#tekko 2017

[newtypezaku]

The schedule is live (in yet another terrible app that I'm uninstalling as soon as the con is over) so I can officially say what panels @lindoreda and I are running at Tekko this year.

Shoujos for Broujos (10:30 AM Sunday, Panel 5): We last did this at... Colossalcon in 2017, maybe? In the before times when we were still going to that shitshow? So we've completely redone this thing. We'll talk about of the stuff we've watched in the last five years, power-rank the love interests, and opine on what shoujo lately is actually good... plus one or two subsegments because maybe I need to shoehorn in some gay robots.

Japan Off the Beaten Path (11:30 AM Sunday, Panel 5): If you like listening to us talk for two hours straight, good news, they put both of our panels back to back in the same room! If you saw us at Ohayocon last year (but not this year, because solidarity), then there's not really anything new here. But if you haven't, then yeah, come listen to us talk about tourism in Japan and why you should kinda maybe stop going to Kyoto. I promise that there will be Gunma propaganda.

There will be Maomao cosplay on Saturday. Assuming my thing fits, I haven't actually tried it on yet.

[draconic-absurdism]

These are the only surviving full-suit photos of Cyril the light dragon, my personal suit I wore to Tekko in... 2017, I believe? This was my first digitigrade suit. They're a 3/4s suit with a floor dragging tail, and man was that thing heavy

Unfortunately it was not well crafted since I was only 16 when I made it, so the arms and legs fell apart. I still use this character as a Spyro OC, so I will be totally refurbishing the head to sell, as it's still in good shape :D

[rainedragon]

At Tekko a couple years ago, one of the new designers, Honoka, was a guest and she mentioned that she likes high waist dresses, so that might explain some of the nonprint high waist dresses. High waist dresses are also on trend in China which is a large market for AP. It's worth noting that Honoka is not a print designer as far as I know, their primary print designer is still Maki, as far as I know. If she's not, they have hired someone phenomenally good at mimicking her art style. I think they have one other beyond her other than Imai Kira because they sometimes have things that look like vector traced photos? But I'm not 100% certain. I do think Maki might be a bit burnt out. I think some of the changes to design over the past few years probably have to do with global supply chain issues and the weak yen. AP can't raise their prices too much without alienating their local customer base, but they also have to import a lot of what they use, which means weak yen really hurts their bottom line.

But back on to the art direction. The really old catalogs used to have Candy as the art director, and she left AP, but the catalog style changed long before Candy left.

I would say the general catalog style started changing around 2012 and by 2014 was fully into pouty mode.

Like these are from a 2014 AP catalog, while this below is from a 2017 GLB. AP changed their own print materials to pouty mode long before the GLB went out of print.

That said, AP does do print advertisements in Larme still, as well as the special Spoon issues each year. I'd say the vibe of their catalogs now matches the vibes of Larme... which matches the vibes of Risa and actress Tina Tamashiro who frequently model for them in spoon. (Her insta handle is Tinapouty. I did not know this until this moment... but... fitting)

Like this is from a Spoon Special which theoretically AP should have had creative control for:

But it looks like Larme. All the brands' Larme adverts look more gritty and pouty like this, including Baby and Meta, from what I've seen.

But my Larme magazines evaporated and I don't have the energy to figure out where I put them, sorry ^^;

I have noticed that one of their newer model Kawamura Kokoa, is a lot more expressive in photos? I'm tentatively hopeful that this could mean at least some more happy photos?

I do kind of wonder if their choice of more French/High Fashion art direction is because they are using Tina (mainstream actress) and Risa (child of mainstream actors) as their models, and not because the GLB is out of print. (Kera is basically dead too, they haven't posted new content in over a year). If Risa and Tina want to look cool then the high fashion type angle makes sense? Rumor has it that Asuka has taken over for the founder Honda, and Asuka always used to be very OTT, so I don't know if that might lead to a change? Or if Asuka and Maki are looking at their aging demographic (as they themselves are aging) and are trying to appeal to a demographic that is a little older by trying to look more cool / high fashion?

Hi~

I saw your post about how lolita fashion (and ads for it) have changed in the last few years, especially for Angelic Pretty, and I agree completely!

I think the lack of creative ads these days might be b/c Gothic & Lolita Bible isn't around anymore? (cries) and Kera went purely digital ages ago, I don't know if it's even still around (I should have kept my old Kera magazines). But I remember how I always used to look forward to seeing the clothes and layouts that were featured in the new issues of each magazine.

My favorite when I first got into lolita was from the Wedding issue of the English edition of GLB; a model for Baby was wearing a lovely, tulip print skirt (or was it the jsk?) in blue, holding a parasol and sitting at a cafe table. Something about her looked so sweet and simple; I wanted to be a lolita just like that!

The models in the magazines always looked like they were happy or having fun, which I think is part of what made me want certain dresses or blouses. In AP's current ads, the model just looks... kinda sad and pouty and bored. I've noticed that for a lot of their dresses, they've been skimping on the lace, frills, and ribbons, and there's no more cute hair styles either! Meanwhile, wasn't it AP that brought lolita from old school to New School / OTT sweet when they had models wearing pastel pink / blue wigs for their Mermaid Symphony (iirc) photoshoot back in 2007?

