Hello MahouPrince! We are really happy to have you with us today! You are a real inspiration for decora and fairy kei fans! The outfits you share are always so bright and fun! So, to start, tell us a little about you!
And I'm so happy that you're interviewing me! Thank you so much~Im very flattered (◡‿◡✿)
Well! Hello everyone, I'm Prince~ I'm a 19 year old pastel kid that resides in the United States. I love bright and colorful street fashions like fairy kei, decora, lolita, ect and overall I just like to have a lot of fun ;A; I watch a lot of anime and read a lot of comic books and although I spend most of my time working I hope to be able to pursue fashion as a career one day c: Thank you all so much for being interested in this interview about me~~! ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ
I think I would say my love of kawaii fashion really started with my love of anime... Or at least, that's really how I discovered it! I loved some of the cute outfits seen in a lot of popular anime and then my friend had introduced me into lolita fashion (it was all downhill from there! hah!). I was really curious so I read a lot of the Gothic Lolita Bibles and FRUiTS magazines and then ended up doing a school project on general harajuku fashion. I was really attracted to all of the colors and creativity and it just made me really happy.
Right now my biggest inspirations are Haruka Kurebayashi and a harajuku deco girl, Creamy Sauce! She has a really bright, fun style that's inspired me a lot in some of my most recent decora looks. I originally discovered her from Tokyo Fashion, but I also follow her on twitter~!
2. If you were asked to explain what is so great about wearing Kawaii/decora fashion to someone from another planet, what would you say?
Oh what a fun question! Well first I hope that alien speaks English! ╮(─▽─)╭
I think I would tell them that kawaii fashion is truly great because it spreads happiness wherever I go! All of the vibrant colors and cute accessories make me feel very magical- like I'm living in a fantasy world. I think at times life can get a little bland or boring, so these cute fashions really make living a fun adventure.
3. Can you tell us a nice memory you have linked to a particular outfit and why that memory is special?
You know, I had trouble picking a specific one because I have so many lovely memories paired with some super cute outfits- But I think if I had to decide on one I would pick one of my first few times wearing hime fashion~! Some of my friends and I got together for dinner at my favorite japanese restaurant to celebrate my birthday, and it was genuinely such a heart warming experience. To spend the evening with all of those cuties that I really care about made the experience so worthwhile~ It was also really cool because we are essentially all apart of different harajuku sub-fashions? (for ex: one friend was in a creepy cute decora look, my girlfriend was in lolita, I was in gyaru ect)
Oh and if you're wondering heres a couple photos of the look~ c;
4. What is your experience of other people within the Kawaii community?
I have met so many different kinds of people in the Kawaii Community! I'm happy to say that so far my experience with everyone has been almost all positive. Of course occasionally you'll meet people who don't just click with you, but besides that I've found myself meeting some truly extraordinary people and I'm really blessed to have made some strong friendships along the way. I think the most exciting thing about all of the different people is the fact that everyone brings something really unique to the community. There are so many different kinds of kawaii fashions and so many unique styles and it's a really great experience to learn and be inspired by the different people that I've met.
5. If you had the chance to wear any piece of clothing/any outfit on earth, what would it be?
Oh gosh, anything on earth...? That's a lot of different options! Well... It may seem a little lame if I can really choose anything, but I would probably wear Vivienne Westwood's Melissa Winged Rocking Horse Shoes- in a heartbeat, actually! Even though they're extremely accessible (comparatively to some things, that is) I have so much trouble finding them in my size and they've been my dream shoes for years now! I would be so happy if I could finally own them~
I've thought about this question a lot and oh gosh I have no idea. Could transporting myself into video games be considered a super power? Because if so I'd definitely love to do that ლ(́◉◞౪◟◉‵ლ)
7.Okay, so a little more personal. We and your fans understand you call yourself "genderqueer" (for those who don't know this means someone prefers to not be called he or she and feel more comfortable not in one or the other). For anyone else out there who might feel the same as you do, or thinks they might be "genderqueer" too, can you tell us a little about your journey?
Ah, yeah sure! Honestly if I were to discuss my full journey it would be way too long of an answer so I'll try to sum it up a bit! I guess growing up there was something that always felt a little... different. And truly it's hard to piece together with words, but for a while I just felt very out of place with my peers and I guess I felt out of place in my own body as well. And unfortunately as a kid there was never really a word for being genderqueer. Of course people were feeling similarly to me, but it wasn't until these past few years that I discovered my gender was really a thing (and I wasn't.. crazy?)- and it made me feel a little more comfortable, a little more safe. Essentially, I feel like as a child we're taught that there are two genders and gender is very black and white: male, and female. But with gender (just as sexuality!) there's a lot of grey area and I always fell in the grey area.
There are many different branches and subcategories when it comes to nonbinary gender but personally for me I'm still a little grey. I definitely don't identify as female so to keep it simple I just have everyone use "they/them/their" pronouns when referring to me.
So far all of my friends have been incredibly supportive and try their best to recognize my gender. There are definitely days when I feel defeated, but..! Just like many other things, my gender is simply another thing that I have yet to explore. There's no rush, and I'm okay with that.
