TOKYO: Meet Lulu Hashimoto, a “living doll” and the latest trend in Tokyo’s fashion modelling scene.
Lulu — a full-body doll suit consisting of a wig, a mask and stockings patterned with doll-like joints — was born from one woman’s desire to become cute.
“I have always really liked dolls and for me, the epitome of cuteness is dolls,” said the 23-year-old fashion designer Hitomi Komaki, who created Lulu.
Dressing up as a mascot, called “kigurumi” in Japanese, is a popular art form in Japan. Komaki has taken it to a new level by creating a body suit that looks like a doll and lets you move like a human.
“Many people call my project a fetish, but for me it’s not a fetish but fashion,” she said. “It’s like wearing nice clothes or putting on false eyelashes to become cuter.”
There is only one Lulu body suit, Komaki said, but dancers, designers and models are among those who have worn the costume.
The identity of exactly who is inside is secret, she added.
The stockings worn by Lulu were created by fellow fashion designer Koh Ueno, who airbrushes doll-like joints onto the material.
“I want to see women wear these stockings and transform,” said 29-year-old Ueno.
“I want them to experience the extraordinary — to become otherworldly, artificial, or like a doll,” he said.
While popular among fans of Japanese subculture, Lulu is now turning heads at the annual Miss iD beauty pageant where she is among the 134 semifinalists chosen from around 4,000 entrants.
The pageant, which includes “non-human” characters generated by artificial intelligence and three-dimensional computer graphics for the first time, will announce a winner in November.
Lulu’s ability to blur the line between reality and fiction has mesmerised fans on social media, where the Lulu Twitter and Instagram accounts have drawn tens of thousands of followers.
“I find it miraculous that dolls and humans — two things that exist in different planes — are standing in the same space,” said Erika Kato, 24, who met Lulu for the first time at a recent fan event.
The possibility of wearing a suit and becoming Lulu also appealed to fans like 22-year-old Miu Shimoda.
“I’d like to be a beautiful girl like Lulu at least once in my life,” she said.
Meet Lulu Hashimoto, the “living doll” fashion model
Meet Lulu Hashimoto, the “living doll” fashion model
Tiffany Trump steps out in Saiid Kobeisy gown
DUBAI: Tiffany Trump is proving to be a fan of Lebanese designer Saiid Kobeisy’s designs.
This week, Trump’s 31-year-old daughter wore one of his gowns to the Kennedy Center Honors, an annual event held at the White House that recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to American culture through the performing arts.
For the occasion, Tiffany opted for a floor-length emerald-green velvet gown with a sweetheart neckline and long fitted sleeves, cinched at the waist with a slim belt and finished with a thigh-high front slit.
She has previously chosen Kobeisy for other high-profile appearances. In September, Tiffany wore another of his designs to the state banquet held during US President Donald Trump’s visit to the UK, stepping out in a blue quartz couture gown paired with a beaded clutch by the designer. Styled by Toni Breisse, the look was completed with jewelry by Samer Halimeh.
Tiffany is known for her affinity with Lebanese designers; at her 2022 wedding to Lebanese-born businessman Michael Boulos, she donned a custom-made Grecian-style gown by Elie Saab.
Tiffany chose her wedding dress as a nod to Boulos’ heritage. “It’s a Lebanese American wedding, so we were so happy to have Elie Saab create the magic,” said mother of the bride Marla Maples, according to People magazine at the time.
In January, she turned heads in a dress by Zuhair Murad at the Trump-Vance inauguration candlelight dinner, hosted at the National Building Museum in Washington. The custom chocolate-brown chiffon gown boasted an asymmetric one-shoulder neckline, and a dramatic cape-like sleeve.
