1. Where would you say your love of Kawaii fashion came from/started, and who is your biggest inspiration right now?
I can't remember a time where I didn't love cute things! From the first day I started highschool I loved to tie up my hair in pigtails with faux flowers and write down all my schoolwork with kawaii pink stationary. Even when I was as young as 4, I was drawing cute girls and teddies in frilly dresses which looked very similar to lolita fashion. When I discovered the style had an actual name, it was a dream come true because it suddenly meant that I could search for these clothes and wear them myself!
2. If you were asked to explain what is so great about wearing Lolita Fashion to someone from another planet, what would you say?
Lolita fashion is the style of a girl's childlike dreams, full of fantasy and whimsy. When you wear lolita fashion you feel at least a little bit magical. A lot of girls and women wear lolita fashion because it helps them feel like a princess, which can really help boost their self confidence and get in touch with their femininity. On that note, some guys also enjoy wearing it because of that reason. There are many different styles of lolita fashion, ranging from a sugary sweet look to a sombre gothic look; but they all help people connect with the particular identity of girlishness, ornate clothing and lovely things.
3.If this same alien abducted all of your possessions, but let you keep 3 things what would they be?
That's a really hard question because I am a materialistic person. I sincerely hope their spaceship has room for all my plushies! The 3 most important items to me are my pink Nintendo 3DS, my computer because I do all my creative work on it, and my childhood teddy which is a little white puppy.
4. Can you tell us a nice memory you have linked to a particular Kawaii outfit and why that memory is special?
I have lots of happy memories with kawaii fashion! But a really special one I will never forget was a casual outfit: a white Fairy Kei t-shirt with 80's Barbie fabric sewn on the front with a lace border, a pink pleated schoolgirl miniskirt with matching pink bowtie, white knee socks with little pink teddy bears and balloons on, baby pink sneakers, and my hair was tied up in pigtails with pink heart hair-ties. The memory was special because it was the weekend of my 23rd birthday and my boyfriend took me to the fairground near my house, and it was so super sunny and pretty and we had to walk through the cherry blossom trees to get there. All the pretty pink cherry blossom petals were raining down over us and it was so dreamlike. I had lots of fun playing games at the fairground and eating a candy apple, then later we had ice cream together. Hehe!
5. What is your experience of other people within the Kawaii community?
I have made so many friends through the kawaii community, it's amazing! And I get to talk with people with the same interests on a daily basis. Almost all the people I talk to have been super kind and supportive, and I get a very large amount of younger people asking me for advice on how to join in with the whole kawaii culture. What I love best about the Kawaii community is that everybody loves sharing links and reviews on where to buy cute things, so everybody can wear what they like and be happy- there's definitely no "you can't copy my style so don't wear the same thing as me" vibe, instead we embrace awesome things like twinning!
6. If you had the chance to wear any piece of clothing/any outfit on earth, what would it be?
Glinda, the Good Witch of the North's pink, glittery, super-puffy fairy dress from The Wizard of Oz movie (complete with bubble).
7. If you could live anywhere in the world for a month where would you go?
I know everybody can see this coming- JAPAN! I love so, so many parts of their culture and lifestyle. I would totally explore every nook and cranny of Harajuku's fashion stores, go to Akihabara and Otaroad for all the anime merchandise and to dine at the maid cafés, eat udon and sushi at a restaurant, walk through the pretty gardens and watch the koi fish, play at the arcades and win plushies from the claw machines, visit Tokyo Disneyland and Sanrio Puroland, try lots of japanese sweets and desserts, and the last thing I absolutely MUST do is visit Rabbit Island, an island overrun with thousands of adorable bunnies you can hand feed!
8. We and your fans know that you live with M.E, and we think you are a real inspiration, not just to kawaii girls, but indeed to many people who deal with painful/troublesome conditions. Has kawaii fashion and culture helped you through the tough times, and what advice would you give to others, who are maybe having a tough time with an illness/mental health issue or otherwise?
I would say it definitely has! "Kawaii" is usually heavily emphasised with positivity and soothing feelings; e.g. kawaii things in Japan are used all the time to create a happy and non-intimidating atmosphere. Even people who aren't part of the kawaii scene know the wonderful feeling you get from cuddling a cute cat. It's about lowering stress, promoting happiness and creating a feeling of safety, and I think that's a really important aspect of therapy when you have a chronic illness (physical or mental). Cuddle your favourite plushies, watch cartoons and Disney movies, play cute and gentle simulation games like Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon, listen to happy and upbeat music, eat and drink from cute plates and cups (or better yet, made cute bento lunches if you feel like you can! I use moulds shaped like bunnies, hearts and stars which make things much easier)- and of course find super kawaii yet comfortable clothes you can lounge and sleep in.
9. Okay! Back to the fun questions! Favourite foods? And a food you HATE!
I have a massive sweet tooth, especially for desserts- like cakes, pastries, puddings, tarts, etc! My favourite cake is strawberry gateau, made with fresh cream. However I also really love healthy food- I'm particularly passionate about veggies and I eat a mainly vegetarian diet (no meat except fish sometimes). A vegetable I really don't like would be aubergine though, icky!
K-On!, a slice of life anime about cute girls doing cute things and having a cute friendship together. I always end up watching it when I'm feeling super ill and it cheers me up so much. All the characters are just so adorable and funny. Yui, the main character, is the girl I relate to the most from any anime! Except she usually gets bad grades, and I sure don't haha.
11. Tough one, Hello Kitty or Rillakumma?
I pick Hello Kitty. I love how all her merchandise is so round, girly and soft-looking. Even Hello Kitty toasters and phones look like big round pieces of candy!
12. If you had 3 versions of yourself, what careers would you want to follow?
One would be a toy maker, one would work at a maid café, and one would be a freelance digital artist! I am already two of these things, can you guess which ones?
13. Finally, what would you say to anyone interested in kawaii fashion/culture who might be worried or self-conscious?
Part of kawaii culture is about embracing the style you like and going against the grind! It's important that you remind yourself that you will stand out from the crowd and you will get stares, but try to treat that as a positive thing- you are interesting, different and cute! You are showing you have the bravery to express yourself the way you want, and anybody that scorns you for doing so is not worth your time of day. The more confidence you have, the better you will look.
So, that concludes our Q&A with the lovely Princess Peachie! We hope you enjoyed our interview as much as we did! And remember ~ let us know who you want us to interview next! And we'll do our best to bring you answers to the questions you are dying to ask your idols!
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