I can’t help myself. I love all things inspired by Japanese Pop culture. I joke that in my next life I want to come back as a Japanese girl and my Asian friends have dubbed me an “honorary Asian.” Remember when Gwen Stefani had that Harajuku obsession? It’s something like that…
I think it must stem from being an 80’s kid and Hello Kitty being such a big deal when I was growing up. Ever since then, bright colored, cartoony characters have always appealed to me. I mean who doesn’t love the smell of a Sanrio store? I try to incorporate Japan Pop where I can; from my Sanrio pens and pencils at work (no one wants to steal those!) to my tokidoki Tiger sneakers. And although it has a deeper meaning than just a cute design, I also have a tokidoki character tattoo. Hands down, my favorite contemporary artist is Takashi Murakami with his trippy, yet adorable characters that adorn gallery walls and my only two Louis Vuitton bags. One of his signature pink cherry blossoms also has a permanent home on my skin.
Fortunately, there are a number of fun events, especially here in So Cal that revolve around this much-adored genre of pop culture. Here are a few of my favs over the years.
The 1st ever Hello Kitty Con in L.A.’s Little Tokyo |
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PC: Honey & Butter’s facebook page |
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Recent tokidoki event at Honey & Butter Macarons at The Irvine Spectrum |
Hello Kitty Cafe in Arcadia, Irvine, or Rancho Cucamonga |
Art of Takashi Murakami |
Hello Kitty’s 30th birthday tea and art show in Culver City |
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