: in Rome, with Surgery’s CDs.)

How did the concept for the video L’ERBA CATTIVA originate?
Do you remember my answer about how I met Surgery? Well… the day after the concert Daniele (singer), Matteo (DJ Freak) and I had a beer, and talked a lot about the right way to show Surgery in an official video. I can remember they asked me to do a strong impact video. With violence but not splatter. So the concept came out. The story of a little child fighting against a bulldog to become a member of Surgery but then, when the child grows up, he takes his revenge against Surgery. Dan and Matteo liked the plot so we shot the video in winter. It was very cold. The band still hate me because of the cold they got during the video. But it was an epic situation and I knew it was the first step for this important artistic partnership.

How does HABITAT represent new directions for the band?
“Habitat” is the first official single in English, the first of a long path I hope. It’s a video of the pure violence, the madness of mankind. Matteo wanted to start the video with a situation like in the 80′s movies and me and Marco (the other screenplayer) totally agreed. An evil radio signal spreads the virus of violence in the air and humanity goes mad and starts to eliminate itself. The signal starts from Surgery, like a conspiracy but the ending is very sad… not even Surgery is immune to the virus. This track is a part of an official EP including 7 remixes from great international industrial EBM artists like Sebastian Komor, S.a.m., Lenny Dee, Xp8 and others. You can download for free at surgerycaos.com

The next album will be a split Italian-English work. We have a lot of tracks that can explode on the international scene, but we want to continue to produce songs with Italian lyrics. In Italy Daniele is considered a great poetry composer and we don’t want to loose this.

Tell me about the band’s LIVE performance. Why is it a must-see?

(videos live @ qube and live @ init club with the new masks)
I choose to follow the project Surgery (at the beginning as video producer, now as manager) because I think it’s a complete band, with both powerful music and live performance. Something people are not used to seeing in a concert. In these difficult times for discography, and expecially for the industrial scene, I think this project has a lot of opportunities to be successful. In a concert you can see a masked band, with the masks of master Stivaletti, playing electro industrial while professional performers Fabio and Fulvius make the people go crazy performing horror, mad, theatrical scenes. It’s impossible to explain, you have to see a concert to understand the real atmosphere I’m talking about.

What is Surgery’s goals for the next year?
The new album, a great promotion in Europe and in USA, two official videos and a lot of gigs. My personal goal is to spread the impact of this band all over the world. You can find more information at surgerycaos.com and on Facebook.

Thank you Carlo for the interview! I had a wonderful time in Italy, and can’t wait to show you our secret musical collaboration. Stay tuned to La Carmina blog to find out the news.

Where in the World is La Carmina? After Italy, my travels are continuing… I’m currently working on 5 TV shows for big networks, as host and arranger. The adventure begins in Tokyo, in July-Aug and September, where I’ll be filming with a Fuel TV / National Geographic / Discovery show! Of course, I’ll bring you photos and reports of Gothic culture from Japan and all over.

‘Til then, you can catch up with me (and my fat Scottish Fold cat) on my blog. Ciao ciao!

XXX LA CARMINA XXX
http://www.lacarmina.com/

How I longed to attend this year’s Wave Gotik Treffen (largest Goth music gathering in the world)! In early June, SiSEN, G-suS and other spooky friends flew to Leipzig, Germany for the festivities.

I couldn’t make it due to travel and scheduling conflicts… but I’m not complaining. Sebastiano and I were flown to Florence, to take part in Luisaviaroma Firenze4Ever (event for 40 top fashion bloggers from around the world). Naturally, we still wore our Goth-Visual clothes! You can see photos from the cocktail party and styling lab on my blog.

Thankfully, talented photographers Seventh Sin (Jen Hoffert and Holger Karas) were front and center at WGT, and wrote this report on the bands and fashion. Is Lolita on the decline? How is steampunk changing? Keep reading to find out. (All images by Seventh Sin.)

Wave Gotik Treffen 2011 was a special one, as it was the 20th anniversary of a gathering of dark people from all over the world. The percentage of foreigners increases every year; this time, we met people from Japan, China, US, Australia and many European countries. The performing artists also come from all over the globe including a metal band from China. With approximately 50 venues spread throughout Leipzig, people gathered at various far-off places, and so the famous WGT catwalk at the Agra Messepark was sometimes rather deserted.

