SWEET STREETS

shojono tomo news: handmade goods now sold at royal/t cafe, los angeles

2011-12-21T12:58:00.000-08:00

following up to our gift guide post, i wanted to share a closer look at the shojono tomo items now sold at royal/t cafe, los angeles. we're proud to call royal/t cafe our #1 retailer of shojono tomo's handmade goods. among the items available are stickers, ribbons, coin purses, and hand bags. there are also super limited spank! x shojono tomo collab items, handmade by tavuchi and tomo. take a look:

stickers set ($13)
stickers set ($13)
ribbon brooch ($35)
ribbon brooch ($35)
buttons ($10)
buttons ($10)
coin purses ($40)

answers to faq: the royal/t cafe webshop may not update immediately, so we ask that you call the shop directly at (310)-559-6300 or email shop@sweetstreetsla.com with general inquiries. due to limited quantity, handmade items are exclusively sold at royal/t cafe. shojono tomo tights (not to be confused with leggings) are not sold in the usa because they are japanese size only. to all who emailed in, thank you and look out for more shojono tomo goods in 2012.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

sweet streets christmas gift guide 2011

2011-12-19T18:50:00.000-08:00

lots of you are holiday shopping and emailed in about what's new. our artists and friends always have goodies for sale around the interwebs and in stores, but this time of year you can find the best prices. if you're shopping for a special art fan and can't afford original art, i got you covered. here's my top sweet streets gifts under $100:

1. dmo arts calendar 2012, $20.00
eimi is among 12 japanese pop artists featured in this new 2012 calendar from digmeout gallery, japan. (www.dmoarts.com)

2. my little pony "decorate your own", $26.99
our friends at hasbro sell ponies that you can decorate yourself. they are identical to the my little pony project ponies. (www.amazon.com)

3. eimi x chubby bunny artist bow, $35.00
eimi is the first artist to collaborate on a bow with sanrio bow designer, chubby bunny. the first 25 come with a free print. (www.iamchubbybunny.com)

4. marry me socks by shojono tomo, $80.00
nicki minaj wore them to mtv vma's as socks, but they are actually shoulder bags. or the perfect christmas stocking? (shop.royal-t.org)

5. bear pillow by luke chueh, $59.00
munky king sells a variety of luke chueh goods for great prices, but my favorite is the bear pillow. edition of 250. (www.munkyking.com)

6. teddies necklace by onch movement, $65.00
onch gave me this cute necklace for christmas. it secretly doubles as a fancy neck warmer, perfect for cold nights out. (www.onchmovement.com)

happy holidays!

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

luke chueh joins army of snipers at art whino, art basel 2011

2011-12-05T19:04:00.001-08:00

photo courtesy: lou pimentel

i just returned from a mix of work and play at art basel miami. while i was there for my side gig with hi-fructose magazine, it was also a chance to network, meet galleries, and support our boy luke chueh. recently welcomed into army of snipers international led by angry woebots, luke painted his first street art with the crew at miami's wynwood district. other snipers on scene were sket one, ritzy periwinkle, j*ryu, boosher, leza, lou pimentel, and mat curran. check out the pics below.

the snipers wall is located at 425 nw 26th street, miami, fl 33127- and will remain there until 2012. wynwood also played host to art whino's miami show, exhibiting luke's vinyl toys and paintings with angry woebots. sadly, luke's custom toy was stolen on opening night, but that didn't stop him from painting and having a good time. starting january 2012, we will launch luke's japanese blog about his international activity. (you can read his english blog here.) for more about army of snipers, visit armyofsnipers.com.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

recap: sweet streets exhibit, debuts spank! fairy-kei japanese fashion

2011-11-21T17:24:00.000-08:00

more photos at: sweet streets facebook

thanks to our sponsors tokyo fashion, sugarpill, [a]narchy, and huge support from volunteers and fans, this year's group show opening was a great night. in addition to the fun and colorful art, it was special for many reasons; we announced the my little pony project, and of course, spank! (with chubby bunny) debuted their first fashion show and pop-up shop in usa. wwa gallery continues to sell select pop-up shop items and art. for orders, contact wwa gallery directly. we were over capacity all night. for those who missed it or couldn't squeeze in, check out all the pretty photos.

