Hellocon 2014

So yesterday me and Velvet went to Helsinki Lolita Convention, aka Hellocon. It was a one day event with several programs, workshops and sales booths. We didn't go to any of the workshops, but did watch all the programs and went through the booths quite thoroughly. I was prepared to spend a lot more, but ended up with only this Moon Bunny bracelet (that fell apart almost immediately, I still need to fix the links) and a second hand Baby head accessory. I was really looking forward on getting a new skirt, but there just wasn't any that I wanted to get. I was really tempted by a white Baroque dress, but just couldn't find any use for it, beside it being a little too long for my liking.

You know that feeling you have right before leaving for someplace, that you've forgotten something important? Well, I got quite an adrenalin rush once we were in the train. Velvet was talking about how many times she had rechecked that she had the Hellocon ticket with her. And I was like "what ticket?!" O_O I scrounged through my handbag, already knowing that I had no such thing, while my mind was racing with the thought that Valentine would not have time to get my ticket from home and come give it to me. I then started to think that maybe I could convince them that I had already bought a ticket with the order receipt I should have in my email. And when I found that email, I noticed that it had a PDF-ticket as an attachement :D I had never had a real paper ticket in the first place, only the digital one! It was quite a relief, and a kick-starter for that early morning...

Out of the program, I really enjoyed the fashion shows, and especially the brand vs. off-brand 'competition'. Although for the latter, it would have been nice to see a 'same for less' competitions, where one model has a coord of all brand and then the other model tries to mimic it with all off-brand. In general I would have just liked to see more different coordinations on stage. It was a fashion convention, after all :D I also found the Q&As of the guests of honour very interesting, although I'm not that into lolita (yet) to really know any designers or models by name. So I wasn't really starstruck, nevermind that Midori-san really was a good model, keeping her pose perfectly both in the interview, the photos they took of her and on stage in the fashion show.

The vendors were nicely spread from accessories to clothes, there just wasn't anything that I really fell for. Most prints I adored were JSK only, and sadly I just can't wear those... I was a bit bummed that Baroque hadn't brought a sample of their latest print, I would have loved to see it irl, even if it wouldn't be for sale. For accessories, there were plenty of cute goodies available, but I had to reel it in or go overboard :D

I'll be looking forward to what they offer next year and hope that I can go then as well. I do hope though that they keep improving, there were some hiccups with the organising of things, with miscommunication between head organisers and staff and the rather nervous-sounding hosting between the shows on the main stage. I can let them slide though, seeing as this is only the second Hellocon ever, but I'd really like this to become a more pro event. Or maybe it's just me, being a very organising-oriented person :D I just hate it when things go as smoothly as they can...

I really liked seeing other lolis though. I saw some really lovely coordinations on visitors and I hope I can draw some inspiration from those. To my amazement, I wasn't that taken with the really pastely-sweet coords, but with the classical-romantic type of coords, or the country/forest inspired outfits. Heads full of curls with plenty of rose accessories, combined with muted down colours, or just loose hair with a berret or a wide-rim straw hat. Head accessories really is something I need to work on this year, improve my collection and use of them.