In addition over 250 bands playing over five days, there were many other things to see and do — including free entrance for WGT visitors to museums, the opera and the symphony. One of the largest cinemas hosted a “Twilight” marathon, and smaller ones played indie films like Goths on the Move. At least two independently-organised art exhibitions took place: SEELENFRESSER Titten + Ärsche + Über-Ich at the Werk II venue and S.C.L.S.: State – Society – Landscapes – Society featuring the work of Laibach and Neue Slovenische Kunst.

Fashion-wise there was no obvious new trends this year, but definitely shifts in the most prevalent outfits. While the whole Lolita theme seems to be decreasing, there is a certain increase in both historical and Victorian dresses as well as Steampunk. The Cyber Goth style seemed to decline at the Agra venue, but this might be due to the fragmentation of the festival into three or more hot spots.

The historical-recreation fraction of the Treffen still is mostly a DIY trend, although there are a few specialty brands available that serve this community. The dresses seem to get more elaborate as over the time the sewing skills increase.

In addition to the labels vending at the market, there were some new, smaller labels handing out advertisements: Dark Fusion Boutique, USA, Royal Black, Austria, and Steampunk II, Elfenrausch, Germany.

The increasing number of Steampunks could be sorted into two categories. There were many people using brands like Lip Service to create their basic Steampunk outfit and then “spicing it up” with custom accessories. Others relied mostly on self made items, sometimes overdoing with props and add ons, although the level of ingenuity in the Steampunk community continues to amaze.

Music was widespread through all genres and there were some extraordinary acts on stage this time. Due to our responsibilities as photographers we couldn’t see them all, but at least we were able to sneak in visits to some of our favorites. (Above: Das Ich, who have played at Midnight Mess in Tokyo.)

In the infamous Moritzbastei I was able to stand at the very front row of a Gothika show.

Andro San gave an amazing performance in his pretty red kimono, while Yoshi was more sexy than ever.

The incomparable Diamanda Galas. (Yukiro reviewed her Swedish performance.)

Another inspiring show was Monica Richards project Infrawarrior, with new musicians and an amazing audio-visual concept with ritualistic influences. The presence of Monica and her main dancer Lucretia was amazing and mind shaking, and fortunately, we were able to capture a visual impression.

Even with a reported 23,000 visitors, Wave Gothic Treffen is still “THE” place to gather and find all of our friends, sometimes without even trying. We literally bumped into many people, including SiSen and G-suS from Tokyo on the opera house steps moments before the doors opened to Diamanda Galas. We saw J-Goth Amiyu a few times, including while crawling home at the end of a wonderful but exhausting five days of dark music, culture and friends.

Thank you to Holger and Jen for the scoop! I recommend that you check out the book Black Celebration – 20 years WGT, edited by Jennifer Hoffert and Alexander Nym, which was presented at several readings. “Black Celebration” is a bilingual (German/English) volume with anecdotes, memories and images from two decades of dark underground culture in Leipzig. Contributing authors include musicians such as Bruno Kramm of Das Ich; the images vary from black and white analog in the nineties to full-color digital photography. Hand numbered copies (limited to 300) are still available, but only directly from the publisher, Ploettner Verlag.

Hungry for more visual inspiration? You can go back in time to my 2009 report about WGT. I also featured Seventh Sin photography in this post about Japan Goth fashion and nightlife.

Many travels ahead… next time, I’ll bring you Global Gothic coverage from Hong Kong and Italy. I also recently released a charity T-shirt line, with proceeds going to help Japan. You can see photos and find out more here. Thanks for supporting!

XXX LA CARMINA XXX
http://www.lacarmina.com/

It’s apt that I write a Global Gothic column for Lip Service, since La Carmina is always travelling. I’m always moving in and out of rooms.

Some people consider temporary accommodations to be poor substitutes for home-sweet-home. I disagree. In Hong Kong, my Roomorama short term apartment immediately filled with warm memories. Such as:

1) Laughing at cheesy pop groups on MTV Asia.
2) Watching horror DVDs late at night — and squirming in fright.
3) Putting away treasures from Mongkok shopping trips in the clever storage space.
4) Drinking bubbly while overlooking the harbor view.

