Fashion Guide: Harajuku Style.

Hi everyone!

Today i'll smashin that Harajuku things out! And its been a while since I post some blog btw. *lol* What's the first word that popped in to your head when you heard about Harajuku Style? In my mind, Harajuku Style is the craziest way for you to mix and matching your fashion stuff until you get that kawaii and eye-catching feeling. Harajuku style originated among teens on the streets near Harajuku Station in Shibuya, Japan. It may have been brought to many people's attention by American singer Gwen Stefani, but the evolution of the style certainly didn't begin with her and it certainly won't end with her. Like maaaaany "street fashions" it is difficult to characterize because it is constantly changing and because it has many manifestations. There is no cookie-cutter approach to the style, but if you want to dress in Harajuku style, here are some guidelines to get you started!  

The Origins of Harajuku Style

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   Mix and (mis)match different fashions. What is now known as Harajuku (like Halloween in Japan every Sunday) style started as teens in the district began to integrate traditional Japanese attire, especiallykimonos and geta sandals, into their wardrobe. Before, they wore primarily clothes that were influenced by the West, but by mixing the traditional with the modern, they created a new style. Other examples of mixing and matching including the punk look with the schoolgirl uniform or a goth look with designer clothes. In Harajuku, mixing different styles and mismatching colors and patterns is encouraged - you can do anything you want, as long as your outfit is a thoughtful expression of your individuality.
   
   

   

What is Everyone Wearing in Harajuku?

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   Become familiar with variations of fashion in the Harajuku district. It's impossible to pinpoint one "Harajuku style." Many styles have originated or developed on the streets of Harajuku, and many Harajuku girls (and boys) integrate one or more of these somewhat more defined styles into their outfits.
   
   

   

   • Gothic Lolita involves wearing gothic, feminine and elegant clothes, to the extent that you look like a living Victorian doll.
     
     
     
   • Sweet Lolita is heavily influenced by the Rococo era more so than any of the other subcultures of Lolita. It focuses much more too on the child like aspects and uses light colours and child like fantasy themes. Alice in Wonderland, fruits, sweets and classic fairytales such as Little Red Riding Hood are recurrant themes in Sweet Lolita.
     
     
     
   • Japanese punks, inspired by the punk movement that began in London in the 70s, magnify rebelliousness with over-the-top clothes, accessories, makeup, and piercings.
     
     
     
   • Cosplay entails dressing up like your favorite cartoon/anime or computer game character.
     
     
     
   • Decora style favors bright colors, flamboyance and accessories from head to toe. You decorate yourself with plastic toys and jewelry, and it's not uncommon to have so many that you can hear them click together when the person moves.
     
     
     
   • Kawaii (literally translating from Japanese to "cute") places an emphasis on childlike playfulness--anime characters, ruffles, pastel colors, toys, and so on.
     
     
     
   • Wamono refers to mixing traditional Japanese attire with Western fashion.
     
     
     

Specific Harajuku Tips

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   Dress in layers. One of the hallmarks of Harajuku is layering. Sweaters, vests, or jackets over blouses over t-shirts, dresses worn with leggings, and so on. Layering clothes (or giving the appearance of layering by wearing ruffled dresses, for example) allows you to mix and match a wider variety of different styles, and adds more dimension to your outfit.
   
   

   
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   Customize your clothes. Secondhand clothing and do-it-yourself styles are popular ingredients in a Harajuku outfit. Like that flowered skirt but think it would look cuter with a ribbon pinned on it or with a more uneven, angular hemline? Get out the scissors and glue and make your store-bought clothes uniquely yours. Or, go even further and make your own skirt. Cutting the fabric to create bold angles and lines can make even a plain black dress appear remarkable and fun.
   
   

   
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   Accessorize. Add any wild accessories you have, such as belts, earrings, hair clips, jewelry, and handbags. Remember, accessories can be colorful and loud, and they don't have to match your clothes. Speaking of loud, in decora, a particular Harajuku style, accessories embellish an outfit from head to toe, and objects such as bells are sometimes used to add an aural dimension to the wardrobe.
   
   

   
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   Go wild with your hair and makeup. The Harajuku style doesn't have to stop with your clothes. Pigtails and other "cute" hairstyles are particularly popular, as is dying your hair. Creative, even theatrical makeup can be a fun addition.
   
   

   
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   Wear whatever looks good to you. It's been said that the Harajuku style is not really a protest against mainstream fashion and commercialism (as punk was), but rather a way of dressing in whatever looks good to you. If you think mismatched rainbow and polka-dot leggings look good with a plaid dress, go for it!
   
   

   

Say Cheese!

