La Carmina (http://www.lacarmina.com) is a professional coolhunter & trend consultant, Harajuku & alt fashion/subcultures blogger, travel TV host & arranger, author of 3 books (Penguin USA and Random House), and featured journalist for CNN and Huffington Post. She is the most popular English-language blogger and expert on Japanese Gothic Lolita Punk fashion and Visual Kei / J-rock. She has worked with h.NAOTO, Marui One, Miyavi, X Japan, Dir en Grey,Versailles and more. La Carmina runs a coolhunting / trend consulting / TV hosting and arranging company: La Carmina & The Pirates. The team specializes in cosplay, Goth, burlesque, LGBT, Jpop culture and youth subcultures. (http://www.lacarmina.com/pirates)
Her popular blog – www.lacarmina.com/blog – has been featured in major publications (The New Yorker, Washington Post, WWD, Cosmopolitan, Village Voice, Time Out New York, LA Times). She has appeared on The Today Show and co-hosted an episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern for Travel Channel, which airs in 75 countries. NHK Japan filmed a documentary about her work; recent TV hosting and arranging credits include Dutch Pepsi, Sony Australia, Canal Plus France, Norway TV and CNN International in Tokyo. She is in discussions with a major network and producer to host her own TV show.
mobileYouth: What keywords feature in your presentations these days?
La Carmina: Social media. Pirates. Let me explain: I run a coolhunting firm called La Carmina & The Pirates (http://www.lacarmina.com/pirates), with my “First Mate” Naomi Rubin. We have a huge network of insiders — designers, musicians, It Kids — that we call our “Pirates.” Everyone’s part of the same underground family, and helps provide access and information for our clients.
I don’t believe in surveys and focus groups. The real story lies in the individuals who — without being conscious of it — create and spread trends. If you’re part of the same friend circle, and connected via social media (Twitter, Facebook), then you’ll always be in the loop.
mobileYouth: What excites you about youth culture in Japan?
La Carmina: I love how Harajuku fashion is strongly connected to underground music and cultures, such as Goth and Punk. Tokyo street style is often inspired by Western pop culture and given a fascinating and uniquely Japanese twist. The youth culture — wild all-night fetish parties, cosplay gatherings, robot cafes — is strongly visual and over-the-top, which makes it electrifying to participate in.
mobileYouth: What emerging trends do you see within Japan’s youth culture breaking out soon?
La Carmina: My approach to coolhunting is to focus on the lifestyles/cultures/works/people that I’m personally passionate about. Ever since I was a teen, I gravitated towards alternative and Asian subcultures (Goth, Punk, retro, Jrock). I live and breathe this world, so it’s natural for me to pinpoint trends within it.
I see the most creative, experimental, DIY designs in Japan’s Goth/cyber/gay/alternative club scene. These ideas often begin underground, then rise to the surface (tomainstream stores and magazines).
mobileYouth: Which mobile companies (handsets and operators) in Japan really “get” youth (if any at all)?
La Carmina: All Japanese mobile companies have features targeted to youths. For example, the text messaging includes multiple options for emoticons, from smiley faces to colorful moving gifs. Japanese cells have their own email address, and features that make mobile blogging and uploading videos easy. Youths have even written popular novels using their cell phones!
mobileYouth: When you see how mobile brands in Japan communicate with youth –what could they improve?
La Carmina: Japanese cell phone technology is pretty much the gold standard for communication and youth-directed features. My only complaint would be regarding the cell contracts, which are inflexible, relatively expensive, and make switching carriers difficult.
Want the Latest Insights on Youth Mobile Culture?
Expert insights and unique online presentations by the mobileYouth team. From discussing Social Video to Social Media on mobile - we regularly share our latest research insights and findings. Find out how you can get access to to the Youth Mobile Culture Academy today by clicking here.
