Some people actively seek out new trends- others live them. Author / blogger / designer / illustrator / culture diva extraordinaire La Carmina falls into the latter category. Though not a trend spotter by trade, La Carmina immerses herself in new and awesome places, products, and activities on a daily basis.
La Carmina’s most recent achievement is the publication of her third book, Cute Yummy Time, which is filled with delicious food photos, adorable illustrations, and over 70 cute food recipes (my personal favorite: Mouse Macaroni and Cheese- a little mac and cheese mouse with cucumber limbs and a red lettuce eye patch!!!). The recipes are simple, doable (with more American-grocery-store-friendly ingredients), healthy, and DELICIOUS.
I was super excited to meet La Carmina at a recent Cute Yummy Time book signing in Washington, DC. As La Carmina is so close to a lot of new trends, I thought it would be awesome to interview her for Cultural Espionage. She was kind enough to indulge me! The Q&A follows:
How did you get started as an author / illustrator / photographer?
As a child, I spent my free time creating adventure stories and drawing Hello Kitty-style characters. And I did exactly this in my new books Cute Yummy Time (http://www.lacarmina.com/cookingcute.php), and Crazy Wacky Theme Restaurants (http://www.lacarmina.com/tokyorestaurants.php)!
My current path began with my La Carmina blog (http://www.lacarmina.com/blog/) about Japanese fashion and pop culture, which I debuted in September 2007. I didn’t think it would be more than a hobby – but my literary agent thought otherwise. We pitched the two books and when they got picked up, I realized she was onto something. I feel insanely lucky to have the opportunities to co-host a Travel Channel show and travel constantly to Tokyo, and I’m excited about what lies ahead.
What inspired you to specialize in new Japanese subcultures and fashion?
I began blogging about everything that thrilled me – and that happens to be Harajuku style and subcultures. The content of the site evolved organically, but this is a subject that never ceases to inspire me. I’ve never encountered writer’s block.
You have written some awesome books on crazy themed restaurants and adorable food- what spiked your interest on these subjects?
I adore the kitschy-cute-crazy side of Japanese pop culture. On my trips to Tokyo, I encountered this in the form of cute character bentos and maid/cosplay/theme cafés. My reaction: “Eeeeeeek!” I pounded out blog posts about these subjects and they got a great response, so I decided to explore them further in my books.
What does it take to be a good trend spotter?
I don’t consider myelf a trend spotter; I’m just someone who has a personal passion for Goth/alternative subcultures, kawaii and J-pop. I am eager to participate in events and meet others who share these interests. From this network, I pick up information about trends, parties, designers, restaurants etc.
What are your favorite sources of information and inspiration?
My dark and decadent Tokyo friends and spook-tastic blog readers! One can pick up information from deliberate research, but not feeling (if that makes sense). I think personal interaction – Gchatting, dressing up together, getting drunk on convenience store alcohol and singing karaoke all night – is the best and most organic way to get plugged in.
What are the best and most difficult aspects of being a coolhunter (that is to say, someone who specializes in interesting cultural developments, fashion subcultures, innovative new products, and the like)?
I suppose there is pressure to “stay relevant” and report on trends before anyone else, but I’ve never had this problem because my blog is a personal one. I write about my adventures with my friends; I only cover the topics that fascinate me. (For example, I don’t write about manga, anime or electronics.) If a reader finds my content helpful for “cool hunting,” that’s great — but it’s not my main intention.
Would you recommend any books, blogs, places, or activities to aspiring trend spotters? Do you have any particular advice for people who might want to go into the trend spotting line of work?
Live it, love it. Wear the clothes, go to the parties, be passionate and curious and don’t over-analyze. It’s essential to approach people as comrades, not research subjects. I feel that these actions must flow naturally and pertain to who you are; I would be a terrible hip hop “cool hunter,” for example.
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As you can see, La Carmina doesn’t write about cool trends because she is trying to serve a client’s needs; she writes because she wants to. It is impossible to be an effective coolhunter (or writer, president, spy, mascot… anything!) if you’re not passionate about your work.
La Carmina also touches on an important aspect of trend spotting- that it’s not all about formal research and data (which is what many traditional market researchers focus on). Real understanding comes from personal interaction, relationships, and first-hand experience.
I hope you enjoyed the interview! It’s fun to hear from people who live in close contact to all things new and fantastic, and I hope to do more of these Coolhunter Profiles in the future!
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ABOUT LA CARMINA
Author/blogger/designer La Carmina is mistress of Harajuku pop culture and all things spooky-cute. She is the author of three books about Japanese pop culture and food, including Crazy Wacky Theme Restaurants Tokyo and Cute Yummy Time (for which she did all the photos and illustrations). Her hugely popular blog - www.lacarmina.com/blog – receives 2 million hits per month and has been featured in major publications (The New Yorker, WWD, Village Voice, LA Times). For more, please visit http://www.lacarmina.com
[Thanks La Carmina!]
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