Street Style Harajuku + Indonesia: 2009

Cosplay di Indonesia

Cosplayer adalah orang yang mengenakan pakaian/kostum/cosplay. Kebanyakan costume yang digunakan dari Jepang. Di Indonesia sangat jarang ditemukan Cosplayer yang mengenakan pakaian dari komik luar asia, beberapa menggunakan tipe eropa tetapi dikarenakan di ambil dari manga/manwa bukan dari komik luar asia.

Pembagian cosplay

Secara umum cosplay dinilai sama. Tetapi tak langsung dalam beberapa event yang terjadi di Indonesia sering dilakukan pembagian/kategori cosplay^[rujukan?]:

Cosplay anime/manga. Cosplay yang berasal dari anime maupun manga. Biasanya manhwa termasuk didalamnya termasuk comic dari amerika.
Cosplay Game. Cosplay yang berasal atau mengambil dari karakter di Game.
Cosplay Tokusatsu. Cosplay yang berasal atau mengambil dari karakter di film tokusatsu.
Cosplay Gothic. Cosplay yang berasal atau mengambil dari karakter bernuansa gelap atau Gothic. Biasanya digabung dengan Lolita.
Cosplay Original. Cosplay yang benar-benar original tidak ada di anime, tokusatsu dan lainnya. Atau memiliki dasar yang sama seperti tokoh game Kingdom heart misalnya: Sora (Kingdom Heart) tetapi berbentuk metalic (modern)
Harajuku Style. Beberapa cosplayer sering menduga Harajuku style adalah bagian dari cosplay. Beberapa Harajuku style muncul di manga/anime seperti Nana.
Kartun Nickelodeon, Biasanya yang bermain cosplay yang berasal dari kartun Nickelodeon adalah anak kecil usia taman kanak-kanak.

[Source : http://www.id.wikipedia.org]

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

21.23 | Category: | 0 comments

Visual Kei

Visual Kei merupakan penggabungan dari kata Visual(bahasa Inggris), dan Kei(bahasa Jepang) yang mempunyai arti ‘gaya’. Jika komunitas Punk berasal dari London, maka Visual kei berasal dari Jepang. Visual Kei (ヴィジュアル系 ,bijuaru kei^?) mengacu pada sebuah gerakan dalam J-Rock yang populer pada sekitar tahun 1990-an. Gerakan ini ditandai dengan band yang mengenakan kostum dramatis dan imej visual untuk memperoleh perhatian. Di Jepang, penggemar band Visual Kei sebagian besar hampir selalu terdiri dari gadis remaja dan dipasarkan secara luas dalam bentuk merchandise anggota band itu sendiri. Di negara-negara lain, perbandingannya kecil secara kuantitas antara penganut Visual Kei kira-kira keseluruhan antara remaja putra dan putri.

Anggota band Visual Kei sering memakai make up yang mencolok, dengan gaya potongan rambut yang dramatis, yang mengingatkan pada “pita rambut” tahun 1980-an dan memakai kostum yang sangat rumit. Walaupun sebagian besar musisi adalah laki-laki. Anggota band sering bermake up dan memakai pakaian yang dapat dianggap sebagai feminin atau androgynous. Pada akhirnya sebagian band kembali pada image warna – warni dan fantastik yang populer sekitar 5 tahun lalu yang diinspirasi game RPG dan anime. Daya tarik kostum pada fans adalah dengan ditunjukkan oleh para gadis yang berpakaian cosplay sebagai anggota band favorit mereka, secara terpisah pada konser di Jepang, di Amerika pada acara-acara anime.

Band visual kei yang diartikan sebagai yang utama dari gaya visual, tidak mengacu pada jenis musik tertentu. Mereka sebagian memainkan musik rock, hard rock seperti Luna Sea, Dir en Grey, Penicillin, Due'le Quartz, Plastic Tree, musik gothic dan neoclassic seperti Malice Mizer, Moi Dix Mois, Rentrer en Soi, D'espairs Ray dan Phantasmagoria, Light Rock dan Pop seperti L'Arc~en~Ciel, Glay, Shazna dan musik heavy metal dan Ballad seperti X Japan, Loudness, Buck- Tick, Sex Machine Gun, selain itu musik industrial, punk, dan techno kadang - kadang juga masuk ke dalamnya. Dengan mengambil genre dalam arti yang luas, sebagian besar memutuskan memainkan beberapa jenis musik rock.

