Baby the Stars Shine Bright and Alice and the Pirates Announce New Anime Collaboration at Pacific Media Expo

Check out more of our PMX coverage in "Pacific Media Expo 2010" and "Innocent World Makes U.S. Convention Debut at Pacific Media Expo."

By: Liz Ohanesian and Shannon Cottrell

One of the first things that you will learn when you ask someone about Lolita is that it isn't cosplay. However, the distinction between the two may be a little blurrier since Baby the Stars Shine Bright head Fumiyo Isobe announced at Pacific Media Expo that the Lolita brand, as well as Baby's pirate-themed line Alice and the Pirates, are collaborating with Gainax on the forthcoming anime Dantalian No Shoka. Isobe said through a translator that she cannot reveal too many details yet, but Baby would be dressing the female "princess" characters while Alice would provide the attire for a lead male character.

Shannon Cottrell

Alice and the Pirates at PMX Fashion Show

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Merging fashion with anime and manga isn't a brand new concept. Fans of Ai Yazawa (Paradise Kiss, Nana) often note the artist's keen eye for fashion details in her work (Vivienne Westwood was referenced several times in Nana, for example). At the press panel, Isobe mentioned that Black Butler creator Yana Toboso has said that Alice and the Pirates has influenced the popular manga. Several years ago, Gankutsuou, a futuristic retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, featured costume designs by Anna Sui. This project, however, will be different. With Dantalian No Shoka, the characters will be wearing clothing that Baby and Alice have produced. As Isobe added in the press panel, if people want to cosplay these characters, the fashions will be in existence.

Shannon Cottrell

Fumiyo Isobe of Baby the Stars Shine Bright

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It's an interesting idea, particularly considering that Baby doesn't need much help in the branding department. Named after an Everything but the Girl song, the label, which launched in the late 1980s is revered amongst fans of Japanese street fashion. Their pretty, frilly dresses were an integral part of the must-see film Kamikaze Girls and Baby is the first Japanese Lolita brand to open up shop in the United States.