8. Has Kawaii fashion helped you? And if so how?
Kawaii fashion has helped me in many different ways, but when it comes to gender I'm not so sure. In the beginning to be quite honest, it really confused me further. I guess growing up in a traditional household I felt like only girls could appreciate such cute fashions... Well! Hah! How different am I now! Today I'm a huge advocate of the idea that all types of people should be able to dress in cute no matter what.
When it comes to other areas of my life though, kawaii fashion has made me more confident and has increased my self-love and self-worth.
9. What advice would you give anyone who feels they might be "genderqueer"?
First: What you're feeling is not wrong. You are not wrong.
As I said earlier that was a huge issue for me in the beginning- I really just did feel wrong. A little crazy, even. But it's perfectly alright to be questioning your gender! If you're feeling like you might be genderqueer there is nothing wrong with exploring a little further and testing out your feelings. Nobody can really tell you if you are or aren't but it might help talking it out with a friend if you're not sure. And if you are sure and you know for a fact you're genderqueer, then hell keep doing what you're doing and be the fabulous person that you are ;3; You know, every single person is incredibly unique. And I don't want to sound too corny (although I know I've sounded amazingly corny in other parts of the interview already) but the cool thing about being human is that we're all born so different and we grow up to be such incredible individuals. It's perfectly fine not to fit in the gender binary. As long as you're being you that's all that matters.
As I said earlier that was a huge issue for me in the beginning- I really just did feel wrong. A little crazy, even. But it's perfectly alright to be questioning your gender! If you're feeling like you might be genderqueer there is nothing wrong with exploring a little further and testing out your feelings. Nobody can really tell you if you are or aren't but it might help talking it out with a friend if you're not sure. And if you are sure and you know for a fact you're genderqueer, then hell keep doing what you're doing and be the fabulous person that you are ;3; You know, every single person is incredibly unique. And I don't want to sound too corny (although I know I've sounded amazingly corny in other parts of the interview already) but the cool thing about being human is that we're all born so different and we grow up to be such incredible individuals. It's perfectly fine not to fit in the gender binary. As long as you're being you that's all that matters.
I will eat literally almost anything (within my diet that is! I can't eat wheat or milk ;3;) but the one thing I cant stand are tomatoes please don't feed me tomatoes I may cry ;__; For my favorite foods though! I love tacos, tator tots, and thai red curry! It's really just a coincidence that everything happens to start with the letter 't' I don't know how that happened *o*
Lately my go-to cartoon has been Bob's Burgers~! It always cheers me up~! But I usually end up curling under my blankets and rewatching favorite series like Paradise Kiss, K-On!, ect on a bad day ; u ;
12. What kind of things inspire you to create your amazing outfits/how do you put things together?
Right now I'm really into the kawaii sub-fashion mahou kei! It's a fashion similar to fairy kei but with more magical girl themes and so lately my biggest inspiration for my coordinates have been magical girls! I like to imagine what I might look like if I had a magical girl transformation and try to coordinate around that. ಥ⌣ಥ
13. If you had 3 versions of yourself, what careers would you follow?
That's actually really ironic because originally during school I was trying to pick between three different majors- painting, illustration, or fashion design! I could definitely imagine myself going down either three of those paths- but If I was to choose 3 very different versions of myself... One would be who I am now pursuing fashion and illustration- another I think I would probably pursue floriculture and create vast gardens! And lastly I would probably want to be a baker and have a cute sweets shop ;A;
14. Do you have a favorite accessory out of all of your super cute stuff? If so what is it and why? (you can link me a pic)
Oh yes I definitely do~! My favorite accessory is this huge bow I actually bought off of lolita sales! It's made by Candyholic but honestly I'm not quite sure if their shop still makes anything ;3; This is what it looks like~ (As a heads up: the photo actually does not belong to me! I only have pictures of me wearing it in decora so this is the photo that Cadney used when I purchased it from her. I hope that's alright!)But you'll definitely see me sporting it in almost all of my decora looks. Its so huge an OTT that it feels like it was made for me~! My most recent use of it was at Zenkaikon 2014 ;^;
15. Finally, what would you say to anyone interested in kawaii fashion/culture who might be nervous to start?
To anyone interested in kawaii fashion~! I know it's definitely a bit scary to start, but I can honestly say these fashions have brought me a lot of joy. I think it's really important in life to pursue what will make you happy regardless of what people tell you because your own happiness is truly important! If you're too afraid to make a bold start you can always begin by slowly incorporating kawaii culture into your life one step at a time. And remember! Have fun with it~! Experiment with different things and find what works best for you. I'm not going to lie- you will definitely come across people that don't appreciate your style but at the end of the day it's your own opinion of yourself that matters. So~! Have fun! Be creative~ (and maybe a little crazy~) Never take yourself too seriously~~ (≧◡≦)
Thank you so much for answering, we can't wait to hear/see/and read more from you! Please continue to inspire us with your magical outfits! And speaking of which, here are a few more of Prince's amazing co-ords to admire!
Follow Here! <3
Follow Here! <3
