Kawaii in Manila 2: The First Philippine かわいい Convention

In the words of the Kawaii Philippines team, Kawaii isn't just an expression nor a trend, it is a lifestyle – an appreciation for all things cute and also a way of looking at the world in a positive light. This is something that I believe in quite strongly as well. I've said it so many times before - kawaii is a state of mind. With the goal of spreading the kawaii way of life in the Philippines, the Kawaii PH team brings us the most-awaited kawaii event of the year, Kawaii in Manila 2 - the first ever Kawaii convention in the country!

The meaning of Kawaii has gone beyond its original sense. It is no longer just a word that means "cute," "pretty" or "adorable" in Japanese. Kawaii is now considered a global phenomenon because of its great influence in art, fashion, beauty and even food. It is not just an appreciation for all things cute and fun but also a way of looking at the world in a happy and positive light. Kawaii is a culture enjoyed by many people from all over the world, including the Philippines.

Here's a bit of trivia: I've been in the anime / manga / cosplay scene since 2007 -- so old! During those times, it was quite a rare sight to see people dressing up in J-fashion. There would be one or two people in decora, a handful of people in lolita, and everyone else would be in cosplay. Fast forward to now - because more and more people have become familiar with kawaii fashion, I've seen it a lot more during events. Still though, I always wished we could have something similar to HARAJUKU KAWAii!! - a convention centered on the kawaii fashion and culture. We've never had anything like it, as we've only ever had cosplay events. That is, until now. The Philippines having its very own kawaii convention was something I could only imagine before, I never thought it would happen so soon! What's more, I'll be taking part in it as well! I'm so happy and excited, especially since the Kawaii PH team shares the same goal as I do - to spread the kawaii culture to everyone in the Philippines and around the world. Because I knew that we all had the same goal, I didn't hesitate to reach out to Kaila to offer my skills and my support. I'm very excited to see how far the kawaii influence will reach! And if you're not quite convinced yet, here are just one of the activities at Kawaii in Manila 2:

Kawaii Bazaar
Kawaii Girl and Ikemen Guy Contests
Kawaii Fashion Shows by DollyKaye, Dorotee Sweeetlips, Forestale, La Princesse Doll
Harajuku Fashion Show organized by Ashley Dy / Candy Kawaii Lover
Kawaii Art Exhibit showcasing the work of talented illustrators from all over the world, organized by Little Miss Paintbrush
DIY Workshops – Polymer Clay Workshop by Provenance 1800 Designs and Crafts & Lettering Workshop by Abbey Sy
Official Launch of Kawaii Girl Uniform Collaboration between Lucy Pop Japan and Rainbowholic
Kawaii.PH Store Booth will be selling lots of cute items such as kawaii bows
Fashion Streetsnaps by Chai Mungcal (that's meeeeeee) for Kawaii.PH/LOOKS ^ 3 ^
Candy Kawaii Lover x Fujifilm Instax Purikura-inspired Photobooth
Live Music by Kawaii Musician Reese Lansangan
Live Art by Rianbow Art / Rian Gonzales
Rainbowholic Cafe Pop-up Booth featuring Love, Agnessi
Changing The World with KAWAII: A Talk by Kawaii PH Founders Kaila & Anne Kate
........and a whole lot more! ٩(ó。ò۶ ♡)))♬

So exciting!! If you're interested in the kawaii culture as well, you'd better not miss this event! If ever you are planning to go, here's a little surprise for you-- the Kawaii PH team has given me two tickets to give away to one lucky reader and a friend! Yay!!

To join, all you have to do is:
1 Follow this blog on Blogger / Bloglovin', OR like Chai Mungcal on Facebook.
2 Like Kawaii in Manila and Kawaii Philippines on Facebook.
3 Leave a comment below with your name and email. That's all!

You may also tweet about this giveaway (with a link to this blogpost) for an additional entry.
Just make sure you leave the link to the tweet in a -separate- comment below.

Since this is a Philippines-only event, the giveaway is only open to those who will be in the PH during the event itself. Open until September 1st! The winner will be chosen using a randomizer, and announced later on this blog and my Twitter. Good luck!! (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