The Gothic Lolita Bible
Honestly, the best way to sum up the Gothic & Lolita Bible, is to say “Hey, this book combines two of the most attractive things to alt chicks out there, –good writing and elaborate (expensive) costume fashion!” Which is essentially what the book is; it’s like a way better version of Cosmo, but for people capable of logical reasoning and abstract thought. It also gives tips on how to properly behave as a Lolita, or Gothic Lolita; manners, etiquette, conversation. Plus, it contains articles for the lolita inclined, short stories and poetry, interviews with celebrities in alternative cultural circles.
The issues are called “mooks” –magazine/book, –and they were first produced in Japan by Index Creations in 2001, after being thought up by the mind of Mana, musician and producer, and superstar of the Loli scene in Japan. The mook is a spin-off of the Japanese fashion magazine Kera, –and if it wasn’t for Mana the GLB would never have made it to the shelves of Japan, let alone all the way across the ocean to bookstores in the US. Eventually, however, there did become a demand for the GLB in the US, once the Lolita fashion trend began to grow.
The English language version began being published, but not until a few years later, which meant that most of the articles and interviews were re-runs. But they did add original content about American fashion trends and events, so it wasn’t like reading Italian Vogue, and being totally stumped, but still awed by glossy fashion insanity. As it stands now, each quarterly volume of GLB is updated, –the English issues are relevant to the US and the Japanese issues are relevant to Japan. You can buy the GLB online in a variety of different sites, collect special issues on eBay or Amazon, or subscribe directly on Tokyopop, the company responsible for American distribution.
The synopsis of the GLB listed on Tokyopop reads:
“More than any other publication, Gothic & Lolita Bible has played an instrumental role in defining the Japanese Lolita style. A quarterly mook (magazine/book hybrid) that’s a combination fashion magazine, culture guide, and art book, the Bible caters to fans of two separate but related fashions: Gothic and–to a greater extent–Lolita. Volume 1 of the U.S. edition offers content from four volumes of this definitive Japanese mook for the first time in English, along with exciting original content covering the Gothic and Lolita culture in North America.”
Sounds exciting! If you’re an aspiring English-speaking Lolita, or just interested in the fashion culture, you should check it out today. Besides, the GLB doesn’t just focus on strictly Gothic Lolita fashion. It puts more focus on Lolita fashion as a whole, since it’s more popular than just focusing on one of its substyles. Still, Gothic Lolita fashion is a big part of the mook. So check it out sometime; even if you’re just buying it for the pictures!
