HAND DRAWN / PAINTED CLOTHES

WITHIN THIS WORKSHOP, WE UNDERTOOK THE TASK TO CREATE A GARMENT THAT EXPRESSED OUT SUBCULTURE THROUGH DESIGN, TYPOGORAHY AND ARTISITC VISION.

FOR THIS WORKSHOP I GROUPED UP WITH ALISA TO PRODUCE THIS A GARMENT THAT FEATURES CUT OUT SLEEVES AND THE TITLE ‘BRAVE’ PRINTED ON THE BACK. THE IDEA BEHIND THIS CONCEPT WAS TO LINK IN WITH THE NIGHT LIFE OF RAVES WHIL;ST ALSO IMPRINTING IT ON A VERY TRADUITIONAL COLLARED SHIRT. THIS ACCOMPANIED BY THE HEADPHONES AND BEANIE, I BELIEVE CAPTURED THE ESSENCE OF THE SUBCULTURE EXCELLENTLY AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT I WILL TRY TO INCORPRATE IN  MY PROJECT GOING FORWARD.

WHEN CREATING IDEAS AROUND HOW I WOULD EDIT MY SHOOTS I CAME ACROSS MANY EDITORIALS THAT CAPTURED AN ESSENCE OF JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHY OCCUPINIED BY AUGMENTED COLOURS AND ANGLES THAT CREATED THIS VISION OF THE META VERSE.

                                                         

HARAJUKU STREET STYLE – NIGHTSHOOT

THE IDEA BEHIND THIS SHOOT WAS TO CAPTURE A STREET STYLE PHTOTOGRAPHY SHOOT OF THE OUTFITS I HAD CREATED MUCH LIKE THE MAGAZINES I HAVE MENTIONE BEFORE. HOWVERER I WANTED TO ADAPT THIS  DO THIS DURING THE NIGHT USING FLASH SO THAT THECLOTHING/PATTERNS WOULD BE EXAGERATEWD AGAINST THE BLACK BACKGROUND AND MORE FOCUS COULD BE ATTRACTED TO THE ACCESSORIES AND CLOTHING THAT I CHOSE TO STYLE WITH.

FOR THIS SHOOT I DECIDED TO STRAY AWAY FROM THE COLOURFUL SIDE OF HARAJUKU AND INSTEAD GO DOWN THE PUNL/GRUNGE ROOT. I STILL FEATURED ASPECTS OF CLOTHING SUCH AS FUR AND ANIMAL PRINT TO EMPHASIS THAT HARAJUKU ISNT PRIMARILY JUST VIUBRANT COLOURS WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE NOTION TO MOST PEOPLE AS THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY OF THE HARAJUKU SUBCULTURE. I DID THIS AS I WANTED TO EXPRESS HOW NAÏVE I WAS AT THE START AND THEREFORE I WANTED TO CAPTURE A SOLE FIGURE IN THEIR MOST NATURAL FOR WITH HEAVILY EXPRESSIVE GARMENTS ON. THE LOCATION OF THE SHOOT I WANTED TO KEEP VERY PLAIN AND SIMPLE, AS WITHIN THE EDITORIALS THAT I AHD STUDIED INTO ALTHOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT HEAVILY CRITICISED AND FOLLOWED WHERE IN HARAJUKU THOSE EDITORIALS WERE CAPTURED I BELIEVED THAT WITHIN MY SHOOT I WANTED TO FOCUS LESS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND INSTEAD TRY TO CAPTURE WHAT WAS IN THE FIGURE WITHIN THE PHOTO AND THEIR OWN SELF EXPRESSION. ANOTHER WAY I DID THIS IS I DIDN’T PROVIDE ANY OF THE CLOTHES I ADVISED AND STYLED EACH OF THE MODELS TO WEAR WHAT THEY FELT COMFORTABLE AND WHAT THEY THOUGHT WERE TH MOSE EXPRESSIVE ITEMS TO THEM AND HOW MUCH THE ITEMS MEANT TO THEM. THIS MEANT THAT THEY COULD EMBODY THE OUTFIT AND EXPRESS THEIR OWN LOVE AND PASSION FOR FASHION.

HISTORY OF TYPOGRAPHY – WORKSHOP

WITHIN THIS WORKSHOP WE WENT OVER THE HISTORY OF TYPOGRSAPHY AND WHERE EACH TYPE CAME FROM AND HOW IT IS USUALLY USED. A COUPLE OF TYPOGRAPHY FONTS THAT INTERESTED ME WERE ‘MODERN’ DIDOT & BODONI. THE REASON BEHIND THIS IS THAT THESE TWO FORMATS ARE MOST COMONLY USED FOR BRANDS SUCH AS ARMANI AND CALVIN KLEIN.