On a different, but kinda related note, I've noticed that in the past 5 years or so AP has been making a lot of dresses with ridiculously high waists.... also so many sack dresses (I know they started doing this back in like 2012 or so with that polka-dot M&M print dress)

Sorry for the long rant, I just really miss the old days of lolita fashion

hello there!

i'm always glad to have some feedback when i post rambles and thoughts on things. i never expect it, so thank you for your input! it's also comforting to know others feel the same way.

i agree that without as many publications in general (especially physical) there's less of a reason to put as much effort into details, like the magazine spreads that were commonly done for example. most people get information on releases online these days, making physical catalogs a bit obsolete.. aside from collectors. i greatly miss all of the graphics and how inspirational everything felt back then, especially the little PNG pictures of items in catalogs.

you're completely right about pictures from GLB's and other magazines looking generally "happier" and more like daily life sort of pictures, like the one in the cafe you mention. that aspect of it appealed greatly to lifestyle lolitas! seeing a dress pictured in a "real life" situation rather than just a plain white background photoshoot picture makes a huge difference. it brings it to life, and makes it a lot easier to see yourself wearing it.

i think a big change in marketing is that AP doesn't cater as much to lifestylers.. and lolitas who are very much interested in the fashion beyond a surface level and see them as more than just clothes. all of the photos now actually feel like advertisements, when they used to also be appealing from a photography perspective. like they're only trying to sell you a product and not an experience, even if only visual. for me, that takes away from it a lot.. it almost feels as though that sense of community, and the acknowledgement that lolita is a subculture, is dwindling.

plus, it's definitely more than just presentation that's changed as you said. i feel as though the designs AP offers have been super uninspired compared to old releases. not as many details, not as much custom lace, and the general silhouettes becoming a bit lazy.. tons more, but i could go on for days. even the revamp and progression of the lyrical bunny mascot has felt a bit soulless. very sad to see, because i do agree that they were the brand to introduce OTT sweet in a revolutionary way.

as much as i gripe about old vs new AP changes, the positive side is that we can still look back fondly on the old era!

and no problem at all! it was nice to hear another perspective on this. ^^

[someawesomeamvs]

Note: Turn on CC for English lyrics

Warning: Violence, potential spoilers, potential seizure trigger, sexual imagery

Title: EXO-Monogatari

Editor: MrShmucker

Song: Monster

Artist: EXO

Anime: Kizumonogatari, Bakemonogatari

Category: Freestyle

Awards: Kawaii Kon 2017 - Finalist Tekko 2017 - Finalist Animazement 2017 - Finalist Otafest 2017 - Finalist

[stupidpop]

Is it narcissistic to want to print out a picture of yourself and frame it

[crimsonhawkecosplay]

THIS IS REINHARDT! AND I AM ESCORTING THE PAYLOAD!

My overwatch team at tekko was great, 10/10 would be the payload again. Mercy: @missalisu 76: @durskies Reinhardt: @crimsonhawkecosplay D.va: @2cutepandasian Genji: @emboardom Tracer: @buildaballroom

Photos by https://www.facebook.com/SaraLynnStudio/

[500daysofshayla]

dancing with the stars

[bedsafely]

Gonna be selling this as a ~holographic print~ at TEKKO 2017 in Pittsburgh!! Come say hi!

[chuwenjie]

I had such an amazing weekend at Tekko! It was a great first-time tabling experience and I got to meet so many incredibly nice people (some of whom knew me from the internet!) Leftover merch is now available in the store in limited quantites (<20 each!) Items may or may not get restocked so get stuff while you still can! http://chuwenjie.tictail.com/

[scarletdeathpro]

I love my boyfriend as Alucard Hellsing! I bet everyone else loves him too!

[intolertablepancake]

My favorite part of Tekko was being able to cosplay my favorite Steven Universe character

[kiichu]

ALRIGHT I JUST COULDN'T WAIT TO POST THIS 

I bought Ian Sinclair a Juzo Sakakura figure a few months back, and I’ve been waiting to meet him at Tekko to give it to him. I asked him if he could say something in Juzo’s voice for me, but he wasn’t sure we had time (he promised to do it outside the autograph room later if I wanted to though), so I just had him sign my poster with the words instead. But then I gave him the figure and he FLIPPED OUT - he was so excited! He was like “You know what, give me your phone!” and recorded this! 

[riyuski]

Tekko 2017-Alisaie Leveilleur - Final Fantasy XIV Heavensward
Cosplay - @riyuski
Photo - @yenra

[ohcheye]

Mount Lady

[someawesomeamvs]

Warning: Potential spoilers, potential seizure trigger

Title: Compliments

Editor: Cirera

Song: Give Me Compliments

Artist: Kollektivet

Anime: Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

Category: Comedy

Awards: Sakuracon 2017 - Finalist Tekko 2017 - Finalist Anime Boston 2017 - Finalist Tsukinocon 2017 - Finalist Animecon 2017 - Finalist

[theloversbox]

From Tekkocon, we found Kekistan's Patron Deity. Now, excuse me while I Shadily and REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!