Pengamat barat seringkali kebingungan dalam membedakan Visual Kei Band dengan Band Gothic karena kadang-kadang penampilannya yang mirip dalam bermake up dan berpakaian, tetapi sebagian gothic Jepang tidak bisa memasukkan visual Kei menjadi Gothic, dan disana ada persilangan budaya kecil antara Visual Kei Jepang dan Gothic Jepang diluar model gothic lolita, yang mana dipengaruhi oleh subbudaya gothic.

Secara luas gerakan ini telah dimulai oleh X Japan pada tahun 1980-an, yang mengangkat tren dari pemanfaatan visual shock untuk memperoleh pengakuan dalam kancah musik independen.

Sejarah:

Sejarah yang “melahirkan” adanya Visual Kei sebenarnya bermula saat Jepang mengalami perubahan besar-besaran usai Perang Dunia II. Saat itu ada suatu komunitas yang ‘terbuang’ dari masyarakat. Komunitas ini tidak hanya berbicara melalui mulut dan tulisan, tapi juga lewat penampilan. Komunitas yang mayoritas terdiri dari kaum adam itu tampil dengan mengenakan berbagai macam aksesoris dan berdandan maupun berperilaku layaknya perempuan. Lewat apa yang mereka pakai, mereka berbicara tentang segala hal. Mulai dari politik, segala under pressure, hingga masalah-masalah psikologis. Namun seiring dengan perubahan zaman, komunitas ini perlahan-lahan mengalami “mati suri” hal ini dikarenakan banyak orang Jepang yang lebih memilih bunuh diri untuk menyelesaikan masalah, daripada tenggelam dalam penderitaannya sendiri.

[Source : http://www.id.wikipedia.org]

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

21.19 | Category: | 0 comments

Trend Harajuku Style di Indonesia

Siapa tak kenal dengan sosok Maia, baik ketika populer dalam kelompok Ratu-nya hingga kini ngetop dengan Duo Maia-nya. Katakanlah bisa juga, figure Agnes Monica, artis muda bertalenta komplit dengan energi musikalitasnya yang di atas rata-rata artis seusianya ini, bagi para penggemar berat infotainmen tentu telah tak asing lagi, apalagi di kalangan para remaja dan ABG. Bagi ibu-ibu aktivis kegiatan arisan pun, tak perlu ragu atau malu-malu untuk ‘memuja’ sang idola ini. Toh, sah-sah saja kok mengidolakannya, memangnya nggak boleh? Boleh-boleh saja, asal tak perlu bersaing serius dengan putra-putrinya, apalagi sampai bareng-bareng ikut-ikutan berjingkrak-jingkrak di bawah panggung konser hanya karena saking ngefans-nya, sehingga antara anak dan sang mama sudah tak ada bedanya lagi, siapa yang ngantar dan siapa yang minta diantar nonton sang idola, seolah mereka sama-sama .....

Apa sih yang menjadi magnet kedua bintang ini? Masih muda.. sudah pasti, cantik berbalut seksi.. semua orang pasti meng-iyakannya, cerdas dan bertalenta seni tinggi.. memang telah terbukti dan, apalagi dandanannya.. begitu fenomenal!!

Nah, ..dandanannya inilah yang hampir terselip samar sehingga nyaris luput dari pusat perhatian publik. Semua pasang mata kian terbuai manja oleh pesona eksotika mozaik warna-warni tema kostum yang kerap dipakai Maia dan Agnes ketika mereka manggung. Gema energy-aura extravaganza yang mereka tularkan kepada penonton saat pentas dengan ditingkahi balutan busana harajuku’s style bernuansa postmo ini, agaknya semakin menghentak imaji penonton lalu membawanya ke nuansa ‘kejepang-jepangan’ dan, kian mengukuhkan predikat performa keartisan mereka sebagai ‘penganut mazhab’ fashion system. Yakni salah satu ciri khas model berpakaian yang selalu up to date, mengikuti mainstream perkembangan dan trendsetter dunia fashion modern. Inilah the jap’s style atau boleh juga menyebutnya sebagai the harajuku’s style¹. Salah satu ‘varian’ dalam fashion system a la Jepang yang dua dekade belakangan ini sempat menginspirasi kaum muda di beberapa negara Asia, sebagian kecil Eropa, termasuk Indonesia. Maia dan Agnes tadi, hanyalah sekelumit representasi “wabah” budaya fashion style yang tengah digandrungi sekelompok anak muda kosmopolit saat ini.

