Liz OhanesianCheck out more photos in Shannon Cottrell's Pacific Media Expo slideshow.
Last weekend at Pacific Media Expo, we flipped over Takuya Angel. The Japanese designer/DJ works with his wife Akiko to create unusual pieces that cross over between the wa (traditional Japanese) and cyber styles popular in Tokyo clubs.
Amongst the more popular items at PMX were the deco eyelashes worn by Akiko Angel in the above photo. The eyelashes varied in price, typically between $25 and $45 depending on the intricacies of the design. Each set is handmade by Akiko and features embellishments like bows and hearts.
Takuya Angel's butterfly mask; Credit: Shannon Cottrell
The PMX crowd went crazy for Takuya Angel's accessories, like this mask worn by a sales person at the convention. The masks are usually designed in a butterfly style and come in a wide variety of colors. Other popular items included fake fur gloves that resemble bear claws and the claw scarf shown here. We saw DJ Sisen (who works at Takuya Angel's boutique) wearing a pair of the gloves last year when he stopped by LA club Tune in Tokyo.
Kynt and Vyxsin on the catwalk; Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Save for t-shirts and socks, everything from Takuya Angel is handmade. His outfits are crafted from vintage kimono fabric as well, making each piece unique. We met up with goth models Kynt and Vyxsin, who walked the catwalk for Takuya Angel, after Sunday's fashion show. Though both had seen Takuya Angel designs before, this was the first time they had the chance to try on his fashions.
“It's fierce,” says Vyxsin of her outfit for the show. “It's super well made and surprisingly comfortable.”
“He builds a lot of pieces using classics like the kimono,” says Kynt, adding that he transforms the classics into something “colorful, futuristic.”
Takuya Angel; Credit: Shannon Cottrell
While we dig Takuya Angel's outrageous style, we love that he DJs his own shows. His style is essentially a cross between hard, German-style techno and industrial sounds. He often plays at Tokyo Decadence parties, which are major goth and cyber bashes in the city (Check out La Carmina's Tokyo Club Guide for more information). He also produces his own tracks. I picked up one of his CDs at PMX's Takuya Angel pop-up shop.
Takuya Angel fashion show; Credit: Shannon Cottrell
There is but one Takuya Angel boutique and, unfortunately, it's in Tokyo. To lay a little more disappointment on fashionistas, we were informed that they do not ship to the US. However, Takuya Angel does make appearances at anime and Asian pop culture conventions in the States armed with a shop full of items. (After this article was published, we learned that certain items are available to US customers through Takuya Angel's web shop.)
Takuya Angel fashion show; Credit: Shannon Cottrell
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