Today we’d like to introduce you to Angel Marie.
Angel, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Hi! My name is Angel Marie and I’m a 25-year-old online creator and YouTuber from San Diego. My story begins with an online blog that I started when I was 15 after getting out of a toxic relationship. I was looking for something to bring me happiness and that’s when I discovered Japanese street fashion through other blogs. Japanese street fashion was unlike any other style I had seen before and I was so amazed by it, it consists of various sub-styles and colors. Each individual style is unique in its own way and I loved that! Not long after I discovered Japanese street fashion, I started experimenting with my own style. The first brand that I ever fell in love with was Spank! “Spank! Kei” is the sub-style associated with the brand that features repurposed handmade vintage clothing from the 80’s and 90’s. There was something so nostalgic about these unique pieces from a time I wasn’t able to experience nor fully appreciated. I started my blog back in 2011 and over the course of about five years, it grew into something I never expected.
Soon I realized that by sharing my love of Japanese street fashion and kawaii culture, I grew an online audience of 84,000 Tumblr followers, half a million page views and over 15,000 Instagram followers. I was also featured in an episode of a Netflix series called “The Doll Life”. I have now transitioned to YouTube under a new username “Dollhouse Unboxing”. My channel consists of various things like toy unboxings, makeup videos, fashion videos and occasionally videos about my personal life and struggles. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I started being open about my experience with mental health, my physical disability and chronic pain. I’ve had chronic pain for eight years now and the response from everyone has been amazing. The support I receive means the absolute world to me and I’ve even made many friends who are going through similar experiences. Through having an online platform I have been able to feel validated in my struggles and less alone. Social media is truly powerful in that way. I couldn’t be more thankful to have the platform that I do.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It definitely hasn’t been an easy road and I’ve struggled a lot. As I mentioned before, I live with both mental and physical chronic illnesses. This has led me to not be as consistent with my online content as I would like. I’ve also had to turn down a lot of really amazing opportunities due to my health conditions. I try my best to remain as consistent with my online presence as I can but my health is my number one priority. Thankfully, I have an amazing support system that helps me through all my struggles. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my friends and family to support me.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I believe what sets me apart from others is my unique style and individuality. There aren’t many people in San Diego who wear Japanese fashion so it definitely sets me apart from the crowd which I’m totally okay with! Being able to express myself through fashion is such an amazing thing and seeing people’s faces light up when they see me is truly a magical experience. People see me and stop me to tell me how much they love my style and feel inspired to dress in a way that makes them feel happy and confident.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plans are to grow my YouTube channel to reach a wider audience. I want to be able to share my love for vintage toys, makeup, and fashion with as many people as possible! I also want to create a platform that not only focuses on self-love and positivity but a platform that touches on important issues like mental health and the experience of living with a chronic illness.
Contact Info:
- Email: dollhouseunboxing@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/pastelcutie
- Facebook: facebook.com/PastelCutie
- Twitter: twitter.com/pastel_cutie
- Other: youtube.com/dollhouseunboxing
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