galism
Made for walkin’.
Love it or it hate it—this Tumblr being no exception!—it’s always worth examining how Western media interprets Japanese pop culture and fashion trends. In this quick video snippet from mega beauty retalier Sephora, you can catch a glimpse into what beauty junkies have raved about forever: Japan knows nails. Still, we can’t help but wonder what happens when things like Akihabara’s cute and quirky maid culture are seemingly taken out of context and chopped up to be made more appetizing for Western audiences not already in the know. The description of the video reads as follows:
Discover Akihabara and its unique anime-inspired local take on nail art. The latest technology blinks, glimmers, beckons in packed store windows. Bright, bold images of famed anime and manga stars are splashed on billboards and posters. Throngs of Japanese locals and tourists flock to the shops to point, to purchase—to dive into the experience they’ve heard so much about.
This is Akihabara, the “Electric Town”—Tokyo’s mecca of electronic goods new and old. Here, technology has manifested itself in two ways: the highest concentration of electronic products in the city meets a propensity for anime and manga (the Japanese cartoons popular all around the world). Akihabara is defined by an animated reality, which turns art into a three-dimensional experience—and proves to be the defining characteristic of this neighborhood. Watch our video to see anime-inspired nail art in action.
Truthfully, nails like these can be found on the hands of ladies all over Japan, not just Tokyo, and certainly not just Akihabara. It’s hard to not be drawn in by the twinkly stones and adorable bows of next-level manicures like these, though, and our guess is that’s ultimately what Sephora is hoping for. The nails featured in the video were done by R’s6, a chain of nail salons with several locations in Japan, including one in Akihabara.
What do you think of features about Japanese culture like this?
brad-tIsamu Katayama Backlash – Printed Pig Leather Patchwork Shirt – ¥120,750
The stuff Backlash does with printed leather always blows my mind.
Stuck in a hair rut? Here’s an adorable braided hair arrange if you have medium to long hair. While you’re at it, check out the rest of the videos on Kiraria’s YouTube channel. You’re sure to find something you like!
Little mermaid.
Airi is a shop staff at choosy chu at Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku. choosy chu is a sweet adult brand owned by the MARKSTYLER family of companies, the same group that owns EMODA, MURUA, and MERCURYDUO, among others. You can check out choosy chu’s brand blog here for more great shots of the shop staff as well as see their latest item offerings.
What’s your favorite part of Airi’s outfit?
Denim and chains.
Along with body-con skirts, vertical striped items are big trends this spring. This look manages to combine both!
“I prefer natural-born creators.”
Yohji Yamamoto, perhaps the world’s best-known Japanese designer, speaks about the struggles of the next generation of young fashion designers – including his daughter, Limi Feu.
Learn how to do a “sweet girly” gal makeup look with the help of a pro makeup artist and Happie nuts model Shizuka Takeda. Be sure to watch the video in HD and fullscreen! More information about all the products used in the video can be found here.
What do you think of Shizuka’s look? Would you try it?