THIS WORKSHOP HELPED ME UNDERSTAND, WHO CREATED THE FONTS BEHIND MANY OF THE BIG MAGAZINES,BRANDS AND NEWS LETTERS THAT WE ARE SURROUNDED BY IN SOCIETY. THIS GAVE ME AN INSIGHT TO HOW THEY ARE USED AND THE PYSCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS TYPOGRAPHY CAN HAVE ON A HUMAN COGNITIVE RECEPTORS. ONE MAIN EXAMPLE OF THIS IT THE WORLD NEWS.

THIS SMALL BUT EFFECTIVE USE OF GILL SANS MIXED WITH THE STRIKING RED CATCHES YOUR ATTENTION INSTINCTIVELY. WHICH EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF TYPOGRAHY WHEN ADVERTISING OR CATCHING THE GAZE OF THE PUBLIC.

WITHIN ONE OF THESE WORKSHOPS WE WERE SENT INTO BRIGHTON LANES TO TRY AND DISCOVER DIFFERENT FORMATS LOCATED ON SHOOP WINDOW, BILLBOARDS AND MANY OTHER PLACES. I TOOK THESE PHOTOS BELOW OF SOME OF THE FONTS THAT INTRIGUED ME MOST.

JAPANESE STITCH.

FOR THIS WORK SHOP WE EXPLORED THE DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN BIND A ZINE TOGETHER. WE WERE ASKED TO BRING NUMEROUS FORMS OF UTENRSILES AND TOOLS TO THIS WORKSHOP TO AID WITH THE BINDING OF THE PAGES THIS INCLUDED; A BEVEL, BONE FOLDER TOOL, BOOK BINDING NEEDLES, THREAD, A RULER, AND A CUTTING BOARD. PERSONALY THE ONE TOOL THAT I FOUND MOST USEFUL WHEN PARTICIPATING IN THIS WORLKSHOP WAS THE BEVEL. I NOTED THIS AS WITHOUT THIS IT PROVED INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO PUNCH THROUGH THE SEVERAL LAYERS OF PAPER WITH ONLY A NEEDLE. I WASNT PARTICULARLY SUCCESSFUL AT THIS WORKSHOP AT THE START. HOWEVER, I WENT AWAY AND PREFORMED THE STITCH A COUPLE MORE TIMES AND WAS ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY BIND A PRACTICE ZINE. I WOULD LIKE TO USE THE JAPANESE STITCH WHEN CREATING, MY FINAL ZINE AS NOT ONLY DOES IT HAVE CULTURE CONNECTION BUT I ALSO BELEIVE IT CAN BE WELL PRESENTED IN THIS FORMAT.

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.

IMPRINTING GLASSES

WHILST BRAIN STORMING IN CLASS WITH ONLY ONE OF MY GROUP MEMBERS AS MANY OF THEM DONT ATTEND CLASS, WE BRAINSTORMED HOW WE COULD CREATE AND SHOWCASE A NEW NAME FOR OUR ZINE, TAKING REFERENCE FROM A BOOK I FOUND IN THE LIBRARY NAMED, TOKYO STREET STYLE FASHION IN HARAJUKU.  WE NOTICED THAT MANY OF THE MAGAZINES THAT HAD BEEN PUBLICHED AND RECOGNISED IN THE HARAJUKU SCENE HAD SHORT AND PUNCHY NAMES MUCH LIKE TUNE, FRUITS AND CUTIE. WE WANTED TO INCORPORATE THIS INTO A DRAFTED TITLE FOR OUR OWN ZINE. TAKING INPIRATION FROM MANY OF THE MAGAZINES WE CAME UP WITH THE NAME GUAVA. SHORT MEANINGFUL AND REFLECTIVE OF THE COLOURFUL EXPRESSION, WE THOUGHT THIS NAME WOULD FIT THE ZINE PERFECTLY. IT ALOS COULD BE READ IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS AND INTERPRETED TO REFLECT THE HARAJUKU SCENE.  TO ELABORATE ON THIS CONATATIONS AROUND THE FRUIT EXEMPLIFY HOW THE FRUIT IS FUN, IT IS GREEN ON THE OUTSIDE AND PINK ON THE INSIDE LINKING HARAJUKU AS IT COULD BE INTERPRETED AS THE INTRINSIC BURST FROM WITHIN THAT HAS BURST THROUGHT EH SURFACE FOR THIS SUBCULTURE AND HOW IT IS SOME WHAT UNKNOW BUT WHE STUDIED IS EXCEPTIONALLY FRUITFUL.