[Source : http://www.ppromarching.com]

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

20.07 | Category: | 0 comments

Hura-hura Harajuku di Indonesia

Harajuku secara mutakhir lebih populer disematkan bagi area di seputar Stasiun JR Harajuku, distrik Shibuya, Tokyo. Area ini tersohor dan lebih familiar sebagai tempat kawula muda berkumpul dengan lokasi menyebar yang mencakup Kuil Meiji, Taman Yoyogi, pusat perbelanjaan Jalan Takeshita, departemen store Laforet serta Gimnasium Nasional Yoyogi. Terselip juga sebuah kabar bahwa, Harajuku sebenarnya bukan nama resmi sebuah tempat atau daerah dan anehnya, ia tak dicantumkan ketika menulis alamat.

Pada era 80-an, secara embrional Harajuku didentikkan sebagai area di mana subkultur Takeno-zoku berkembang. Seiring perputaran waktu, hingga detik ini kita bisa menjumpai sekelompok anak muda berpakaian agak “nyleneh” yang tak begitu sulit ditemukan di kawasan ini. Pada era-era tahun yang sama pula, Jalan Takeshita menjadi ramai, kondisi ini terjadi lebih karena orang ingin melihat Takenoko-zoku yang berpenampilan “nyleneh” sembari menari di jalanan. Akhirnya, setelah pemerintah menetapkannya sebagai kawasan khusus pedestrian, Harajuku bak disulap menjadi tempat berkumpul favorit kawula muda.

Rupa-rupanya, kebiasaan kawula muda yang berjiwa “indie” ini, menjadikan area Harajuku kian ramai, gemerlap serta berbeda dari kawasan-kawasan sekitarnya. Sedemikian rupa perubahan itu terjadi pada daerah Harajuku, sehingga menarik minat anak-anak sekolah dari pelbagai penjuru Jepang mengagendakan Harajuku sebagai tempat tujuan studi wisata. Tak lain dan tak bukan, semua ini merupakan efek domino dari kebiasaan serta perilaku keseharian para pemudanya yang sedikit berjiwa eksotis, lepas dan bebas.

Awal tahun 70-an, Harajuku menjadi pusatnya belanja busana yang terkenal hingga ke seluruh Jepang, apalagi setelah media massa khusus fashion, Anan dan non-no mengekspose besar-besaran kawasan ini.

Akhirnya terdapat kesepakatan, label “Harajuku” dipersempit hanya bagi kawasan utara Omotesando, sementara itu, Onden merupakan nama sebuah kawasan selatan Omotesando, akan tetapi nama ini kurang begitu populer untuk ikut ke dalam area Harajuku.

Globalisme seakan-akan ikut meramaikan ‘hura-hura’ kawula muda ini, memberinya tempat dan angin surga bagi tumbuh-kembangnya budaya pakaian serba ‘wah’ tersebut. Rupa-rupanya, peribahasa nenek moyang kita benar-benar mujarab, “lain lubuk lain pula ikannya”, maksudnya, beda bangsa dan negara beda pula adat kebiasaannya. Apakah ‘hura-hura’ dalam konteks Harajuku itu termasuk kategori budaya sehingga pemerintah Jepang menjadikannya sebagai determinasi tujuan wisata, maksudnya wisata budaya? Entahlah, lain lubuk memang lain pula ikannya. Kalau seumpama itu terjadi di Indonesia maka, ‘keharuan’ macam apa yang mesti kita rasakan? Entahlah, mungkin globalisme yang kita gadang-gadang bakal memberikan pencerahan pada segenap aspek kehidupan di bangsa ini, akan bergeser sebagai ‘gombalisme’ alias tak bernilai apapun kecuali dekadensi moral sebuah bangsa. Alasan mengharukan ini mencuat cukup kuat jika dikaji dari sisi tradisi budaya bangsa Indonesia, namun entah tatkala ditilik dari kaca pandang lain. Keharuan apa lagi yang akan lahir, entahlah.