I’m excited to share the Goth fashion and culture I discovered in Hong Kong and Macau. Photos and stories to come next month, as well as on my blog!

I recently joined Lookbook, and realized that many of my favorite outfits (and memories) are tied to my travels. Such as this Seattle library photoshoot, from my trip to the Aural Vampire / Black Veil Brides / Dommin / Birthday Massacre concert. (More photos)

In front of Seattle’s famous bubblegum wall, before the DespairsRay show. I’m wearing a Lip Service steampunk skirt from the Step In Time collection. (More photos)

While in Los Angeles, I did a Blablahospital modeling shoot in the Hollywood Hills batcaves. (More photos)

Harajuku, Tokyo is where my heart is. I wore Baby, the Stars Shine Bright for the Dutch Pepsi filming. (More photos)

This is one of the outfits I wore on the set of NHK’s New York Wave — they filmed a TV documentary about my work in cute cooking. (More photos and info about my book, Cute Yummy Time)

But home is where your cat is! Basil Farrow loves to pose for photos in Vancouver. (More cuteness on his Scottish Fold blog.)

PS: Thank you to fellow Lip Service blogger, Steff Metal, for interviewing me about entrepreneurship for Grymm and Epic.

Got any questions about travel, or the outfits pictured? Email or Tweet me, and I’ll be sure to answer. Or let’s be friends on Facebook?

** Click to add La Carmina on Facebook, or push the button below.

XXX LA CARMINA XXX
http://www.lacarmina.com/

Ciao, Italia! La Carmina has lots of Gothic Globetrotting ahead this year. Sebastiano and I will be in Italy in June… on a sponsored trip! From June 9-11, Seba and I will be special guests at Firenze4Ever III. It’s an extravaganza for top fashion bloggers around the world, presented by designer boutique LuisaViaRoma.

If you’re in Italy with a fellow Lip Service model, you might as well do some traveling, right? Our wonderful friends at Hostelbookers are hooking us up with hotels all over Italy — meaning Seba and I will be in Venice, Rome, Milan and Florence this June.

Of course, the first question on my mind is… what’s Italy’s Gothic scene like? I had the pleasure of interviewing my Twitter friend, Lady Aphasia, about the best Goth shops and parties in Milan. Here are her suggestions.

La Carmina: Tell me a bit about yourself.

Aphasia: I’m a woman in love — in love with my job (events organization), with life and with music. I’ve always lived in Milan, even though I’m half French.

La Carmina: How did you first become interested and involved in Goth underground fashion and subcultures in Milan?

Aphasia: It’s always been so, since I was 14 and I discovered bands like Cure, Bauhaus, Siouxie and so on. Milan it’s a little town compared to London or L.A. but we don’t miss anything if you know where to look for.

La Carmina: Can you tell me how the Gothic scene in Milan originated and evolved? Are there aspects that are distinct to the scene?

Aphasia: I guess it began at the end of eighties, where there was also the punk scene. Milan has been divided in groups: trendy ones, punk, gothic, metal and glam. Even the districts of the town were delineated by these groups. Music from UK and USA was like an overflow, so many discos and alternative pubs opened.

Now it’s a bit different: all alternative peoples meet in a few places, they get along quite well. But there are only a few pubs and discos. Now new wave and gothic has a quite of overlap with other cultures, like industrial.

La Carmina: How would you describe Gothic fashion in Italy?

Aphasia: You should check yourself, it’s very heterogeneous, you can find aristocrat fashion and cyber goth in the same group. During the last few years, Gothic & Lolita has become famous. Unfortunately there aren’t many shops, most of them sell cosplay outfits. You can find goth and loli accessories without many troubles, but for dresses, the web is still the best way.

La Carmina: Has the fashion scene changed a lot?

Aphasia: Yes it is, but because of internet, now you can see and choose clothing, and get input from the foreign scenes.

La Carmina: Can you recommend some Milan / Italy-based Gothic clothing brands, designers and shops?

