While I’m definitely a classic lolita, I like my accessories and coordinates to have a little whimsical or horrifying edge to them. (That’s probably why I love the work of Lulu VanHoagland so much!) So when I saw the art and accessories of Yoshiko1113 on Instagram, I knew I had to have some.
Minne
Yoshiko1113’s items are avaliable on Minne where they go by the user name “Mystic”. Minne is like Japanese etsy, with a big focus on handmade and one of a kind pieces. As with many Japanese sites, there’s not a way to directly purchase from Minne, so I had to use a shopping service. You also have the option to use “WorldShopping” a proxy buying service built into the Minne website for international buyers. If you regularly purchase from Japan using a shopping service, it probably makes sense to use your own shopping service and just add these items on to a larger order.
Ordering process
My order contained three brooches with original art, styled in a sort of dark fairytale way. The brooches were priced between 1500 to 2300 yen. It was really hard to pick just a few though! Yoshiko1113’s art features a lot of Alice in Wonderland motifs, clowns, surreal nature motifs (think flower headed humans), celestial bodies, and Victorian inspired taxonomy drawings. The items are trimmed with lace or dripping with pearls.
Shipping
I placed my order with my shopping service on July 8, 2021. My items arrived to my shopping service July 16, 2021. The packaging I got was absolutely stunning, and even after shipping from my shopping service, the items were a treat to unbox. I also received a postcard/note from Yoshiko1113 with more of their art. Two of my brooches came nestled on shredded paper, backed on a clear plastic sheet with info about the item and wrapped in a small plastic accessory bag. One of them came in a small jewelry box.
Brooches
The brooches seem to be printed artwork topped with domed resign. Two of the items are at least two pieces with jump rings connecting them, allowing for movement when worn. The brooches attach on the back with a simple straight bar pin.
A word of warning: the first time I wore one of the pins, the straight bar came off of the pin and I also lost it. However, I holding a baby who was grabbing my dress, necklace, and hair, so I’m willing to chalk this up to user error and not a defect with the brooch. I’ll keep an eye on these pieces in the coming weeks and report back with additional news.
In person, these pieces are stunning. The art is amazing and the fact that I get to wear it is even better. The flower faced Alice and the goat skull girl both have striped socks, so I definitely think a matching coordinate will be in order! I will absolutely be ordering from Yoshiko1113 again and cannot wait to build more coordinates that show off these items.
You can find Yoshiko1113 on Instagram and purchase their art on Minne.
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