[Source : http://www.ppromarching.com]

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

20.06 | Category: | 0 comments

Harajuku vs Cosplay Indonesia

Per etimologis, Cosplay (kosupure) lebih merujuk pada frase bahasa Inggris tapi ‘made in’ Jepang (wasei-eigo). Cosplay sendiri berasal dari “costume” (kostum) dan “play” (bermain) yang secara harafiah berarti hobi memakai pakaian plus aksesoris lengkap dengan riasan wajah dan tatanan rambut menyerupai para tokoh tenar dalam anime, manga, manhwa, dongeng, video game, penyanyi dan musisi idola serta kartun Nickelodeon. Pelakunya sendiri familiar dengan julukan cosplayer atau disingkat layer bagi yang telah terdengar akrab di telinga penggemar.

Di negara kelahirannya, Jepang, party-party a la cosplay mudah ditemukan pada sebuah acara yang diadakan komunitas cosplay (dojin circle). Komunitas dimaksud membaur akrab dalam perkumpulan seperti Comic Market, namun yang lebih kolosal, komunitas cosplay ini sangat identik juga dengan fans berat sebuah kelompok musik tertentu, biasanya jenis musik yang bergenre visual kei. Hingga kini, para cosplayer berikut ‘simpatisannya’ telah tersebar luas di beberapa Negara di antaranya, Amerika, Eropa, RRC, Filipine serta tak mau ketinggalan, Indonesia².

Baru sekitar awal tahun 1985, para hobbies cosplay kian merambah di hampir setiap kota di negeri matahari terbit itu. Pertanyaan menelisik selanjutnya adalah, seberapa jauh pengaruh dari kedua budaya fashion style tersebut terhadap pilihan model busana kawula muda Jepang?

Lumayan sulit juga menengarai fenomena “siapa mempengaruhi siapa” atau “siapa menginspirasi siapa”. Namun jika ditilik dari perspektif cultural studies³ yang lebih melihat kepada peran media massa sebagai pembawa sekaligus pembentuk opini publik, maka bolehlah berasumsi sejenak bahwa budaya Harajuku’s Style yang mengilhami cara berdandan sebagian besar kawula muda ‘saudara tua kita’⁴ itu, lebih massif persebaran serta pergerakannya karena ia telah menjadi sebuah sistem budaya tentang cara berpakaian kosmopolit tertentu yang bukan merupakan upaya imitasi dari tokoh reka tertentu seperti halnya yang terjadi dalam Cosplay. Budaya Harajuku lambat-laun kian mengakar kuat ke dalam sistem perilaku keseharian para pelakunya. Ditambah lagi, ekspose besar-besaran dari media massa kian mempertajam opini yang akan dan telah dikonstruksi. Seperti apa yang pernah dilakukan oleh majalah fashion terkenal di Jepang, Anan dan non-no. Setelah sukses dengan pemberitaan tersebut, tak pelak Harajuku menjadi sentra busana terkenal di Jepang hingga kini.

Persebaran ‘budaya’ Cosplay lebih terbatas sifatnya, ia lebih bergantung kepada seberapa banyak tokoh dunia imaji yang layak untuk diimitasi baik keseluruhan atau sebagian performanya. Semakin banyak-beragam tokoh imaji yang tampil, kian banyak pula puspa-ragam cosplayer yang lahir kemudian, begitu pula sebaliknya. Di balik trendsetter ini, ada juga cosplayer yang berpendapat bahwa Harajuku’s Style adalah bagian dari Cosplay⁵. Berpendapat seperti itu boleh-boleh saja dan tak ada larangan, sepanjang bisa dipertanggungjawabkan baik dari kaca mata teoritis maupun praksis.

Sementara itu, jika ditelisik dari persfektif interaksionisme simbolik⁶, Francis Abraham dalam Modern Sociological Theory (1982)⁷, lebih memahami fenomena Harajuku dan Cosplay di atas sebagai akibat dari tingginya tingkat frekuensi terjadinya interaksi antar individu dalam suatu kelompok masyarakat tertentu, di mana variabel atas simbol-simbol secara aktif dikomunikasikan dalam wujud yang begitu spesifik.