all photos by: dave tada
more photos at: sweet streets facebook

as some of you read, this show will take a break due to the my little pony project. (sorry, we are not accepting unsolicited portfolios for this project.) please check it out at wwa gallery until december 23rd. dont forget, we have shows running simultaneously, such as plush-o-rama at dragatomi until december 3rd and HER(Kノジョ) silkscreen exhibit until december 13th. for more event photos, visit us online at facebook and tumblr. thanks again to our artists, friends, and fans. i'm off to art basel in miami for a much needed holiday.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

shop dragatomi's plush-o-rama online, feat. chikuwaemil & shojono tomo

2011-11-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

image courtesy: shojono tomo

curated by contemporary artist julie west, dragatomi's plush-o-rama celebrated its opening weekend on november 12th and is now for sale online. sweet streets artists chikuwaemil and shojono tomo both contributed handmade one-of-a-kind dolls. chikuwaemil brought her signature frenzied anime vibe to life in her first rag doll ever, for sale here.

artist: chikuwaemil
(click to shop!)
artist: shojono tomo
(click to shop!)

for shojono tomo fans, this exhibit is also a rare opportunity to see tomo's plush in person. a tomo plush completed nicki minaj's crazy mtv vmas outfit earlier this year. what you didn't see on tv is the mechanics behind a tomo doll- often embellished with mobile parts, voice boxes, and artwork. dragatomi is now selling tomo's "tennis squeeze" doll, based on her original 2008 illustration.

"while she played tennis, she sneezed! suddenly, the world stopped for a moment in time. from slow motion, faster and faster, the tennis ball grew eyes and a body. can this be real?" - shojono tomo

artist: shojono tomo

artist: shojono tomo

artist: shojono tomo

this illustration is also the design of shojono tomo's new leggings, to be released just in time for christmas at her new webshop. for this shop, we chose all of nicki minaj's favorite items. after many months of planning and bringing her designs to mass, you too can now wear shojono tomo fashions. the shop opens december 1st, 2011- and dragatomi's plush-o-rama exhibits until december 3rd, 2011.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

preview: sweet streets group show, feat. spank!, chubby bunny, & more

2011-11-11T18:18:00.000-08:00

rsvp: sweet streets group art show
read: filmmakers!!! pop-up shop collaboration by shojono tomo x spank!

it's been a whirlwind year for all of us at sweet streets and our self-titled group art show is upon us. looking forward to this show, i can't help but reflect on our first year as a company. we've worked with great art galleries, the lovely nicki minaj, dr. dre beats, and spank!- longtime fan of our artist shojono tomo and our group show special guest. for you shojono tomo fans out there, she will also attend.

not only tavuchi, but her spank! girls, provided all of the show's artwork inspiration. you can expect a lot of fun colors and fantasy. to compliment the exhibit, spank! and chubby bunny will host a fashion show- and pop up shop- at the opening, november 19th at wwa gallery. the sweet streets group art show runs until december 23rd, 2011. our show is the only place selling spank! in the usa. here's a little preview.

artist: naoshi

artist: kayo tamaishi

artist: yumiko kayukawa

artist: yucachin'

artist: eimi

artist: chikuwaemil

artist: misa tsutsui

artist: ciou
rsvp: sweet streets group art show

with this big announcement comes another. continuing our love of 1980s, sweet streets is honored to announce our collaboration with my little pony in 2012. (details will be released in the coming weeks.) it is a huge opportunity and dream project that is months in the making. with so much exciting work ahead of us, our group show is taking a little break next year. i hope everyone can catch and enjoy this year's amazing art. for even more updates and information about this show, visit us at facebook.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

preview: bandai releases "oshare macross" artist series, feat. shojono tomo

2011-10-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

courtesy: shojono tomo
back in february, bandai launched "oshare macross" (fashionable macross) at tokyo's marui one department store to promote "macross frontier the movie: wings of goodbye" anime. this promotion featured a series of collaborations, exclusive collectibles, and exhibition of original art by macross designer tenjin hidetaka.

