A pleasantly unique experience awaited us at Kawaii in Manila 2: The First Philippine Kawaii Convention over the weekend at Whitespace Manila in Makati City. Kawaii is now considered a global phenomenon because of its great influence in art, fashion, beauty, food and various consumer products in Japan and spreading allover the world, and kawaii has for quite a time been celebrated in many different forms in the Philippines. Kawaii in Manila 2 is the celebration of that fascination and passion for all things light and cute, and over a thousand people gathered at Whitespace to take part in this fascinating affair.
arkadymac is an official media partner for Kawaii in Manila 2, and covering this event for us is our Cosplay Model Ai Chi, who was enjoying herself with the sights and sounds that Kawaii in Manila 2 had to offer. Oh, and tastes too, as there were free ice cream and cotton candy for attendees. Inside the venue was the Kawaii Bazaar were the most adorable and enticing items, trinkets, accessories, and clothing could be found, a veritable treasure trove to the discerning kawaii fan. There was also the Kawaii art exhibit where attendees can browse and appreciate work done by amazing artists who have taken the essence of kawaii to heart.
Kawaii in Manila 2 is a day-long convention dedicated to promoting the interest and appreciation for kawaii culture through various kawaii-related programs and activities. Then there was the Kawaii Workshop that has been the mainstay of the event, teaching working with polymer clay and lettering to eager workshoppers.
The program started in earnest by noon, led by bubbly kawaii hosts Kat ad Mikee. With some introductions, the first feature was the Live Art exhibition by Rian Gonzales, who impressed the audience with her great talent.
After a while there was the Kawaii Fashion show where renownded Kawaii fashion designers in the country got to showcase their fascinating collections as models took to the runway with ensembles nothing short of works of art, featuring Dolly Kaye, Dorotee Sweetlips, Forestale and La Princesse Dolle, all of them welcomed by an appreciative crowd.
More surprise features and attractions awaited the crowd like the Ikemen Guy and Kawaii Girl contests, Harajuku fashion show by which featured Kawaii Candy Lover Ashley Dy, LucyPop fashion show and other performances from special guests. Near the end was the Changing the World with Kawaii talk by Kawaii PH founders Kaila and Anne Kate, who were overwhelmed with the great turnout and support despite the many challenges they faced in bringing Kawaii in Manila 2 to life.
All throughout the day, Kawaii was everywhere, with attendees sporting their best Kawaii looks and poses. Among them is our Cosplay Model and Reviews Writer, Yanna. We were glad to see familiar faces and friends and were more than happy to take shots of them.
With attendance three times more than what they expected and with many booths and sponsors participating, Kawaii in Manila 2 is a huge success, and we commend the efforts of the organizers for being able to bring kawaii to more people and much excitement to those who have been dressing and living kawaii for the longest time. We look forward to more such events from Kawaii PH, hopefully soon.
Thank you for dropping by, and please visit us again for more cosplay features here at arkadymac.com.
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