Detail spesifikasi yang dimaksud oleh Francis Abraham (1982) tentang diskursus Harajuku dan Cosplay tadi, kemudian diterjemahkan secara imperatif oleh Roland Barthes (1990)⁸ ke dalam teori fashion system. Barthes memandang fashion sebagai sebuah sistem tanda (signs). Di mana cara berpakaian tidak hanya dilihat sebagai cara untuk menutup tubuh dengan pakaian guna menghindari udara dingin atau dari terik matahari. Kebiasaan dan cara kita berpakaian adalah sebuah tanda untuk menunjukkan siapa diri atau jati diri kita, nilai budaya apa yang kita anut dan kita pegang sebagai prinsip serta identitas hidup. Maka, dari padanya tersimpulkan sendiri bahwa, cara berpakaian tidak lagi dipandang sebagai sesuatu yang netral dan sesuatu yang lumrah.

[Source : http://www.ppromarching.com]

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

20.05 | Category: | 0 comments

Welcome

Harajuku (原宿) in Japan refers to an area around Harajuku train station. Harajuku style is a japanese fashion adopted by the teenagers and young adults in the area and its side streets which have many boutiques, trendy stores and used clothes shops.

Japanese Harajuku Girls and Harajuku Style has been used to describe teens dressed in many fashion styles ranging from Gothic Lolita (also gothic loli) Visual Kei, Ganguro, Gyaru, Kogal, to "cute" Kawaii style clothing.

Young adults in Harajuku may also be dressed as anime or manga characters (known as cosplay). Below we list the best online harajuku fashion stores and show you where to buy the very best in Japanese street fashion. The shops listed sell Japanese Harajuku fashion direct from Japan as well as from europe and USA.

[Source : http://harajukustyle.net]

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

19.57 | Category: | 0 comments

Boys School Cafe in Harajuku

Everyone enjoys a spot of non-authentic afternoon tea in Cure Maid Cafe or Mailsh, but apparently letting pretty girls serve you hot beverages is simply not good enough for the fujoshi in Japan. They want cute boys instead. The nerve.

Boys’ School Cafe

In order to fill this market demand, some consulting firm decided to open a “Boys’ School Cafe” in Harajuku that hires real male students to serve as waiters in school uniforms. The main customer base is women around 20 to 30 years old. The menu is the usual overpriced semi-Western (but not really) fare found in most maid and cosplay cafes, i.e. 1,300 yen for an unappetizing plate of pasta or Japanese curry and 300 yen for a cup of soft drink. The shop functions as a cafe in the afternoon and a bar at night.

Take a look at Cafe Edelstein’s official site. I wonder if they get any male customers?

[ Source: Shibuya Keizai Shinbun ]

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

19.56 | Category: | 0 comments

Harajuku

Harajuku Style varies considerably and there are many different looks ranging from elegant gothic lolita to punky modern looking Visual Kei - which is inspired by japanese rock group (jrock).

Too see the japanese teen culture at its most intense, go to Harajuku on a Sunday, when many teens congregate around Harajuku Station and take part in costume play (cosplay), dressed up in outlandish costumes to appear like anime characters, punk rock musicians, and various harajuku gothic styles.

Tokyo is a huge fashion epicentere around the world. Youths in Japan dress in vibrant clothing. They mix and match different clothing styles and create their own style, sometimes with big coloured hair and cute accsessories. While many people from all around the world are influenced by Harajuku, the real Harajuku style fashion stays where it originated from - in the area itself.

[Source :http://harajukustyle.net]

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

19.54 | Category: | 1 comments

Decora & Kawaii

Kawaii means "cute" or "pretty. has become a major aspect of Japanese culture, entertainment, food, clothing, toys, personal appearance and behavior. Kawaii fashion generally relates to someone wearing clothing that appears to be made for young children or clothes that accentuates the cuteness of the individual wearing the clothing. Ruffles and pastel or bright colors may be worn, and accessories often include oversize toys or bags featuring anime characters.

decora kawaii!!

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

19.51 | Category: | 0 comments

Elegant Gothic Lolita

An elegant Gothic Lolita, EGL or Gothic Lolita for short, is a Japanese teen or young adult who dresses in amazingly elaborate Gothic looking babydoll costumes. On the weekends these women walk the streets of Tokyo and Osaka and fill Yoyogi Park and Harajuku neighborhood where they pose for tourist’s pictures and sit around looking pretty. They are beautiful, glamorous, doll-like manifestations of their favorite Visual Rock stars.