"oshare macross" closed in march, but now it's back in the form of a new artist t-shirt series and shojono tomo is a part of it. this is a great honor for shojono tomo, one of 5 artists chosen to reinterpret macross. the other artists are DEVIL ROBOTS, noriya takeyama, so caro jero, and gloomy bear creator mori chack.

courtesy: shojono tomo

courtesy: mori chack

courtesy: tokyo fashion
unfortunately, marui one's online shop was shut down after the earthquake. this means you can only get your hands on this stuff in japan. i'll definitely be picking up a few tees when i go to tokyo next weekend. the "oshare macross" artist t-shirt line is available at marui one shinjuku from october 8 - 27th, 2011. shojono tomo's design will also be sold by fewmany, in addition to unrelated new items.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

preview: herbest at kaikai kiki's hidari zingaro, feat. chikuwaemil

2011-10-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

fresh off covering kaikai kiki's hidari zingaro debut at art platform for hi-fructose, i can tell you that "herbest" will be an exciting group show. while the hidari zingaro initiative isn't new, "herbest" coincides with the launch of its space re-dedicated to emerging japanese artists. chikuwaemil is among 50 artists supported by "herbest". here is a preview of chikuwaemil's contribution.

the theme of "herbest" is boy and girl artists inspired to do his or her best artwork, co-curated by kim okko of ubeful. the average age of these young artists is 18-25, chosen from a mix of kaikai kiki gallery regulars such as ob, cyon, mi, and japan's pixiv website. (read my post on kaikai kiki x pixiv's "miku" exhibit here.)

in support of chikuwaemil, i will be flying out to tokyo for the weekend to attend the artist reception on october 15th, 2011. the "herbest" exhibition runs october 10 - 18th, 2011. this will be my first weekend trip in japan, which is kind of refreshing. if you are in japan, i highly recommend this exhibition for every reason. for venue hours, location, and more information, please visit our events page.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

shojono tomo couture: nicki minaj is betsey johnson's muse at nyfw 2011

2011-09-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

this month has been crazy exciting for shojono tomo as she continued work with nicki minaj and her international fashion-forward team. on the second day of fashion week, nicki attended betsey johnson's spring show in shojono tomo with onch movement and 6%dokidoki jewelry. nicki jumped on stage after the show and sang to betsey in this outfit. judging from the photos, betsey loved it too.

above photos: courtesy wire images
nicki chose a clear vinyl bbq apron with shojono tomo's original hand drawn artwork inside. the halter top tassles are hand-braided with different colors. this apron, named "celebration day" is part of a sold-out series. as with all of tomo's creations, there is a sweet story behind the apron which tomo wrote:

"one day, my mother said "let's make cookies." she gave me some dye and we made heart-shaped cookies with it. it was a sweet memory. it made me think about the relationship between food and love. i cut an apron using a dress, some news paper, and dye, like the cookies. just like magic, the apron transforms you into a child with a sweet memory." - shojono tomo

above photos: courtesy shojono tomo
thanks to everyone who emailed compliments and inquiries about shojono tomo's aprons. as they are a discontinued item, we do not plan to sell aprons in the usa at this time. the good news is onch movement has a webshop full of yummy pretzel necklaces. shojono tomo's usa webshop launch is taking a little longer than we expected, but it is coming. visit our artwork webshop to check out shojono tomo's new paintings, until then.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

shojono tomo news: nicki minaj wears enocdouter to mtv vmas 2011

2011-08-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

nicki minaj created a shojono tomo frenzy this weekend when she wore her enocdouter designs to mtv video music awards. we cannot thank nicki and her team of amazing stylists enough for this opportunity. nicki is a true fan of japanese fashion and the intense (sometimes, crazy) creativity that goes into tomo's one of a kind pieces. incase you live under a rock, here's our favorite photos from mtv.

all photos: courtesy nicki minaj
all over the internet, people are asking what the heck nicki was wearing? to give credit where credit is due, nicki mixed some other designers into her look. her icecream necklace is by our close friend onch movement, dress by amato haute couture, and bracelets by fifi & romeo. shojono tomo breaks it down for you at her japanese blog: shojono tomo face mask, "witch-kitty" plush, "porno" hotpants, "marry me" socks, and her "leggers" (leg warmers) invention, which i personally rate as genius.

japanese customers can purchase nicki's look from enocdouter online. shojono tomo's usa launch is in the works. she will release new fashion accessories at our sweet streets exhibit, opening november 19th. don't forget, shojono tomo is also a talented and accomplished fine artist, with new artwork available at munky king gallery- and plush art coming soon to dragatomi gallery. sweet streets is also proud to work with onch movement in japan. naturally, we are already planning future collaborations.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

sneak peek: "crowded teeth" a super sweet group show opens tomorrow

2011-08-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

rsvp: crowded teeth: a super sweet group show
when crowded teeth creator michelle romo invited sweet streets artists to create an exhibit, we decided to go all out. 4 months later, "crowded teeth: a super sweet group show" has come together at munky king shop and gallery. it's been awesome working with the munky king crop of artists, including our boy luke chueh, touma, angry woebots, sheryo, sket-one, and many others. here's a sneak peek.