Aphasia: For alternative shops, goods, clothes etc. you can’t miss Corso Porta Ticinese. It’s a street in the middle of Milan that will bring you to Duomo. This part of the town is where alternatives people meet, and there are many types of shops, low-cost bars and pubs.

La Carmina: What is the Italian Goth clubs scene like?

Aphasia: One of the most important alternative/goth club is the BLACK HOLE. This is my favorite; it’s not in the center of town but not far either. Zoe Club is the bigger alternative club in town. Then there’s the Shelter Club: this one is out of Milan, not easy to reach, but important for dark and new wave culture. Black Circus is good too. At these events, you will see dark, loli, goth, cyber styles all together.

La Carmina: What do you predict for the dark fashion / scene in Milan and Italy? Is it growing, changing?

Aphasia: I love Japanese brands so it’s quite difficult to answer. But things are always changing –  it’s always so, isn’t it?

La Carmina: Thank you, my dark Lady, for the interview. Sebastiano Serafini and I can’t wait to check out Milan’s darkest haunts. As always, I’ll have photos and stories for you on my Goth culture and fashion blog.

Ciao, ciao!
XXX LA CARMINA XXX
http://www.lacarmina.com/

(The first 2 photos are by La Carmina. The last 3 photos in this post are courtesy Shelter Club.)

Japan is ground zero for my work (in writing and TV hosting) and some of my closest friends. So it’s been personally devastating to see the crisis unfold after the 9.0 earthquake and and tsunami.

There’s only one thing on my mind: taking action for the sake of the victims. Sebastiano Serafini got on a flight to Los Angeles, and we immediately set our minds on how to help Japan.

Every single day,  we have been sponsoring events and collecting donations, in Los Angeles. Here’s a diary of our charity work (with more photos and reports on La Carmina blog). We hope you’ll join us in helping Japan recover.

March 15: Mr Black club organizer Luke Nero and hostess Lenora Claire inviting us to set up a donation table at their Tuesday night party. We collected funds for Doctors Without Borders, and posed with the Japan flag with musicians Bishi and Semi Precious Weapons.

CLICK for more photos from Mr. Black

March 16: Band Black Veil Brides was in Tokyo when the earthquake hit. Despite the constant aftershocks, they still put on a show that night and made it back to LA safe. The group is keen to support Japan’s recovery, so I interviewed Ashley Purdy about their earthquake experience for Huffington Post.

CLICK for the full interview and more Black Veil Brides photos

March 17: Since we were hosting many nonprofit events, we decided to make a visual statement… by dying our hair red, in support of Japan! Our friends at Toni & Guy, who also styled us for the NOH8 campaign, generously did our hair for the charitable cause. (All week long, I’ve been rocking my Lip Service Dark Delphina jacket, pictured above!)

CLICK for more red hair photos

March 18: Seba and La Carmina sponsored the Q Pop art auction for Japan in Little Tokyo. There was a terrific turnout and colorful crowd, as well as musical performances. All proceeds from the sale of the artwork (from artists like Junko Mizuno) went to select local hospitals, shelters, and relief groups in all affected areas in Japan.

CLICK for a full report of the Q Pop fundraiser

March 19: We teamed up to sponsor an art benefit. It was awesome to see readers come to the events — we always love meeting you!

CLICK for more art & fashion event pics

Liz from LA Weekly interviewed La Carmina and Sebastiano about their experiences with the Japan earthquake, and the efforts we’ve been making to raise funds and awareness. The article and 33-photo slideshow are posted here.

Our work for Japan has only begun. Sebastiano co-founded the Hope project with Like Atmosphere (a Japanese fashion brand he models for). He will be the main model for a line of t-shirts, with proceeds going to the victims of the Japanese tsunami and earthquake. La Carmina and Seba are the inspiration for the t-shirt above, designed by Alice and the Cat. The charity shirts will be available for sale soon; please check back to be the first to know.

Thanks to everyone who has shared their stories with me. It’s going to be a long and hard road to recovery, and Japan needs all the support it can get. So let’s pitch in and keep the momentum going.

For more info about how to help Japan, please visit La Carmina blog.