October 21 was the third Saturday of the month, which meant it was time for Harajuku Day in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, California. The monthly event features a colorful array of kawaii vendors, as well as a secondhand swap meet for alternative Japanese fashion. This month’s theme was Halloween. Attendees were encouraged to dress up coordinates inspired by everyone’s favorite spooky holiday.
Outfits
Attendees did not disappoint with their outfits. There were lots of horror inspired make-up looks and plenty of gothic fashion on display. I was sitting behind a booth the whole day so I didn’t get to take my usual pictures and videos, but I enjoyed the parade of darker prints and haunting accessories.
BAK at HDLA
This month was a little different for me because I had a vendor table. I was representing Bay Area Kei and advertising our December event, Ursa Major. We had postcards and coloring supplies, featuring art from our talented BAK artist Misfortune. We also had scavenger hunt with prizes! Our grand prize ultimately went to a lolita and gyaru duo who completed every single challenge on our list. I got to chat with lots of people about the event and hopefully convinced a few people to join us for a weekend of J-fashion fun in San Francisco.
Trick or Treat
It wouldn’t be Halloween without trick or treating! 42lolita, a Taobao reseller (and long time shopping service), sponsored Harajuku Day, and provided a variety of items to the organizers. The organizers distributed the prizes to vendors so attendees could ask them “Trick or treat?” to receive a prize. This was a cute idea in theory, but I think a lot of attendees assumed the prizes would be gone by they talked to the vendors. In my case though, I had to beg someone to ask trick or treat so I could give away my prizes! (42lolita also sponsors me, so if you’d like to place an order with them, you can use my code LOVELYLACEANDLIES for 5% off your order. I get a small commission for every order placed this way!)
Background noise
Someone had thoughtful brought several backdrops for attendees to use for photos, including a petite tea set just big enough for two people. My friend helpfully reminded me to take some photos of myself, and the backdrops really made for cute photos!
Tabling at Harajuku Day was a different experience than just attending or even selling at the swap meet and by the end of the day I was exhausted. Hats off to the vendors who do this every month, they’re troopers.
Harajuku Day is the third Saturday of every month in the Little Tokyo Galleria. You can find more info on their website and on their social media pages.