"blood and gold"
artist: luke chueh

(untitled)
artist: touma

"smiles"
artist: miso

"circle master"
artist: shojono tomo

"obake teeth"
artist: eimi

"obake teeth" (detail)
artist: eimi

"girl with a toothy smile" (detail)
artist: chikuwaemil

rsvp: crowded teeth: a super sweet group show
as i told toysrevil, i'm most looking forward to seeing luke and touma's art together. the triangles only make sense on the wall, so you'll want to see this unique show in person. "crowded teeth" opens 7-10pm tomorrow, and runs until september 7th, 2011. don't forget to rsvp for luke's "white in black" signing, while you're at it.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

recap: medicom toy 15th anniversary exhibit, feat. 6%dokidoki

2011-08-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

this post is dedicated to luke chueh, whose preparing his first collab in japan. since working with luke, i find myself looking for bears everywhere in tokyo. bears aren't hard to find- anyone who visits parco this month is greeted by medicom's lifesize bearbricks garden. inbetween sets at asobisystem's harajuku kawaii event, i tailed 6%dokidoki staff to medicom toy's 15th anniversary exhibit opening at parco.

courtesy: tokyo fashion
inside parco's LOGOS gallery, you'll find an extensive product retrospective and the special "happy birthday bearbrick" mini series by medicom. 6%dokidoki's design- their first designer vinyl toy- is a "kawaii" pink bear with swarovski crystal eyes. at the party was a who's who of the bearbrick family and artists. i managed these photos during our whirlwind visit, including shopgirl yuka with the "living" bearbrick himself. (again, big thanks to 6%dokidoki!)

courtesy: tokyo fashion

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

recap: asobisystem's 4th anniversary, feat. 6%dokidoki and special thanks

2011-08-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

while sweet streets is in its infancy, the suport and inspiration i get from 6%dokidoki is special. being a creative minded brand, 6%dokidoki also collaborates with artists, including our own shojono tomo. on july 29th, 6%dokidoki was featured in asobisystem's 4th anniversary "harajuku kawaii" event, highlighting up & coming brands of harajuku's kawaii culture. i was invited to attend vip-style. (thank you, 6%dokidoki!)

the best moments were shows by 6%dokidoki, grimoire, spinns harajuku, followed by a panel discussion with designer sebastian masuda, hypebeast photographer yone, and kyary pamyu pamyu. kyary is skyrocketing from cult to pop icon status in america, thanks to her "ponponpon" music video designed by sebastian. their panel continued the conversation about kawaii in pop culture.

above: grimoire models vintage ensembles from the shop's lastest collection of mori ("forest") girl style. the looks incorporate victorian, lace, furs, with pops of color. (more photos at tokyofashion.com.)

above: 6%dokidoki's fashion show and dance performance featuring shopgirls yuka, vani, foreign model recruits, and a surprise mutant-bunny mascot. (more photos at tokyofashion.com.)

above: models and performers, including kyary pamyu pamyu, celebrate the grand finale with on-stage cheers. i love yone snapping photos from the big "A". (more photos at tokyofashion.com.)

above: chubby bunny and 6%dokidoki designer sebastian masuda, goofing off backstage. i tweeted a lot of photos. (more photos at tokyofashion.com.)

my recent work with nicki minaj and shojono tomo shows how important fashion can be to a fine artist's message. shojono tomo says, "what is interesting to me is people who say they are not into art, don't go to museums or galleries. yet, when it comes to fashion, those people easily transform themselves into a canvas." with that in mind, congrats to 6%dokidoki on a successful fashion event!

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

recap: filmmakers!!! pop-up shop collaboration by shojono tomo x spank!

