Myths of Our Own Event Report part 1

On Saturday August 25^th, braving the public transport disruptions caused by the papal visit, IREGL have hosted their first international event called Myths of Our Own. Haenuli Shin, also known as Nunu, was the guest of honour as the founder and designer of the much loved Korean brand Haenuli. She also arrived with DD, a trusted member of her staff team. Unusually, the event was held in two parts, morning and evening, across two different venues in Dublin.

Haenuli Shin, aka Nunu, the main guest at Myths of Our Own. Undoubtedly she was the kindest, most generous guest possible! Photograph by Xenia Botnaru.

Together with Nunu we had DD (left) from the Haenuli staff team. If you follow Haenuli’s Facebook, you will know that DD ties the best bows! Photograph by Xenia Botnaru.

Part 1 took place in Smock Alley Theatre, which is a converted 19^th-century church building. Starting at 11am, this was the part which you’d normally consider the tea party, although it took form of brunch. The atmosphere was relaxed and aided chatting with friends old and new.

The first ones in the queue! Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

There were lots of police offers around due to the papal visit. Although it’s nice to think that they took care of our safety too. Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

Just look how many attended Myths of Our Own! This was surely dream turnout for IREGL’s first event. Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

While every seat was taken, we still had plenty of space owing to how large a venue Smock Alley Theatre was. Photograph by Xenia Botnaru.

During the day, the organisers held a lolita fashion knowledge quiz. The questions ranged from easy to difficult and it was fun to see how much we all knew or remembered. Especially the question about BtSSB’s longest name print caused a few exasperated noises at having to write that down. While no-one scored full marks, the deserved winner had 7 out of 8 correct answers.

Hard at work with the quiz. For example, do you know which Moitie print misspelled ‘vampire’ as ‘bampire’? Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

Congratulations to the winner! We bow to your knowledge! Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

In addition, Myths of Our Own part 1 also had a raffle and a coordinate contest. The best dressers were chosen by Nunu herself and they won a portrait drawn by her too. However, the rest of the audience was shown the finished portrait before the winners. Of course, their reactions were priceless!

Nunu wandered round the entire room before unveiling her picks. Photograph by Xenia Botnaru.

Nunu drawing Viola, one of the three lucky winners. (Psst! Viola’s wearing The Story You Don’t Know, which is still available in black in size L on Wunderwelt Fleur! So hurry up before it’s gone!) Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

Drum roll, please! The winners before they get to look at their portraits. Grand reveal in three… two… Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

… ONE! Congratulations! Your portraits are wonderful, to say nothing of your stunning outfits! Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

Yet most importantly, Myths of Our Own brought together lolitas from far and wide. As well as lolitas from Ireland, there were attendees from England, Scotland, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and more! The relaxed atmosphere accompanied by beautiful live harp music was perfect. The photographers had their hands full working on all the outfit and group shots. They have indeed done an outstanding job, so please, make sure to follow their work via their social media and websites.

Myths of Our Own was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with your friends. Of course, selfies were obligatory. Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

IREGL, the Irish lolita community and, most importantly, our wonderful hosts for the day. Photograph by Xenia Botnaru.

The London lolita community may be new, however, they are growing and represented well at the event. Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

The French lolitas brought with them a touch of class. Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

The German lolitas certainly didn’t disappoint and brought their A-game too! Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

So many of the attendees decided to change outfits between each part. Although there were some who only attended one part, the outfits continued to be amazing. If you’re curious as to what brilliant coords were featured in the evening, make sure to look out for part 2 of the Myths of Our Own event report! In the meantime, if you’re hungry for more about part 1, check out Gravelvet’s vlog. For those patient enough to read through a lengthy post, you can find my personal report on my blog.

Giving feet a rest before tackling a trip on foot to the other venue. Because not all shoes are made for walking – some are made for looking stunning! Photograph by Xenia Botnaru.

Don’t forget to come back for part 2 which will cover the evening of Myths of Our Own in detail! Until next time! Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

* The event banner, which is also the thumbnail, was created by Sarah Nolan.

Paulina Pejka

She/her.
29-year-old Capricorn, Polish-born, UK-based and in love with Japanese fashion (predominantly Lolita). I enjoy a good bargain, OTT coords, cats and baking, and when in Japan I’m a self-confessed purikura addict. When I don’t blog, I work in the education sector, overseeing international exchange programs, and sometimes I get to do some exciting freelance translations on the side.