#Novala Takemoto

[fyeahlolita]

From a 2010 folder of Kamikaze Girls screengrabs.

[bitteryule]

handmade look & my novala takemoto x baby the stars shine bright necklace ₊˚⊹ (at the rdrr tea party a few years ago)

[cherrydoll39]

Usakumya coin purse (2016) and kamikaze girls book by novala takemoto

[girlyholic]

Not directly related to the theme of this blog, but Novala Takemoto's novel "Happiness" just got a manga adoption and is also getting a movie in May sponsored by Innocent World.

In case someone doesn't know the plot, the girl is dying from an illness and wants to live her remaining time as her true self wearing Lolita fashion.

[oldschool-lolita-archive]

Sakumaru wears Baby’s skull queen sailor blouse with tie in white. It was released as part of a collaboration between BTSSB and Novala Takemoto.

Edit: new photo added

[bonbow]

I found out (late) about this new movie with a lolita gir called Happiness. It's based on Novala Takemoto's book with the same name. According to google translate the girl has a week left to live and spends it making happy memories.

[cadence4801]

Does anybody have a repository of Novala Takemoto's essays that are translated....I'm begging for my life please....

[engshoujosei]

Kamikaze Girls

1 Volume

Licensed by Viz Media

Momoko is a "Lolita" stranded in the boondocks of rural Ibaraki prefecture, although she'd much rather be living in the Palace of Versailles. Ichigo is an impulsive member of a girls-only biker gang who firmly believes in honor, loyalty, and fist fighting. Together this unlikeliest of duos strikes out on a journey to find a legendary embroiderer who might just be able to make their dreams come true. Also in this series are two original stories by Yukio Kanesada, Koyubi-hime and its sequel, Nakayubi-hime.

Status in Country of Origin 

1 Volume (Complete)

Tags:

Adapted to Live Action

Ballet

Based on a Movie

Based on a Novel

Countryside

Crude Female Lead

Delinquent/s

Fashion Lolita/s

Friendship

Loner Protagonist

Modeling

Motorcycle/s

Older Male Younger Female

Opposites Attract

Romance Ending with Second Lead

Twin/s

[hyallulonelyhime]

Takemoto Novala Hello Kitty Pour Lolita Gothic Edition - 1st Edition

White edition.

Punk edition.

harajuku hello kitty.

Images found in http://theosakakoneko.blogspot.com/2010/03/lets-talk-about-hello-kitty.html.

[cynicalneoprincessism]

Casual outfits from the 2nd half of 2024. The first 2 are the best, hence why they're bigger lol.

Outfit rundowns under the cut~

Outfit 1 - Kinda Gothy:

Coat - Maxicimam Hoodie - Novala Takemoto Dress - Thrifted Socks - Ebay Shoes - Roxy (vintage)

Outfit 2 - The Missing Railway Child:

Hat - Jane Marple (vintage) Blouse - Primark Dress - Vintage Bag - Thrifted Shoes - UNIF

Outfit 3 - Oversized Sailor Collar Jacket:

Jacket - I don't remember, it was a Japanese brand tho Tshirt - Sex Pot Revenge Shoes - Angelic Imprint

Outfit 4 - Titty top:

Hat - H&M... maybe... I think Tshirt - Etsy Undershirt - Primark Skirt - Primark Shoes - Doc Marten (vintage)

Outfit 5 - Not Sure The Jacket Really Goes:

Jacket - Punkyfish (vintage) [I might sell this] Tshirt - Etsy (customised) Skirt - Vintage Shoes - Doc Marten (vintage)

[sweetteabirdie]

💗🤍”Lolitas do not recognize any authority. They follow only the values they have chosen for themselves, regardless of what anybody might say” - Novala Takemoto🤍💗

Jsk - @bodyline_tokyo

Blouse - @bodyline_tokyo

Capelet - @bodyline_tokyo

OTK’s - Taobao.

Shoes - Aliexpress.

Headbow - @angelicpretty_official

[fyeahlolita]

This popped up in my memories on FB today and I figured I would share this bit of Lolita history that was shared with me a decade ago by a wildly controversial, but undoubtedly massively influential member of the community who was involved in a lot of early Lolita events in the US.

[lilac-nites]

Misako Aoki and Novala Takemoto were interviewed by Fashion Snap for the Happiness film. They talk about the fashion in the earlier years and how they feel about it now.

[jfashioncen]

How Kamikaze Girls (2004) Revolutionized Lolita

INTRODUCTION

Kamikaze Girls is a Japanese dramedy film released in 2004 based off of the 2002 light novel written by author and fashion designer, Novala Takemoto.