2011-08-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

photo: courtesy shojono tomo. fans show off their shojono tomo buttons at filmmakers!!! in shibuya, tokyo (july 24th, 2011).

tokyo was a blur of summer heat and meetings about secret projects, with a few special events mixed in. one of the top reasons to visit is always to spend time with my artists. when shojono tomo sought new management last month, she came to sweet streets and i signed her immediately. i was first introduced to her work by our friend tavuchi, owner of spank!, which carries a wide selection of her enocdouter art brand.

on july 24th, shojono tomo and spank! collaborated with a diy style pop-up shop at toowaii's filmmakers!!! event at seco bar, shibuya. (read my earlier preview of this event.) shojono tomo has previously collaborated with toowaii on guerilla fashion shows in tokyo's train system. here's photos of the girls having fun and a preview of new shojono tomo items. i took a lot of photos for tomo's product portfolio.

photo: tavuchi makes a brooch using exclusive spank! accessories and original artwork by tomo, presented to me as a gift.

tomo and tavuchi created many items such as brooches, hairbows, and coin purses during the pop-up shop. many of their fans, including our very own eimi, arrived ready to shop. they will debut a similar collaboration at this year's sweet streets exhibition opening party, november 19th, 2011. for more information, check out the facebook invite. watch for special announcements and previews as we near the event.

for more photos and commentary, be sure to visit sweet streets at facebook, flickr, and tumblr. (i'm trying out a new photo watermark.) to go "behind the scenes", check out our friend chubby bunny's blog- she joined us in japan for her own awesome business adventures. to inquire about shojono tomo's artwork or upcoming products for usa, drop us an email.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

shojono tomo news: nicki minaj boosts japanese designer (tokyofashion.com)

2011-08-09T14:21:00.000-07:00

our friends at tokyofashion.com just posted a great feature about shojono tomo and our encounter with nicki minaj this week. we talked to them about tomo's future goals as a designer and where you can get her stuff right now. here's some highlights from the article. (read the full article here!)

"Nicki Minaj’s “Harajuku-themed” outfit on Good Morning America featured the graphic tights seen in the photo above. They were designed by Japanese artist/designer Shojono Tomo and released through her independent brand ENOCDOUTER. The brand is not yet widely available in the United States, but the designer told us that she’s working on improving that soon."

"Shojono Tomo worked as a graphic designer before becoming a freelance illustrator in 1990. Since then, she has dedicated herself to creating music, art, comics, and fashion. Besides her commercial work, she’s had several art exhibitions in Tokyo and internationally. Her independent brand, ENOCDOUTER, features fashion and accessories that are born out of her original illustrations. The artist is already hard at work on new ideas inspired by her encounter with Nicki Minaj."

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

shojono tomo news: nicki minaj wears enocdouter on good morning america

2011-08-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

for the past 2 weeks, shojono tomo has been working behind the scenes with nicki minaj and her team. we weren't sure if nicki was going to wear tomo's work or not. despite a now-famous wardrobe slip, nicki looked great in shojono tomo leggings on good morning america. here's some video of nicki commenting on her outfit and concert photos. nicki continues to wear shojono tomo's designs while on tour.

video and photos: courtesy good morning america. nicki is wearing "heavy metal pierrot" leggings by shojono tomo.

photos: courtesy nicki minaj. nicki is wearing special made mini-skirt and tights by shojono tomo, backstage in atlantic city (8/6/2011).

the big question we are getting is: where can i buy these leggings? right now, leggings are only available to japanese customers online by enocdouter or by international select shops, most famously spank! in koenji and shibuya. all of shojono tomo's leggings feature her original artwork, which you can check out at our english website.

leggings will be available to japan customers at enocdouter online by september 1st, 2011. all orders ship by september 1st, 2011. we are currently planning a usa online pop-up shop. sign up for our mailing list to get the news first. english inquiries can be sent to shop@sweetstreetsla.com. for more information, visit us at www.sweetstreesla.com.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

from joyPP: enocdouter by shojono tomo sighting at neocos, osaka

2011-07-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

designs by shojono tomo are frequently spotted on the japanese streets, recently in harajuku and osaka, japan. japanese fashion site joyPP caught this fun street snap of a girl named yuka sporting tomo's recent designs in osaka, japan.

