TOKYO STREET STYLE FASHION: FASHION IN HARAJUKU

WHILST BROWSING IN THE ST PETERS LIBRARY I CAME ACROSS THIS BOOK WHICH FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON THE DIFFERENT DESIGNERS, BRANDS AND STYLES THAT ARE PRESENT ON THE STREETS OF HARAJUKU. COMING ACROSS THIS BOOK HAS HELPED ME THROUGH OUT THE COURSE AND I HAVE USED IT AS A REFERENCE FOR BOTH EDITORIAL/ PHOTOSHOOT INSPIRATION BUT ALSO FORMATING AS I BELIEVE THAT IT CAPTURES THE VERSITILITY OF THE CULTURE AS WELL AS GOING INTO THE REASONS BEHIND ITS ACCELERATED POPULARITY. THE BOOK HIGHLIGHTS THE CULTURES IMPACT ON BIG BRANDS SUCH AS BAPE AND COMME DE GARCON. THIS BOOK ALLOWS THE MOST OBLIVIOUS INDIVIUAL TO APPRICIATE THE INFLUENTIAL IMPACT HARAJUKU HAS HAND ON JAPAN AND THE WORLD. I PERSONALLY DIDNT KNOW THAT MANY OF THE BIG BRANDS TODAY WITHIN THE WEST HAVE TAKEN INSPIRATION FROM MANY OF THE YOUTHFUL AND EXPRESSIVE INDIVIDUALS ON THE STREET OF HARAJUKU AND I BELEIVE THIS TO BE QUITE REVITALISING AS  IT REINFORCES THE IDEA THAT YOU DONT NECESARILY HAVE TO BE PART OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY TO HAVE YOUR OWN IMPACT ON THE TRAJECTORY OF STYLING.

THIS BOOK HAS AIDED ME IN MANY WAYS ONE MAIN ASPECT OF THIS BOOK THAT I TOOK PARTICULAR INTEREST IN WAS HOW IT WAS FORMATED, I THOUGHT THAT THE ARTISTIC WAY INWHICH THE TYPOGRAPHY AND CALLIGRAPHY WAS USED LNKED BACK TO THE JAPANESE ROOTS OF THE CULTURE AS WELL AS MAKING IT LOOK MUCH LIKE A MAGAZINE. THE USE OF CLEAR CHAPTER PAGES WITH BOLD COLOURS AND THEIR OWN ATRTISITC EDITS AND DRAWINS, ALLOWS FOR A FLOW TO BE PRESENT WITHIN THE BOOK WHILST ALSO ESTABLISHING CLEAR MARKS OF CHANGE WITHIN THE BOOK. THIS IS SOMETHING I WANTED TO INCORPORATED WITHIN MY ZINE AS I BELIEVE THAT IT ALLOWS YOU TO BREAK UP THE ZINE AND CATERGORIZE IT TO YOUR TASTE AND SHOWCASE YOUR OWN CREATIVITY.

IN MANY WAYS I USED THIS BOOK AS BOTH A STUDY TOOL AND A REFERENCE TOOL AND I HAVE ENSURED TO TAKE ASPECTS OF THIS BOOK AND IMPLEMENT IT INTO MY OWN ZINE,  WITH MY OWN ARTISTIC VIEW AS I BLEIEVE THE BOOK HOLDS GREAT VALUE WHEN SHOWCASING THE SUBCULTURE IN BOTH DEPTH  AND THE DESIGN AROUND IT.