Harajuku Kids!!!

Konichiwa , Welcome to the colourful and eclectic world of the Harajuku Kid !!

                                   

 Harajuku is the name for the area surrounding Harajuku station in Tokyo. It is a shopping district with two main streets Omotesando and Takeshita, which cater to the youth fashions. Harajuku is the central location for youth fashion in Japan.

 Every Sunday hundreds of young people gather in Harajuku wearing many different styles which include:

•  Lolita, a style which takes inspiration from rococo and victorian dress;there are three different styles within it such as Gothic Lolita which has elements of the gothic style, Sweet Lolita which takes its look more from the Rococo era and childrens fairy tales and then Classic Lolita where the style is quite victorian aristocracy.

• Cosplay,this is a style which is based on Anime ,Manga,Graphic novels and video games. A person who wears this style is typically called a Cosplayer. Cosplayers often meet up at various venues such as video game stores, and comic book tradeshows. Many Cosplayers meet up at Harajuku.
• Ganguro, this is a style which bases its look on the average Californian teenager, those who participate in this style make frequent trips to the tanning salon to get extremely tanned skin,wear exaggerated false eyelashes, bleach blonde extensions and colourful americann style clothing
• Punk. This is one of the more serious styles with the wearers deeply involved in the history of the style and adapting it. Harajuku/Japanese punk is similar in some ways to the Western punk but the Harajuku style of punk has a more thought out aesthetic.

Harajuku finds its roots in 1958,when central apartments were built up in the area and were occupied by photographers,artists and designers.This led many young people to the area to experience the different shops and atmosphere as Harajuku began to set itself apart from the more conservative districts.
 After the summer Olympics were held in Tokyo in 1964  the area saw a flood of young people who would hang out in groups and began to develop distinct styles, it was then that the "Harajuku Kid" was born.

Harajuku helped to put Tokyo on the map as a Fashion and style capital, with many people taking inspiration from the unique and individual styles. It is a key destination for all who visit Tokyo.

Extra Lashes anyone ?

Cosplayers.Punk.Rockerbilly.

Unique.Mesmerising.Extravagant.

Tokyo Magazine advert for Coloured Contact Lenses and Nail art.

Unique Nail Art

Many of the styles are quite detailed and nothing is left un adorned.Nail art is big business in Tokyo due to the many Subcultures and styles that require detailed finishing touches. Lolitas, Cosplayers and Ganguros can be found with elaborate nails.
 Magazines play a large part in informing how and where to get a certain style, there are Magazines geared towards one or more distinct styles. These Magazines have whole sections devoted to the shops which sell the clothes with hundreds of adverts and photoshoots of the styles.

The magazines also focus on street fashion with snap shot sections devoted to stylish  pedestrians.

The culture of Harajuku is a swirl of colour and expression with something to found in every corner and inspiration from the most fantastic of styles.

Key Fashion brands and shops geared towards the different styles :

• H.Noato
• Takuya Angel
• BAPE
• Moi-Meme-Moitie
• Dog Boutique
• Spank
• Stigmata