these photos were taken at the neocos exhibition, which featured clothing by another artist we've worked with- shinjuko. produced by made-in-girl, the concept of neocos is to combine modern designers with their anime influences and enjoy the fantasy of fashion.

images courtesy: joyPP
artist: shojono tomo

yuka is wearing tomo's "metal pierrot" tights and "porno invaders" sweatshirt. there are also "porno invaders" tights! for those wondering what the hell "porno invaders" is- it's an awesome web game and installation created by tomo in 2006 for entter, exhibited at beams gallery, tokyo. the piece is unfortunately game-over, so here's a video. (to see more of shojono tomo's art, visit her english profile.)

artist: shojono tomo

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

preview: "romy & romy" debut solo exhibition by eimi

2011-07-06T17:39:00.000-07:00

rsvp: "romy & romy" by eimi
for the past few months, eimi has been working on a project very personal and special to her- "romy & romy". opening july 28th at digmeout art & diner in osaka, japan, it is eimi's debut solo exhibition. these images (progress photos tweeted by eimi) aren't the best quality. i'll share better ones soon because i am going to osaka to support!

rsvp: "romy & romy" by eimi
from eimi's facebook: showcasing 15 new paintings in eimi's hot pink signature style, the exhibit follows "romy" as she explores two sides of the female attitude. on one side, "romy" is a bad-girl vixen, while her other side is sweet and innocent.

artwork will be available to purchase in person at digmeout art & diner or online at http://www.dmoarts.com. an opening party will take place at 19:00 (7:00pm) on thursday, july 28, 2011. for more information in english, visit us online at http://sweetstreetsla.com.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

preview: new iphone designer wallpaper by shojono tomo

2011-06-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

catching up with new sweet streets artist shojono tomo has been awesome- she's got a lot of fun projects, including a book and vinyl toy, in store for japan and usa. last week, i posted about tomo's upcoming pop-up shop collaboration with spank!, to be featured at filmmakers!!! on july 24th.

tomo also has new designer wallpaper app available now at itunes japan. designed by STUDIO M.O.G.Co. ltd., the app features a collection of new images by tomo. here's a preview of what you can get. (to see more of shojono tomo's art, visit her english profile.)

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

toy2r's 10th anniversary of qee, feat. shojono tomo

2011-06-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

toy2r is celebrating it's 10th anniversary with an international tour- including the mini qee x smart car event that opened in china this week. shojono tomo just blogged photos of her own customized mini qee for this event, "joshikousei" ("high school girl"). i'm reposting for tomo's english-speaking fans.

tomo's 10th anniversary mini qee is now showing at qee's flagship store in shunde, foshan, china. her qee is also featured on toy2r's online gallery and facebook. this is not tomo's first time working with toy2r. she customized a toy for toy2r's bunny qee fiesta in 2006 and is planning more collabs.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

chikuwaemil: english portfolio launches online

2011-06-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

getting to know my artists on a personal level is very important to our working relationship and to building their portfolios. when i first met chikuwaemil, i learned that she is a self-taught artist who began exhibiting professionally less than 1 year ago. she constantly experiments with new techniques, but already has a strong sense of direction. chikuwaemil's english portfolio launched online today. many of these images have never been seen before.

all images by: chikuwaemil
♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

filmmakers!!! japan, feat. enocdouter by shojono tomo

2011-06-15T18:37:00.002-07:00

since returning from tokyo, sweet streets shifted into high gear working on projects with an entirely new collective of artists: chikuwaemil, eimi, luke chueh, and now, shojono tomo. tomo's artwork is the darling of tokyo's punk rock-infused lowbrow art scene with a girly, pornographic twist. fashion plays a very important role in the communication of her artwork's message, discussed in this great interview by tokyomade's founder, deanne tonking.

artist: shojono tomo
artist: shojono tomo
shojono tomo's own fashion brand enocdouter includes a variety of tshirts, tights, and handbags, recently spotted on the streets of harajuku by tokyo fashion. enocdouter is famously carried by spank!, which just got in tomo's artsy new line of bathrobes. they look even crazier than they sound, but are perfect for the fashionable rebel who wants to get cozy. (trivia: tomo's artwork is a huge influence on sweet streets artist eimi.)