In recent years, Japan has bred a youth culture with a passion for costume and dressing up. This is referred to as Cosplay or Costume Play and it has already made its way all across the world. (Most people Cosplay Anime characters.) Perhaps harkening back to the historic days of Kabuki, Japanese youth want to continue the tradition of escape through dress and style. The Gothic Lolita look is an amazing contrast of innocence and sexuality. The child-like physical look of young Japanese women contributes to this alluring illusion. As we all know, the Japanese have some of the most interesting fetishes and sexual habits of any culture on Earth. Female youth have long been exciting to older Japanese males and the innocence of looking like a child may appeal to these women because of the powerful sexual allure but also because it presents a way for them to escape growing up at least for the moments they are dressed in the Gothic Lolita style. The attention these women get must validate them in some way; it must make them feel special. Or it could just be that they dress this way to be closer to their idols.

The uniqueness of a subculture like this is quickly eaten up by the Japanese mass-market mind. Many stores and magazines like the Gothic & Lolita Bible (Issues 1 through 4 can be purchased at Fujisan.com, just click on “English” at the top center) cater to the women who want to dress in the Gothic Lolita style. A person can look at an EGL in Yoyogi Park and walk across the street to one of the many mall stores and purchase that look from head to toe. This is of course a curious and magnificent aspect of all mass marketed subcultures. Even though some costumes are partially or all homemade, the Gothic Lolita style is quite rigidly followed. All of the photographs I viewed for this article represent these women in the same style elements. Here is a basic

rundown of the look:

Mini to knee length frilly poofy skirts, most likely with a crinoline that does not show under it.

Ruffled elegant Victorianesque blouses.

Mostly black blouses sometimes with white Peter Pan collars, cuffs and sleeves. White lace can be at the bottom of the capped sleeves and at the collar. Both plain or embellished blouses.

Babydoll dresses, sometimes below the knee but mostly mini to knee length.

Colors for these separates are mostly black or white or a combination of both. Sometimes red, pastel pink, and pastel blue. The later two colors worn only with white.

The French Maid look or Alice in Wonderland look of a white apron over a black babydoll dress was an original Gothic Lolita look. It is not seen as much now.

These dresses and skirts are worn with knee-high or thigh high stockings. Some times white with little bows and ruffles at the top or in black fishnet with holes and without. Mostly black opaque stocking material.

[Source : http://www.morbidoutlook.com]

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

19.47 | Category: | 1 comments

Gothic Lolita

Gothic Lolita - Gothic Lolita is a distinctive Japanese fashion style. Gothic Lolita is often seen in places like Harajuku. Gothic Lolita pictures.

Gothic Lolita or "GothLoli" (ゴスロリ, gosurori; sometimes alternatively "Loli-Goth") is a youth fashion among Japanese teenagers and young women. It emphasizes Victorian-style girl's clothing and often aims to imitate the look of Victorian porcelain dolls. Gothloli's name and origin is a combination of lolita fashion—appearing deliberately cute to the point of looking childish—and certain styles found within gothic fashion. The style started as a youth subculture sometime around 1997-98 and became a well-established genre available in various boutiques and some major department stores by around 2001. Some observers consider it a reaction to the "Kogal" aesthetic.

Gothic Lolita is one of the subcategories of the Lolita look. Other categories include "Classic Lolita" (more traditional, light-coloured, also more mature-looking) and "Sweet Lolita" (childish pastel-coloured clothes, lots of lace and ribbons).

[Source : http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au]

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

19.45 | Category: | 0 comments

Harajuku Boy Japanese School

've always found those Japanese School Girl outfits sexy. It really wasn't until Gwen Stefani brought Harajuku Girls to the the forefront of American culture that I realized how much I adore those crazy little Japanese girls.

The REAL reason I decided to do a Japanese School Girl pictoral is because I saw RockStarMommy try to be all sexy and Asiafied on Flickr. I thought to myself I can totally pull that off and BETTER! Her legs aren't that nice anyway. It's the skirt and socks that make it sexy.