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   Smile and say chiizu! If you dress Harajuku style outside of Harajuku, you'll likely draw attention from people unfamiliar with your international fashion sense. If the attention isn't positive, just smile graciously and keep going about your business. But if people ask questions or want to take pictures, strike a pose! The people in Harajuku are proud of their style, so you should be, too.
   
   

   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

    Here's a few Tips!

   • Many people mistakenly think that dressing Harajuku style is about just "throwing anything together." While the assembly of different styles and patterns might seem haphazard, it's important to put a lot of thought into your style. If you study how people dress in the Harajuku shopping district, you'll see that the intricate outfits are carefully chosen to convey a certain image that a random and thoughtless combination never could.
     
     
     Contrary to popular belief, Harajuku style is not just for the girls. While some variations of the style lend themselves more to females than to males (e.g. Gothic Lolita), many of the hallmarks of the style are gender-neutral. After all, it's about dressing in what looks good to you--why should girls have all the fun? ;P
     
     
     "Harajuku style" is also known as "FRUiTS fashion" to those who follow the magazine, but neither of these terms are commonly used by the Japanese who epitomize style when describing themselves.
     
     
     And guys, Harajuku style changes very quickly. Keep up with the evolution of the style by reading publications likeFRUiTS and Style-Arena.jp (see Sources and Citations below). These publications and others like them offer a wealth of pictures of Harajuku outfits and are updated weekly or monthly. If you want to dress in Harajuku style, looking at pictures is a good way to get inspired.
     
     
     
     

     Uh-huh. Warnings for you!

     • Don't get carried away with brand loyalty. While it's okay to favor certain designer labels (especially since brand loyalty is big in Japan), Harajuku is about creating your own look, so if you appear just like the mannequins in the mall or the pictures in the catalog, you may be stylish, but you're not unique. Don't be afraid to mix that Calvin Klein dress with a used, torn and tattered pair of jeans and some combat boots.
       
       
       Don't be worried what other people think of you. People might think your weird, Asian people might call you gaijin, but if you're happy, don't change for other people.
       
       
       And alsooo, In many places Harujuku style is very uncommon, you can't just dress the part, you have to be the part.:( When walking down the street people will look at you.(KEEP UP YOUR CONFIDENCE! They dont know Harajuku Style guys.) Hold your head high, be proud of what you are wearing or else you look like a poser.;)
       
       
       
       

       How do you mix and match your own Harajuku Style? Share your own style in the comments!

       <3 Mindy

       photo credits: WIKIHOW

Beauty Police: Blue Lipstick?!

Hi makeup lovaaahh,

Brace yourself for some smurf-tastic blue lips...

The following pictures are from designer Lemoniez's Madrid Fashion Week show:

Cool or crazy?? What do you guys think of this? Do you think this could ever be pulled off off the catwalk? And if you could, what would you name this lipstick? Haha I have so many questions about this look! Tell me what you think in the comments belooooow. :D

<3 Mindy

Beauty Police: Eyebrow Tattoos

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Hi everyone,
Invisible eyebrows are definitely a weird brow trend, but how about eyebrow tattoos?
Permanent and semi-permanent brow tattoos are becoming more and more well-known brow maintenance procedures. Think permanent makeup more so than a tattoo that you would see anywhere else on the body. The photo below is an example of a finished brow tattoo look from Browhaus, which does a popular "Brow Resurrection" procedure.

The benefits of getting your brows tattooed are that they would help with any pigmentation issues and would fill in any gaps or sparse places. Some of the downsides are that the ink color would fade over time, it isn't cheap, and it's a tattoo - you can't remove it with eye makeup remover if you change your mind.
I don't know too much about them, but I like to alter my eyebrow shape for various looks, so this idea probably isn't for me. If you were to go through with this, you'd have to be pretty set with what you wanted not only in terms of your eyebrow shape, size and arch, but also in terms of the hair on the top of your head... You wouldn't want to commit to a crazy dark color and then decide to color your hair something radically different!
What do you think about all of this? Do or don't? And how does it compare to invisible eyebrows?
Tell me what you think in the comments!

<3 Mindy

Gaga's debut fragrance

Yesterday photos of Lady Gaga's new fragrance, Fame, were leaked online. Gaga was not a happy bunny, tweeting, "Looks like photos of my perfume are being leaked. Oh you fashion editors I could just crinkle my hands at you!" She then went on to share her own images of the perfume bottle and packaging, and also revealed more details about the fragrance, including this fun fact, "My perfume was designed for women, but a lot of my gay friends wear it."Lady Gaga's fragrance will launch in the Autumn (I've already heard a few industry rumours about what's in store - and it sounds like it will be a strong launch), so are you planning to buy a bottle? Reportedly it smells like an "expensive hooker", if that affects your decision...