image courtesy of: tokyo fashion
image courtesy of: shojono tomo
image courtesy of: shojono tomo
image courtesy of: shojono tomo
image courtesy of: shojono tomo

all of these items and more will be featured in a pop-up shop at tomo's upcoming event in japan- "filmmakers!!!", opening july 24th at seco bar, tokyo. (i will make every attempt to go, depending on a few other projects we have going on in japan.) select items were featured in a short film by tomo's friend and video artist, toowaii, which will be screened among other works by various underground filmmakers. visit seco bar online for the full roster and more info.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

chikuwaemil: artwork process of her painting, "feeling"

2011-06-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

i get asked repeatedly about our new artist chikuwaemil's process- which feels effortlessly carefree and chaotic with it's huge range of media, but is far from spontaneous. in fact, chikuwaemil carefully plans her paintings, beginning with the "coffee shop sketches" you can find at her blog. she paints under natural lighting outdoors, mainly using acrylics with collage, pencil, and marker. these images follow chikuwaemil's process through a recent painting, "feeling".

all images courtesy: chikuwaemil

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

"kittens and icecream": japanla's 5th anniversary party recap

2011-06-11T19:07:00.000-07:00

japanla's "kittens and icecream" group exhibition kicked off last weekend, bringing together long-time "japanla artists" such as buff monster, luke chueh, and dan may with our own colorful newcomers, chikuwaemil and eimi. "kittens and icecream" is more than a sweet theme- each artist will donate a share of their work’s proceeds to j.e.a.r.s., to help animals affected by the tohoku-kanto earthquake.

to see more, visit our flickr set, facebook, laweekly, and vogue italia, which featured chikuwaemil and eimi's paintings. you can also find my recap of "kittens and icecream" at hi-fructose magazine online, where i am a guest blogger for los angeles-based exhibits. "kittens and icecream" runs at japanla gallery until july 3rd, 2011. artwork is available to purchase online at www.japanla.com.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

big news: sweet streets welcomes artists luke chueh & chikuwaemil

2011-06-07T15:06:00.001-07:00

"jacked"
artist: luke chueh
today is a big day for sweet streets for 2 reasons: luke chueh and chikuwaemil! luke recently joined our japan division, which i set up to help my favorite artists get into the challenging tokyo art scene. it's been a great honor sharing luke's art with japanese galleries these past weeks. his toys also have a sold-out record in tokyo shops, such as kiddyland harajuku and fewmany. luke takes a lot of inspiration from japanese artists, like mori chack and mr., so i'm excited to see his work in japan.

"creamy cat"
artist: chikuwaemil
chikuwaemil hit the ground running this year as a young japanese artist who has already caught the attention of kaikai kiki gallery owner takashi murakami. fans may know her artwork from kaikai kiki's "miku exhibition". currently, chikuwaemil is exhibiting in japanla's 5th anniversary exhibition, with new projects coming up for tokyo and los angeles shops, like munky king. her sweet streets "commemoration print" is coming soon. follow our new twitter to keep tabs on both artists- and eimi!

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

sweet streets exclusive: inside broken doll

2011-06-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

although sweet streets is in the business of art, developing friendships with creative, like-minded brands are important for my artists. the photos i take in tokyo are for their benefit, which broken doll granted me permission to share. broken doll, rising stars in tokyo's punk rock scene, is also a hand-made fashions "stall" owned by the band's leader, kensuke. i was escorted there by tavuchi, the magical girl behind spank!.

image by: sweet streets
image by: sweet streets
image by: sweet streets

kensuke described his eclectic taste in american 80's, japanese pop, punk, and grunge, citing hi-standard as a major influence. his interest in music is reflected in the shop's clothing, most of it designed by himself or friends. naturally, broken doll wears exclusively broken doll items during their performances on stage. the shop also carries rare vintage records, which you can browse online at http://brokendoll.jp.

image by: sweet streets
image by: sweet streets

broken doll was kind enough to invite me, my friends at tokyo fashion, and pop group the lady spade to see them perform live. the band dedicated a song to me in japanese, and the rest is a blur. my favorite song is their cover of "material girl" by madonna. you can sample broken doll's music at myspace, and purchase their new album "get crunk!" at broken doll online. it's the perfect mix of indie dance rock and punk.