So Emily (ha ha sorry but you did help me) said "I have a short ruffley skirt and some tall soccer socks you can wear! " So I put the skirt on over my boxer shorts but then we realized that I had to take my boxers off because they were showing under the skirt. So I took off my boxers, put on a blue button up shirt and tied it into a knot and voila! My sexy Japanese School Girl look was complete!

I hope you enjoy my ATTEMPT at being a sexy Harajuku Girl ;)

I Didn't Know Honda's had that nice of a trunk?!?!

Who Me?! I'm innocent..Finger in mouth :)

[Source : http://www.greggoconnell.com]

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

19.36 | Category: | 0 comments

Harajuku boy

It was raining and it wasn't a weekend. I missed the opportunity to see colourful Harajuku teenagers dressed as their favorite band idols and in the Gothic Lolita subculture around Yoyogi Park. This was the best substitute I could find. Not bad eh.

[Source : http://flickr.com]

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

19.33 | Category: | 0 comments

Cosplay

Cosplay (コスプレ ,kosupure), short for "costume play", is a type of performance art whose participants outfit themselves, with often-elaborate costumes and accessories, as a specific character. Characters are usually sourced in various Japanese and East Asian media, including manga, anime, tokusatsu, comic books, graphic novels, video games, and fantasy movies. Other sources include performers from J-pop, J-rock, Visual Kei, fantasy music stories (such as stories by the band Sound Horizon), novels, and objects from cyberspace or the real world that are unique and dramatic (especially if they have or can be given an anthropomorphic form).

Cosplay participants ("cosplayers") form a subculture centered around wearing their costumes and reenacting scenes or inventing likely behavior inspired by their chosen sources. In some circles, the term cosplay has been broadened to include simply wearing a costume, without special consideration given to enacting characters in a performance context.

Cosplay venues

Cosplay can be seen at public events such as video game shows, as well as at dedicated cosplay parties at nightclubs or amusement parks. It is not unusual for Japanese teenagers to gather with like-minded friends in places like Tokyo's Harajuku district to engage in cosplay. Since 1998, Tokyo's Akihabara district has contained a large number of cosplay cafés, catering to devoted anime and cosplay fans. The waitresses at such cafés dress as game or anime characters; maid (or meido) costumes are particularly popular.

Possibly the single largest and most famous event attended by cosplayers is the semiannual doujinshi market, Comiket. This event, held in summer and winter, attracts hundreds of thousands of manga otaku and many thousands of cosplayers who congregate on the roof of the exhibition center, often in unbearably hot or cold conditions.

Cosplayers in Japan refer to themselves as reiyâ (レイヤー ); pronounced "layer". Those who photograph players are called cameko, short for "Camera Kozo" or "Camera Boy". The cameko give prints of their photos to the players as gifts. Tensions between players and cameko have increased due to perceived stalker-like behavior among some obsessive males who push female cosplayers to exchange personal email addresses or do private photo sessions. One result of this has been a tightening of restrictions on photography at events such as Comiket.

While cosplay at fan events in Japan is thought to have originated in 1978, one should not be confused with the idea that cosplay is considered typical behavior in Japan. While some do attend cosplay functions that are held in districts such as Akihabara, most Japanese people find cosplay to be rather silly.

Cosplay costumes

Cosplay costumes are radically different from typical Halloween costumes. Because the object of cosplay is to literally to become one's character, the intricate details of the costume's construction are critical. Costumes must meticulously adhere to the designs of the characters' attire, and even more generic costumes are often elaborately artistic. Rigorous attention to detail may include ensuring the seams are aligned properly and finished, thread colors are appropriate, and fabric colors precisely match the character and their attire. Some cosplayers will buy their costumes from talented artists, while others may spend months creating the perfect cosplay outfit.

Because the costumes are so elaborate, like-minded people gather to see others' costumes, show off their own elaborate handmade creations, take lots of pictures, and possibly participate in best costume contests at different cosplay events. Countless tutorials have also been created all over the internet by cosplayers to aid members of the community.

