Note: Please understand that it was difficult having to take photos of each model, so not all photos are present or available in this report or are blurry.
The morning began with a long, snaking line of people waiting in the hallway at 10:00AM sharp. Everyone was excited to start their day with the brilliant fashions and designs of GASHICON! After an hour, the doors opened and people began to flood in and fill the seats that formed around the catwalk- stage. There was a screen to the left and right, and within moments of the doors opening, a slideshow began to play. The ballroom, being very dark and subdued, was now lit up with the screens showing the “HANGRY&ANGRY Feature Project” and the bouncy fast-paced music that played with it. The slideshow began depicting the characters HANGRY and ANGRY with scenes from their comics and website. Both varied in appearance and attitude: HANGRY appeared punk while ANGRY dressed in the style of Gothic Lolita. Both wore the stylish fashion similar to the clothing of the models in the later photos of the presentation. These models dressed in everything from striped cat hoodies to multi-patterned dresses which made everyone excited about what they were going to see today. Looking behind me, I could see the faces of anticipation, smiles, and amazement spread across the many faces.
Suddenly, the lights brightened, and a cheerful staff member walked out onto the stage. He announced this as the HANGRY&ANGRY Fashion Show and introduced GASHICON as one of Japan’s beloved fashion designers and the creator of HANGRY&ANGRY. He finished, and the bouncy music picked up where it had left from the slideshow, filling everyone with excitement. As he left the stage, the audience murmured with eagerness, ready to see the stunning models and outfits!
The next design consisted of a mixture of plaid and stripes. The model kept a bright smile the entire walk, she even threw a plushy into the audience, landing right into the hands of the person behind me. Her cape flared dramatically, yet gracefully as she turned to head back stage.
A girl with pink hair strutted out shortly after, and showed off her shirt with many tails fluttering behind it. One of her most striking features was her multi-colored face paint that glimmered in the catwalk lighting.
Another model, which I thought was the most sparkling, threw her plush toy into the crowd for a lucky fan and dazzled everyone with her outfit! Her glitzy leggings shone through the mesh parts of her skirt whenever she turned around, catching light and eyes alike.
The next two onstage were certainly eye-catching! Both of them had intricately designed tights that complimented the rest of the wear. The stripes stood out from the other patterns, and made the appearance seem busy yet complete.
One of my favorites was a model who was draped in a purple and black gown-like dress. In her hair were bright blue extensions which complimented the royal purple perfectly. She posed cutely at the end of the walkway, kissed the toy in her hand, and continued around the stage.
After a few more models passed before one with a simple design caught my eye. It was a bit of an illusion which made the dress appear full of holes that were cut through the first layer, but in actuality, the dress was whole. This phantasmagorical piece of clothing was completely red and black and had a matching cat-ear hat to go with it.
The hoodie of the next model was similar to the one before, only a vibrant, pure blue this time. The back of the jacket had a surprising flair of mesh both on top and underneath it. Purple and white were the main colours of this outfit, making this model quite colorful and memorable.
Next to bewitch us was a frenzy of colorful punked-out hair that was teased, crimped, and dyed to perfection! These models were the embodiment of the word bright as they held hands in unity and spun around.
One of my absolute favorites was one with the most pieces. This outfit was a whirlwind of multiple black and white layers flashing around, and the red-striped hat on top added the final touch. The purple and blue hair added contrast as well, giving structure and vibrancy. The gorgeous black lace-up boots of this model cleverly showed off her black and white-striped socks.
All of the models came out at once for the grand finale and walked as a group to the edge of the stage, giving the crowd one last view of the ingenious designs. In unison, they turned and walked back to the center of the stage and stood in a line waiting for one more very special person.
Finally, it was GASHICON herself! She was dressed in an assortment of black and white in various patterns, a veritable bedazzlement for the eyes. Her jacket was reminiscent of a comic book page featuring HANGRY and ANGRY themselves. On her waist hung a white skirt with uneven cuts that gave it a cool, jagged, and architectural-layered style. She made her way to the end of the catwalk, full of poise and smiles, and threw a couple toys to a few lucky people in the audience. After waving to her ecstatic fans, she bowed her head and returned to her line up.
As soon as GASHICON returned to the main part of the stage, she joined the rest of the models and they stood together, each with a smile and pose. After a few moments and a flurry of pictures, they left, waving goodbye and the stage crew began setting up for the Q&A that would be held immediately after the show.