image by: sweet streets
image by: sweet streets
image by: tokyo fashion
image by: tokyo fashion

video: dance at my party

followers of tokyo fashion's blog will notice recent street snaps of kids wearing broken doll items- their brand and spirit of diy ("do it yourself") is alive in tokyo. it's the same spirit that i find in the artwork of sweet streets artists- eimi, chikuwaemil, and now, luke chueh. i look forward to future collaborations and visits to broken doll. we are currently working on a big project with street magazine, which i'll get into later. you can get a hint by following sweet streets twitter.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

sneak peek: "kittens and icecream" japanla anniversary exhibition

2011-05-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

"creamy cat"
artist: chikuwaemil

"what heals your heart"
artist: kayo tamaishi

"cat and cream"
artist: eimi

japanla's upcoming "kittens and icecream" group exhibit marks their 5th year in the business of cute. eimi, chikuwaemil, and kayo tamaishi each contributed "kittens and icecream" inspired artwork. in a recent blog post, chikuwaemil cited kittens and icecream as every day inspirations. "kittens and icecream" opens at japanla on june 4th, 2011, 7pm-10pm. i can't believe it's almost june.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

more "miku" art by chikuwaemil, curated by kaikai kiki gallery

2011-05-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

artist: chikuwaemil
artist: chikuwaemil
artist: chikuwaemil

many of you asked to see more of chikuwamil's art for the "miku" exhibition, co-curated by kaikai kiki gallery and pixiv. ask and you shall receive. a popular question is regarding prints- we will commemorate chikuwaemil's first year as a sweet streets artist with a special edition (coming soon). you can see more of her art in japanla's upcoming "kittens and icecream" anniversary exhibit. follow our new tumblr for sneak peeks!

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

"miku" curated by kaikai kiki gallery, feat. chikuwaemil

2011-05-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

today was a hatsune miku-themed day. not only did i get an email from the japanese digital vocaloid herself (download miku's new single!), i also found photos of chikuwaemil's art in the "miku" exhibition at the 62nd sapporo snow festival. it is japan's biggest winter festival, turning sapporo into a wonderland of snow games, ice sculptures, and this year, kaikai kiki gallery curated a special exhibition.

artist: chikuwaemil
artist: chikuwaemil (progress)

the "miku" exhibition ran february 7-12th, 2011 at norbesa, highlighting artists from kaikai kiki gallery and pixiv (aka japan's deviantart). chikuwaemil was chosen to participate by kaikai kiki's owner takashi murakami, who tweeted her beautiful paintings. hatsune miku performed a live digital concert at the opening, which also featured a huge cardboard "miku" installation for attendees to scribble on.

image courtesy of: 62nd sapporo snow festival
image courtesy of: piapro blog
image courtesy of: 62nd sapporo snow festival
image courtesy of: piapro blog
image courtesy of: takashi murakami
image courtesy of: pixiv blog
image courtesy of: pixiv blog
image courtesy of: makita haruka (artist)

for many more photos, look up pixiv, pirapro, and webzakki blogs. i would like to thank kaikai kiki gallery and takashi murakami especially for finding chikuwaemil, a budding japanese artist who is becoming a regular in their exhibits. i'm honored to be working with her in the usa. you can find chikuwaemil's art in los angeles next month at japanla's anniversary-charity exhibit, "kittens and icecream".

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.

"bunnies & bows" party recap, feat. new sweet streets artists

2011-05-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

saturday was a special day for our friend chubby bunny, who celebrated her first year (and birthday!) as a designer with "bunnies & bows". lolitas modeled the new line of chubby bunny accessories in japanla's shop windows, while the mini gallery, accented with hot pink bows and a marshmallow-peeps chandelier, honored artists that inspired her along the way. to see more, visit our flickr set.

"bunnies & bows" curated by chubby bunny
purchase artwork at: japanla
la weekly's interview with chubby bunny offers more insight to her beginnings and close friendship with japanla. "bunnies & bows" exhibits at japanla gallery until may 29th, 2011. this exhibit is also special for the sweet streets crew because it features new artists we'll be working with in japan- onch movement and luke chueh. i look forward to bragging about their future accomplishments here at the blog. next week, i'll be running around tokyo with no time to post. for daily photos, follow our new tumblr.

♥, caro

want to get in touch with a sweet streets artist? contact us in english or japanese at info@sweetstreetsla.com.