Your New Answer to the Death of Mooka Kinney

Ever since last fall's news of the defunction of fashion favorite Mooka Kinney, there has, without a doubt, been a void in the fashion world. It seems as if designers everywhere are attempting to pick up where Rachel Antonoff and Alison Lewis went off-- rompers have obviously blown up, sophisticated attention to small details (like heart-shaped buttons) have increased, and babydoll chic in general has really seen a comeback. However, nobody does it quite like Mooka Kinney did, and it's been difficult finding something even close to their charm.
Turns out I've fallen in love all over again. MK lovers, look no further than independent label Lulufinder Vintage, a New York-based designer with devastatingly beautiful rompers and dresses for no more than $130 (a guarantee Mooka Kinney, for all their wonder, could not meet). At a glance, the brand shows a stunning attention to quality products (expect delicate silks, lace, flawlessly sewn sequins) that make it such a worthy successor to Antonoff & Lewis's beloved brand. The clothes are, like Mooka Kinney's, innocent with a ladylike edge that instantly readies these babies for the street-- just be wary of all the compliments you're bound to get!

Below are some of my favorite pieces up for sale:I'm sure Mooka Kinney fan Jenny Lewis would adore this retro romper. (Loverboy, $95)
This sweetheart romper practically screams "Wear me to a picnic!" (Midsummer tea, $95)

I could see these aptly-named Magician shorts being a huge hit with Natasha Khan or Liela Moss. (Magician, $89)


Find these and more at Lulufinder's Etsy page.

Nick Cave has a new book coming out. THIS YEAR.

And the sound you just heard was me dying a little on the inside but in a good way.

YES, you heard me correctly: this fall will see the release of Nick Cave's second book, entitled The Death of Bunny Munro, which will follow a new widower and his son on a road trip around England. It will be his first work of fiction since 1989's And the Ass Saw the Angel, a critically acclaimed tale of revenge, sin and voyeurism in the deep South written in the peak of a Bible-thumping stage for which Cave would become so famous. It is the most eloquent, highly nuanced literary porn I have ever read (seriously, that book is dirrrrrty, Xtina-style, but not really).
This year will also see him providing voices and production for the upcoming animated film The Cat Piano (which sounds adorable) and taking on the role as screenwriter for the movie The Death of a Ladies' Man. Most notably, he and longtime partner in crime Warren Ellis will be in charge for the score for the long-awaited Cormac McCarthy opus The Road. I will be seeing all of the above.
And the Ass Saw the Angel will also see its twentieth anniversary re-release through Penguin later this year, re-edited by Cave himself.

So badly do I hope this all means a book-signing tour. It must, it MUST!
I WILL travel for you, Nick. My love knows no distance.

Your little doll,
Y Lolita Hazed

Historic Lolitas: Kat Bjelland

Holy shit, this bitch is SO. BAD. Seriously, if you're not down with Kat (center at right, wearing the Lolita glasses OBVIOUSLY), YOU SHOULD BE. One of the first things my Facebook pen-pal who I want to marry said to me was that I slightly resembled Kat Bjelland. At the time, I was completely unfamiliar with who she was. BUT NOW I AM. And now I see it is a HUGE FUCKING COMPLIMENT.
Off-topic ish aside, this here ladybird was a HUGE spark leading to the riot grrrl movement. Babes in Toyland, for whom she sang and played lead guitar, was all about oxymorons-- a cute sounding name with destructive as hell sounds, delicate looks and a rough as FUCK voice, lacy lingerie peeking from a babydoll dress. At the height of grunge, Bjelland coined the term "kinderwhore" to describe this sexualized little girl she dressed up as, a term eventually accredited with her close friend Courtney Love. (Of course, you could never tell they were friends-- the notorious singer was the subject of BIT's outrageous hit "Bruise Violet".) With an aesthetic revolving around irony, it demanded people to contemplate women's image in society, starting with the antiquated belief of "chicks who can't play their instruments". Everything about her made a loud statement, and it was heard by the likes of Kathleen Hanna, Corin Tucker, and other badass bitches that would go on to start the fire known as "riot grrrl". Evidently, this girl could rock.

Seriously, I'm obsessed with Babes in Toyland now. And you should be too.

Download: Babes in Toyland "Bruise Violet"

Yet another hot chick dies in 2008...

Eartha Kitt, yet another femme fatale I greatly admired, died last night-- and the video below was the first thing I thought of. Below, watch Eartha Kitt as she finds her spirit animal.

(BTW, if you want to see Eartha Kitt at one of her most fabulous moments, please rent The Emperor's New Groove if you haven't seen it. Plznthnx!)

(God, some seriously cool people died in 2008, huh?)

R.I.P. Eartha. You were truly one-of-a-kind, and you will be greatly missed.

[Jezebel]

A Tribute to the Baddest Bitch in the Business

There is no one like Bettie Page, and never again will there be anyone like her. As this woman is such an unbelievably huge deal, I'd like to pay my respects to her. So turn on The Cramps, put away your whips, and mourn with me.

When it comes to sex icons, Bettie tops them all. As a prime influence in the 1950's sexual revolution, she was about as radical as you could get back then. While the more traditional pin-ups of the time were more chaste and coy, Bettie's brought danger into the equation. And while she was a sex symbol, she was one that strongly represented the power of a woman in control-- which was extreme(ly necessary) in a culture of female subservience. She exuded confidence, vivacity, and a healthy dose of humor. Best of all, she was scary! This was a chick who showed an equilibrium between fear and lust, as you knew she could probably kick your ass-- but didn't you want her to?
Internally, Bettie didn't seem to give a damn about it all. When the uniform came off, she was just as kind as any Southern girl's charm would allow. While sexuality was her job for years, she had the unshakable innocence of a child. She was so good at what she did that beneath those layers of racy lingerie, it's hard for viewers to remember she was just like a little girl, having more fun with dress-up than you.

I love you, Bettie, and I salute you in your eternity of kickin' it with Jesus.
Long live the patron saint of the pin-up.
Y Lolita Hazed

(Channel a legend in femme fatality and check out an Agent Provocateur set Bettie would appreciate here.)

To-Do List: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

You know when you ask people what they want to do with their lives and whatnot? Some will say, "I wanna win an Oscar" or "I'll be a fireman" and stuff like that. Well, not me-- my life has a plain and simple goal: bed Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

I've been thinking about it since I saw his article in a back-issue of Nylon at some bookstore here in Japan. I've always had a super-huge crush on Joseph Gordon-Levitt, especially since Brick, but I've had two or three months of ambivalence. I thought I didn't like him anymore because Toby Keith showed up on his iTunes celebrity playlist and was gonna move on to the similar looking Andrew VanWyngarden of MGMT-- but he's really no match for my one true love. My confusion has faded. MGMT is too famous anyway so he's probably a douchebag.

I was walking through the streets of Yamakura today and started devising a plan. I will try and somehow interview him, and when we talk, he'll be captivated by my off-color charm. Tension would grow, and sooner or later, we would fuck like depraved schoolchildren. If that doesn't work, I'll move to Plan B and somehow "accidentally bump into him" where he's shooting some movie. I'd apologize to him in French, he'd think it was sexy, and hey, all downhill from there.

This sucks. No man will ever match up to the feelings Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives me. Sigh.

He'll see, someday. Just you wait, I will entrap him.

Help me here,

Y Lolita Hazed (fuck, I'm not even legal. For the first time ever, this blog's name doesn't feel like a misnomer)