Cosplay trends

A recent trend at Japanese cosplay events is an increase in the popularity of non-Japanese fantasy and science fiction movie characters, perhaps due to the international success of such films as The Matrix, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Characters from the Harry Potter films have a particularly high number of female fans in Japan, with female cosplayers playing either male or female characters, Draco Malfoy being an extremely popular choice.^{[citation needed]}

Cosplaying as characters of the opposite sex is called "crossplay", and cosplaying as characters who dress as the opposite sex is called "cross-dressing". The main reason that people do “crossplay” or “cross-dressing” is because in anime there is an abundance of bishounen (beautiful youths), who are very attractive and feminine-looking male characters. Therefore, in the reality, females can often act as these characters better than the males. “Crossplay” and “cross-dressing” often coincide, but since some Japanese characters cross-dress to start with, it is possible to do one without the other.

For example, a female cosplayer cosplaying as a male character would be cross-dressing and crossplaying. However, a female cosplayer dressing as someone like Mana (male artist from the Visual Kei band Malice Mizer known for dressing in female clothes) would be crossplaying, but not cross-dressing; and a male cosplayer also cosplaying as Mana would be cross-dressing, but not crossplaying.

A small niche group in the crossplaying field are dollers, a subset of kigurumi cosplayers; usually male, they wear bodysuits and masks to transform fully into female characters.

By the late 1980s, rather than cosplay being a chance to roleplay as a favourite character, it was a chance to be seen. A new kind of cosplayer emerged - a cosplayer who attended events not to participate, but to be photographed. Also, photographers came to take photographs of the cosplayers, several of those photographers were from adult magazines.

Cosplay magazines

In Japan, there are two cosplay magazines, Cosmode(コスモード) and Dengeki Layers (電撃Layers). Cosmode has the largest share in the market. An English digital version of Cosmode has been created.

There are also two emerging cosplay magazines outside of Japan, the USA's AniCoz and Mexico's CosplayWorld.

Cosplay industry

As the cosplay culture becomes more dominant in the Japanese street fashion and Japanese popular culture, many businesses are seeking opportunities to profit from this new phenomenon. The number of people who endorse cosplay as a form of hobby grow rapidly each day, the total amount of money devoted to this hobby also grows exponentially.

Commodity market

Since the design of the clothing is originated from mostly fictional characters from manga, anime, tokusatsu, comic books, graphic novels, video games, and fantasy movies, the design itself is not copyrighted by the author or the maker of these forms of publication. Therefore, small manufacturers are able to take advantage of this by simply produce and sell packaged set costumes to cosplay fans. Even though the hardcore cosplayers make their own costumes, most of the cosplay fans purchase the costume. The relatively cheap ones are sold around 70 dollars and the expensive ones sold well over 600 dollars. The cosplay accessories and wigs are also essential to the experience of cosplay as well as to the business. In most cases less than 50 dollars, the wigs and accessories are a lot more affordable and fun to collect.

Modeling market

In a more abstract sense, the cosplay concept has affected the Japanese advertising industry a lot more than its impact on the commodity market. As this increasingly popular hobby is slowly becoming a household name, various print media have recently featured cosplayers. This booming new demand has many in the modeling industry scrambling to hire cosplayers as they are considered fictional characters in flesh.

Cosplayers are now being pursued by many companies, like ADV Films, for promotional and print opportunities that were previously occupied by agency models. Their ability to re-create their chosen characters with accuracy and vitality is what's fueling the switch from the standard promotional models of the past that were just there to attract attention. This recent trend has even become apparent in such venues as E3 occupied by a mix of both agency girls and cosplayers.

Japan's burgeoning anime industry has long been home to the professional cosplayers since the rise of Comiket, Tokyo Game Show, and other such powerhouse conventions. The interest to develop such a profession has long been desired, but unfulfilled until recent years. The fan base is matured enough now to support the market of this flamboyant occupation.

[Source : http://wikipedia.org]

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

19.20 | Category: | 0 comments

How to dress harajuku style

Harajuku style originated among teens on the streets of the Harajuku Shopping District in Tokyo. 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 many "street fashions" it is difficult to characterize, both 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.

STEPS :

1. Shopping in an eclectic Harajuku boutique

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, especially kimonos and geta sandals, into their dress. 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 (see Tips).

2. Become familiar with variations of style 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.

- 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. It's almost like the Japanese version of 'scene'.. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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!

8. 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.

Tags : Fashion, Street Style, Harajuku Style, Visual Kei, Gothic Lolita, Decora & Kewaii, Ganguro & Kogal, Cosplay, Harajuku Indonesia.

19.07 | Category: | 1 comments