Only mere moments passed until the preparations were complete for the Q&A. In the center of the stage was a table where GASHICON and her translator sat. She introduced herself with, “My name is GASHICON and thank you very much for coming to my fashion show!” Hollers and screams echoed throughout the audience. She asked how many people knew about HANGRY&ANGRY, whether it be from the Dealer’s booth or the internet, and many people raised their hands high and proud. “You are my Royal Fans!” She applauded them with a wide smile. “The energy is so high and it is so hot!” Everyone was hyped and the air indeed felt like it had an electric hue. After being instructed on how to proceed, people lined up at the microphones to ask questions, the crowd aquiver for insight into the mind of GASHICON herself. (You can check out our interview with her here.)
Answer: “Horror. Lots of horror movies and stories.”
Question: “What inspired you to create the characters?”
Answer: “An old story that began as a girl got a HANGRY and ANGRY toy as a gift. She got bored with it and threw the toy away as trash. The dolls were stitched up and tried to destroy the world. Read the comic for more! You can find them in CURE magazine. There you can find all of the stories-both cute and grotesque.”
Question: “What are your favorite aspects about HANGRY and ANGRY”
Answer: “Well, HANGRY is a punk and a tomboy while she is also naïve and sensitive. She endures the torture she receives from ANGRY. ANGRY is a bully with a tender heart, and that’s what I love about them.”
Question: “What is your favorite thing about being in the States?”Answer: (In a quick response) “Eating crab!”
Question: “How did you get started as a clothes designer?”
Answer: “I worked under h.NAOTO as a graphic designer and was given the job of creating the HANGRY&ANGRY line.”
Question: “How are HANGRY&ANGRY and Sixh. Related?”Answer: “h.NAOTO has many different labels, and they are both different labels under h.NAOTO.”
Question: “What is your favorite character and who do you dislike the most?”
Answer: “My favorite would have to be HANGRY. She is different and was the 1st character created. Although I love both HANGRY and ANGRY. As for my most disliked character…” (A short pause followed by a laugh) “UGLY.”
Question: “Will you ever make a clothing line for ball jointed dolls?”
Answer: (There was a bit of confusion. The questioner then began speaking of a HANGRY&ANGRY doll being made in Korea. This came as a surprise to GASHICON; she had not heard of this before. It was questioned whether or not it was official and was left to be looked into later.)
Question: “What do you find the most challenging part of the design process?”Answer: “Trying something new, or what would be next.”
Question: “How many stores are there, what is your favorite, and will you be bringing one to the States?”
Answer: “ There are very many stores. My favorite is h.NAOTO plus in Harajuku. I request that you see it if you ever visit Japan. As for opening a store in the States, I would like to open one, but there are no plans as of the moment. Although h.NAOTO has a store in California.”
GASHICON turned the tide by giving the audience a chance to answer some of her questions.
GASHICON: “Are you having fun cosplaying?”
Audience: (Lots of screams flooded from the seats.)
GASHICON: “When you are cosplaying, do you like to completely change your attitude to match the character or do you like to simply dress the part?”
Audience: “YES!”
GASHICON: “I would like to cosplay, but I would want to fit the character as well.”
Audience: “Nana!”
GASHICON: “Nana?”
Audience: “Nana Osaki!”
GASHICON: “Oh! Nana from Nana! She is my favorite character!”
Translator: “Next time you see her, she will be in the masquerade!”
Audience: (Laughs at the joke)
GASHICON: “I’ve always wanted to make someone different by wearing HANGRY&ANGRY clothes. For now, I’d like to hear more of your questions.”
GASHICON waited patiently as a few more people lined up behind the microphone.
Answer: “I love American horror.”
Question: “Who did the music for the video?”
Answer: “Our music producer and one of the band members from MarBell(?), who I believe was at Otakon a few years ago performing with Daisy Stripper.”
Question: “Do you play video games?”Answer: “I love Silent Hill! But I can’t play video games well.” (laughs)
After the last of the questions, GASHICON thanked everyone, telling them that she was proud to be able to come on this special occasion and hoped to see everyone at the HANGRY&ANGRY booth in the dealer’s room. She said there was a new video at the booth that everyone should check out the cool merchandise as well. With that conclusion, the audience cheered and applauded before filing out of the ballroom, all of them excited to visit the booth later on!
Edited by: Luke
Thank you, Amanda, Beth, Torii and Misumi, for all of your help during this show and panel!
Thank you, Amanda, Beth, Torii and Misumi, for all of your help during this show and panel!
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