We are at the end of April. Lockdown for one month has kind of been tough, but I hope that everyone has managed to stay safe and keep well!! It's really hard not being able to see friends/family/etc., but if we follow these precautions, we are closer and closer to freedom!! :D HORAY!
Our last digi-view for April is a designer from the states who focuses a lot on menhera designs and themes!
Puvithel - Designer and Owner of Puvithel
I met Puvithel last year at Tekko during the Harajuku Walk event! It was a lot of fun being around so many people who I had already made friends with earlier in the con. I was "blessed" with her puns later that day during one of LovelyLor's panels LOL
(The many shoes of everyone who attended the walk!)
Puvithel has been making art and jewelry pretty much since entering the world, but started trying to sell her jewelry in 2015. At the time, she was crafting as a way to de-stress from a busy college + part time working life, and had only begun selling to try and recoup craft supplies costs. She started running under her own name, Puvithel, in 2016.
"I only started looking at it as a 'brand' when Lolita Collective reached out about carrying some of my items to their events."
I asked Puvi what sort of message she wants to convey with her brand:
"My core belief of my brand is that fashion can help people. The ability to express myself through alternative fashions have helped me get through tough times, and my hope is that my brand can help others in the same way. Lately I've been focusing on mental health/chronic health themes, so that my clothing can both be an expression of the wearer and a message to those who see the clothing."
(Artwork from the collection Anxiety Angel and I Did Not Hurt Myself)
As I mentioned before, fashion is one of the best ways to express yourself, your likes and interests, and, in this case, one's own mental health.
Puvithel mentions to me that a piece she is most proud of is her Anxiety Angel collection!
"I proud of most of my work, but I'm especially fond of my fall set from last year, Anxiety Angel. Anxiety Angel is a very personal piece and features my intrusive thoughts, as well as heavy metaphors for my personal traumas. On a technical level, I also hand drew the art for this, which is very time intensive and difficult for me (I typically work in Illustrator). This set is darker than most of my work so while it received a praise, it unfortunately did not sell very well. I'm still glad I made it nonetheless."
Puvithel has been working on a ton of new things. "The most hyped right now is Medical Melancholy, a bright and colorful yamikawaii collab with Haenuli. Haenuli is an artist and designer I've looked up to forever. She's also a very sweet person and good friend. It's been incredible getting to work with her!
The photo to the left is her Slaughterhouse 413 lolita print collection. Puvithel offers many items that hold a sort of grotesque theme to them, yet don't always seem like that from afar! By looking closely at these dresses specifically, you can see tiny....meats!! I look forward to seeing her collaboration with Haenuli! She has also done a few other collabs, including enamel pins for LovelyLor and Last Week Lolita News' ScarfingScarves.
Lastly, I asked Puvithel what is something she's most proud of:
"It's hard to come up with just one thing, but I am pretty proud to be celebrating my fifth year as a designer! Hopefully things will clear up so I can celebrate with a fancy anniversary party later this year."
(Some pieces from Puvithel's newer collection!! These cute little pill jars are all unique!)
Thanks for answering Puvithel! And thank you all for reading. Be sure to check out Puvithel's social networks and website, and check out our other blog posts on KAWAII INTERVIEWS, events I've attended, and more!