My First International Lolita Day Event

Before I go into details, I must say that it was an interesting and unexpected experience. So, let me start from the beginning.

The night before, I was figuring out whether or not I should wear a Lolita outfit. I heard there was going to be a storm, and I did not want the dress to get ruined. It took me quite some time to figure out what I wanted to do. My other dilemma was my uncertainty of which outfit to bring that will be convenient for me to carry. I know I wanted to wear an outfit that I have not worn, but which one! In the end, someone gave me a simple solution: if there is a bathroom, bring the dress and change there, and I settled with my two piece Qi Lolita outfit.

The next day, I wore the top, but rolled up the skirt and placed it in my book bag with my shoes. It will make changing much quicker. Then I took the train to Manhattan and walked to Kinokuniya. I walked to the second floor of the store, where the event is held, and it was packed with lots of chattering!

I went back downstairs and changed into my Qi Lolita attire. Then, it was off with my camera! There were so many people in different Lolita styles that I had no idea where to start. A friend of mine ended up following me where ever I was taking pictures: near the escalator and around the bookshelves. We both agreed that in the end, we were going to lose count and not remember who we took pictures of. We were right, because I ended up asking people, “Did I take a picture of you?” I am sure that I have missed many Lolita photo opportunities at the event. Seriously, there were a lot of people!

I have to say that I did not expect the attention that I received that day. I know from doing research online that there are people out there who do not consider Qi or Wa Lolita a style in the fashion. I have seen an online Lolita group that practically list what styles are not allowed and those that I mentioned are listed. Plus, there are not that many who are into Qi Lolita. Because of this, I went to the event with the mindset that no one will recognize the outfit.

Boy, was I wrong! While I was taking pictures, people were asking me for one. Strangely enough, the outfit, specifically the phoenix on the dress, got people’s attention. During the event, one of the young ladies seems to adore my outfit. How do I know? She shouted out “Qi Lolita” and hopped up and down in front of me. Yes, she was quite overjoyed.

Now here is the most surprising situation that happened to me. During the third panel, I was taking pictures of the lecture. Then I heard someone talking, but I could not hear what the person said nor by whom. All of a sudden the people in front of me made a walkway and the speaker was waving her hand at me. I had the most confused looked and asked “what??” I realized the speaker was asking me to go up to her. While walking to the speaker, I spotted the girl who I mentioned in the previous paragraph. I realized that she was the same person whose words I could not hear. She probably told the speaker that there is a Qi Lolita. As a result, my dress was presented as an example of that style.

Afterwards, I told a couple of my friends what had happened, and they said “You’re part of the community now.”
© 2010 Linda Thai

For more pictures, check out the Something Deeper: Anime, Manga and Comics Page on Facebook

Photography by Chet Royer and Linda Thai