Hello dear fashion enthusiasts and followers-- just when you probably think that this month's post will talk about all fall and autumn must- haves and trends just like last year's...then you are in for a surprise! I mean, after all, I am sure other fashion bloggers are already covering that subject matter right? And these days, as a fashion blogger, I am pushing my creative limits and boundaries more and more to be unpredictable!
This month's STYLE WATCH series was inspired by my never-ending fascination with Japanese culture, not to mention, their very distinct fashion sense and style. I know that if I ever will be reincarnated again, I would definitely be a Japanese woman! If you have ever seen Japanese anime cartoons or have read some Japanese mangas (comic books) then you will clearly see the different aspects I have taken to create these four fashion edits that I truly had fun curating and selecting. "Kawaii" is a Japanese word for "cute" or "adorable". Japanese street fashion are extreme, outrageous and somewhat pompous and flamboyant whilst mixing Western fashion influence with traditional Japanese fashion. When we think about Japanese fashion trends, our imagination often turns to over-the-top street stylings seen in the Harajuku district of Tokyo which has a notable presence and surely a sight to be seen. By recreating this fashion concept and also putting in my personal taste, let me showcase you these fashion edits that are truly "so kawaii" in my eyes and welcome to the world of the Japanese Fashion!
SAILOR MOON SENSATION
If you are a Japanese manga or anime enthusiast, I am sure that you must have known or heard of SAILOR MOON, known as Usagi Tsukino. Sailor Moon is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi that was later on adapted into an anime series produced by Toei Animation and broadcast in Japan from 1992 to 1997. Living in Asia for some time, I was lucky enough to be exposed to her wonderful world that up to now, I am still quite a big fan of this series! Her character revolves around this quirky and somewhat clumsy teenage student whose alter ego is butt-kicking heroine! Her costume was inspired by a sexy sailor and whose name Sailor Moon was coined with celestial and astronomical bodies. Her fellow heroines are named as Sailor Mars, Jupiter, Venus and so forth! With this fashion edit, I wanted to play around the idea of an innocent yet playful student by matching an oversized Sailor Moon-printed shirt from Dollskill with a plaid skort (short/skirt combination). I paired it with a knee-high socks that has an oversized ribbon on each side to compliment the skort and the hair ribbons. Lastly, to finish the look, I paired it with wearing a classic Fila chunky sneakers called The Disruptor 2 Biella and a faux-leather red motor cycle jacket for an edgier look. If you zoom in on the last picture in the gallery, you will see some of the Sailor Moon accessories that are ultra cute and amazing. The plush handbag was purchased online and the jewelries namely the Sailor Moon charm bracelet, enamel pin and drop earrings were purchased from the Comic Con 2019 I attended with friends. Truly, the inner school girl in me came out with this outfit.
HARAJUKU BABE
I called this fashion edit Harajuku Babe after the infamous Tokyo Fashion District. Harajuku is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan; become world famous as Japan’s center of street fashion. This square mile area is jam-packed with boutiques, fashion malls and chains. Every single day of the year, tens of thousands of people come here to shop, hang out, and see what the latest trends are. This district is so well-known that even the famous singer and fashionista Gwen Stefani developed a designer brand of apparel, fashion accessories, and stationery called HARAJUKU LOVERS in 2005. The concept for Harajuku Lovers revolves around the district and the four “Harajuku Girls,” Gwen Stefani’s Japanese back-up dancers and entourage (Love, Angel, Music, and Baby). With this specific fashion edit, I played around the idea of mixing very feminine colors such as baby blue, powder pink and lilac to capture the innocence and playfulness of a Harajuku fashionista. Luckily, my favorite online store, Dollskill, got what I just needed. The see-thru mesh top has an anime-printed design with its matching thigh high boots that were simply irresistible. How can one say no to that print? Zooming in the second picture from the gallery will provide a more vivid picture of the print and design. I of course paired it with a pleated powder pink mini skirt from Forever 21 and accessorized it with a pair of lilac-colored eyewear, a plastic hair clip and lastly, an ultra kawaii roller skates-shaped bag. This fashion edit reminds me of a JPOP celebrity just strolling and galavanting around town!
SWEET LOLITA
Lolita is a fashion subculture from Japan that is highly influenced by Victorian and Edwardian children's clothing and styles from the Rococo period. A very distinctive property of Lolita fashion is the aesthetic of cuteness. This clothing subculture can be categorized into three main substyles: gothic, classic and sweet. When I was shopping for this month's STYLE WATCH, I mostly browsed online at Dollskill and when I I saw this cute mini tank top that has a Japanese anime character; she became the idea of where I wanted to focus on: the sweetness of an edgy look, hence, the name SWEET LOLITA. The first two edits were shot in Wynwood Art District in Miami and we decided to shoot the last two in Miami Design District. Pairing the top with a faux-leather baby blue studded jacket, and balanced it with the anime-inspired skirt and takeout handbag box both from Dollskil and purple booties were the finishing touches together with the colorful hair clips and the rainbow-sprinkled ice cream from a nearby ice cream parlor. If you click and zoom on the first picture, you can clearly see the subtle play we made with my photographer, Loic, to focus on the top's character who is eating an ice cream. The makeup truly complimented and blended with the outfit's colors. Plus, the first picture strolling under the rain with my see thru panda-printed umbrella made it more magical and gave me a nostalgic feel of the legendary Gene Kelly in his movie, Singin' in the Rain.
GLANIME GAL
Last but not the least, I have to say that this is probably my favorite fashion edit out of the four since I know I would rock this look on a regular basis if I can! I wanted to channel my inner Lady Gaga so I had to go for the iconic bowtie hairstyle! This edit is called Glanime Gal as I had to play with two key words: glam and anime. My vision for this last edit is a modern and glamorous Japanese jetsetter who is really into an eccentric and colorful fashion. Therefore, I had to come up and mix different textures of the individual pieces of this edit. Saw this neon see thru mesh long-sleeved top that has a Japanese theme on and a snap-on plastic neon pink skirt. Accessorized it with a hand bag that has a Tokyo-print and finally, a colorful lensed eyewear and my spiked metallic Christian Louboutin shoes and experimented with putting on an ankle socks that has a Keroppi print on it. I have a sentimental attachment to Keroppi since growing up, it was my favorite character from the Sanrio brand characters including Hello Kitty so it was nice that I was able to incorporate that in this fashion edit.
I hope that you guys like this month's fashion edit and by giving you an idea of what Japanese fashion and street fashion is all about! It is truly a different yet interesting world especially for fashionistas and fashion enthusiasts alike. Until next time's STYLE WATCH series y'all!
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