The story revolves around the unlikely bond formed between two high school girls: Momoko Ryugasaki, a lolita who is the daughter of a ex-gangster whom now gets along by scamming people with fake name brand items, and Ichigo "Ichiko" Shirayuri, a ヤンキー (Yankii, a young delinquent) from a motorcycle gang whom Momoko considers to be something of her antithesis.

They come to befriend each other after Ichiko gets impressed by the skills of Momoko's father's "business" as Momoko decides to sell some of her father's product off in order to be able to afford a dress from her favorite brand, Baby the Star's Shine Bright. The story itself follows the development of their friendship and their journey of self-discovery.

DESCRIPTION

In my opinion, the entirety of the story hinges on the fashion aspect. Momoko's ambitions begin from the fact that she lives in a small town known as Shimotsuma with around no one else her age or any interests like her--namely her obsession with the Rococo fashion era and thus lolita itself. She longs to not have to travel so far and extensively to reach her favorite brand's store and someone to share her interests with. This alongside her want of obtaining a new piece brings Momoko to meet Ichiko and what subconsciously makes her want to keep her around even though they appear opposites. The scene where Momoko twirls around in Baby the Star's Shine Bright's Elizabeth one piece in the red colorway really stood out me with the way it's had an outlasting on the lolita community.

To add a little bit of context, the way that lolita works as a fashion industry is that usually a new line/design is announced and preorders open for a limited amount of time, usually around 2-3 days. From there after preorders end and the dress is released, if they're extras that weren't preordered they go live on the website and placed within the physical store.

The thing about this process is that lolita lines rarely ever get a second drop, and if they do, it is usually on a strictly made to order basis for their most popular products. This causes the second hand market for lolita to really thrive and when people either move away from lolita as a fashion or are looking to make space in their wardrobe, they turn to second hand websites such as Mercari to sell them. And due to the process I described above, people are very eager to buy because that way they get access to releases from years ago that they weren't around for. With Momoko's almost entire wardrobe consisting of various classic Baby pieces, people are always eager to look for the pieces she has worn but especially so with the Elizabeth dress. Due to this, it rarely is sold off unless the person is looking to leave lolita. And if it's in the signature red as she wore it, it tends to price for large amounts.

Not only has she altered the way second hand items are valued and sold, she has also immortalized what's known as the classic and sweet style of lolita. With the rise of various new subgenres of lolita, Momoko's influence via the various coordinations within Kamikaze Girls keeps the original style of lolita fresh and attractive for many newer lolitas to still appreciate and enjoy. Just like Momoko, my favorite brand is also Baby the Star's Shine Bright and I'm a huge fan of the princess style that lolita encompasses. This connection that we share allows me to understand not only her feelings about isolation with how hard it is to meet others like her, but also the way she expresses herself via her identity as a lolita. Particularly, how much it means to her to be able to at least project parts of her personality onto others just by walking next to them. And even the way she's able to catch the attention of her first friend, Ichiko, from it as well.

ANALYSIS

Kamikaze Girls perfectly captures the feelings of isolation people feel when they're stuck in the small town they were born in, with no one around them that understands them. In this particular angle, Momoko uses her love of Rococo era fashion in order to let herself be heard--even if the only people hearing her are the older people in her town that coo over her eccentric style of dress.

Lolita has a subtle feminist aspect to it as it's meant for the wearer to embrace their own identity and reject the harsh stereotypes of what beauty is for a woman as defined by the patriarchy. Kamikaze Girls as a movie centering around lolita is no different. Although there are a couple of male characters around, it becomes clear that not only are they not the focus but neither is the hypothetical male viewer as the story is about the ways in which Ichiko and Momoko grows as individuals and use their fashion to express themselves and that growth.

CONCLUSION

Momoko's whimsical yet strong nature is portrayed through the shape of her dress, the lace of her parasol, and even the rocking horse shoes she walks miles in just to reach Shibuya from her small countryside town. However, with the way she stays true to herself and the voice she's crafted for herself through fashion, she befriends Ichiko. From there, her strong sense of self even helps Ichiko gain a stronger sense of self to the point that Ichiko begins modeling for a lolita brand herself by the end of the film. I 100% recommend the film, especially as a fun way to introduce yourself to lolita and japanese fashion subcultures as a whole. It's campy, it's funny, it's inspiring, and a pretty quick watch !

[screamoftolerance]

Novala Takemoto, author of Kamikaze Girls