So, the question still remains, would you wear Gaga's new fragrance? :)

Instant Eyeshadow

Ever poured over endless magazines and looked longingly at the perfectly made up eyes of celebrities and stars on film and tv? Ever sat in front of your mirror for hour upon hour attempting to recreate these flawless, smoky eyes on yourself, only to end up looking more goth than glam?

Fear not as American beauty brand ColorOn Professional has arrived in the UK with their debut product, eye shadow kit Eye Envy.

The US company has been making their signature item since 1992, with the primary aim of making anyone look as if they have been glamorized by a professional make up artist.

 

In essence, the ‘eye shadows’ are mineral eye shadows laden onto a disposable, single-use applicator, in colours and designs ranging from subtle daytime to smouldering evening looks.

Each appliqué allegedly fits every eye size and shape and can be applied in a matter of seconds.

And  the verdict?

My Colour On Pro Eye envy arrived whilst i was in the office. The result? I have mixed opinions about this product.

The girls cooed over the variety of different colours and shades and were all desperate to try them on. They were really easy to use, far easier than I imagined they would be, though I was surprised that the shadow was more of a wet, gel than smooth powder ( clearly this is what the finishing powder is for, to dry and set the shadow)

While the more novelty shadows went down a treat and did look incredible, I was less impressed by the regular colours. Im not going to lie, I did look a little like a drag queen and I couldn’t get the shadows to match on both sides- one would be higher than the other, one would come out better than the other, and I found it almost impossible to blend the shadow to make it look more’natural’. 

So, for a big night out id say try the novelty shadows like that pictured on my colleague, but if your after a more natural look, stay well clear of these!

Why do the models fall on the runway?

Happy October everyone. Glad to see you in this month. Well, as you have read the title above, I will explain you why and when do the models fall. Not Fall and winter Seasons. But Falling on the runway.

Here are some reasons:

1. They lose their balance
2. runway surfaces are dangerously slippery or feature risky obstacles purposely placed there for the models to avoid or walk on.
3. Dresses too long have caused a few to stumble and hit the floor.
4. The exceptionally high stilettoes they are required to wear by designers for their shows. According to fashion model Allison Bryant, former instructor at Barbizon Modeling and Acting School of Atlanta, “Models are finding it especially difficult to wear heels that are above 4 inches. These stilettos are so high that they are constantly compromising the models’ coordination, causing several to fall and injure themselves”

It is time to see safety changes in the fashion industry. The most important issue is for designers to provide uncompromising safety conditions specific to each model’s performance. Models are more important than money or the designs they wear combined.

Many designers are sensitive to these concerns and do their very best to reduce potential accidents encountered on catwalks. However, some are not and place their models in dangerous situations just to sell the clothes.

It is important that models continue standing up for themselves and join together to say no to unhealthy working conditions and treacherous footwear.

SHOULD WE LAUGH WHEN MODELS FALL?

Should you laugh when a model becomes road kill on the runway? Um, YES! Why? Because it’s hilarious. The collective gasp of all the I-live-for-fashion types in the audience, the stunned look on the model’s face that screams, “My life is over,” as her tailbone makes contact with the floor—unless something’s broken, these things are pure comedy.

 Here’s how I see it. Runway model make buckets of money and there’s only one thing they have to do—stay upright while they walk for the 10 minutes of a fashion show. When they can’t do that right, it’s amusing. Sure, as Erin mentioned, their heels are never the right size and runways are slippery, but designers could easily change those things if they wanted to make sure slippage wasn’t a possibility. Instead, the fashion world intentionally makes walking a challenge, fetishizing the idea that it’s SO HARD to be a model. But that’s a whole ‘nother rant.

Basically, if designers and the models themselves didn’t take the whole thing so darned seriously, it wouldn’t be nearly as chuckle-worthy. So, some advice for the next model who slips and falls mid-strut: stand up, take a bow, and laugh it off yourself.

xoxo

FRED BUTLER S/S 2012 COLLECTION

Fred Butler’s last collection for S/S 2012 shows her iconoclastic approach to accessories and signature psychedelic use of color. Inspired by a vivid Technicolor palette,  extraordinary forms and fluid movements of certain aquatic creatures Fred juxtaposed the most magnificent show pieces with the first true commercial line. This season you can see the designer’s collaboration with artistRosy Nicholas realized through the shoes for the collection and models are seen wearing neoprene playsuits taken from a design sourced from Fred Butler’s degree collection.