WE THEN DID SOME EXTENSIVE RESEARCH INTO THE STYLES THAT ARE SHOWCASED IN HARAJUKU AND SAW A INCREASE LINKING FACTOR IN MANY OF THE EDITORIALS. MANY OF THE PEOPLE WERE WEARING GLASSES AS AN ACCESORY AND THIS SEEMED TO BE A STAPLE TO MANY OF THEIR OUTFITS. WE THEN DECIDED TO GO INTO THE CITY AND TRY AND FIND A PAIR OF GLASES THAT BEST RESMEMBLED A VERSIO OF THE HARAJUKU MIXED IN WITH THE METAVERSE. WE WENT AROUND NUMEROUS SHOPS TRYING ON GLASSES AND STYLING WHICH ONES WOULD LOOK THE BEST FOR THE ZINE. AS WE WERE DOING THIS WE STUMBLED INTO NONE OTHER THAN SNOOPERS PARADISE… AS THEY HAVE A LARGE COLLECTION OF FUNKY AND UNIQUE STYLED GLASSES. WE TOOK IDEAS AND POINTERS FROM MANY OF THE MAGAZINES THAT FEATURED THE USE OF GALSSES AS A PROMINENT FEATURE IN COVER PAGES AND BASED OUR DECISION OFF THESE.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE PHOTOS DOCUMENTING THE CREATION PROCESS, WE THEN ASKED JESSE IN OUR COURSE TO MODEL THEM AND DISCUSED HOW THIS COULD POTNETIALLY BE THE FRONT COVER OF THE ZINE WITH THE EDITION OF MORE TEXT MUCH LIKE THE HARAJUKU MAGAZINES AND JAPANESE TYPOGRAPHY. I THEN WENT ON TO EDIT THE IMAGES PLAYING AROUND WITH THE CONTRAST AND ESPOSURE ASWELL AS TEMPERATURE TO HIGHLIGHT THE GLASSES AS WELL AS JESSE’S FACIAL FEATURES TO CREATE A MORE CRISP FINAL EDIT.

THE TOKYO METAVERSE

METAVERSE – WHAT DOES IT MEAN…?

WHEN LOOKING INTO THE FUNCTIONAILTY AND WHAT THE METAVERSE CONSISTS OF IT IS EVIDENT THAT IT CAN BECOME VERY MISTUDE. THIS EMRGING 3D DIGITAL SPACE USES THE LIKES OF VITUAL REALITY, AUGMENTED REALITY AND VIRTUAL WORLDS TO ENABLE THE INDIVIDUAL TO EXPERIENCE A LIFE LIKE REALITY IN A PERSONAL SETTING.

ULTIMATELY THE END GOAL OF A FUNCTIONAL METAVERSE IS TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN CONNECT TO A PLTFORM THROUGH THEIR DEVICES TO WORK SEAMLESSLY WITH THOUSANDS OF OTHERS WITHIN THE SAME AUMENTED WORLD.

THIS CREATION OF A UNIVERSRSE THAT LEAVES OPPURTUNITIES ENDLESS ENABLES COMMUNITYS TO CREATE CULTURE AND ARTISTIC VISION INWHICH THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CREATE/CONNECT IN REALITY.

A METAVERSE OPENS THE DOORS FOR NEW ART, MUSIC AND DEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR.

ONE MAIN EXAMPLE OF THIS WITHIN THE FASHION INDUSTRY WAS DURING THE DECENTRALANDS METAVERSE FASHION WEEK IN MARCH 2022. THIS FASHION WEEK ATTRACTED BIG BRAND NAMES SUCH AS DOLCE & GABBANA, ESTEE LAUDER AND ETRO. THIS INTODUCTION OF THE META VERSE WITHIN THE FASHION WORLD ALLOWED SPACES SUCH AS ‘THE GUCCI GARDEN’ TO BE CREATED IN 2021 WHICH SAW A RECEPTION OF 19 MILLION VISITORS. THIS ALLOWS FOR A WHOLE DIFFERENT MEDIUM TO BE USED WITHIN THE INDUSTRY ALLOWING FOR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES SUCH AS ONLINE SHOW ROOMS OR 3D VIRTUAL RUNWAYS.

ANOTHER BRAND THAT UTILISED THE USE OF THE METAVERSE AND A FUTURISTIC TAKE WITHIN THE FASHION WORLD WAS BALENCIAGA WITHIN THE BRANDS FALL WINTER CAMPAIGN IN 2021 SAW THE INCLUSION OF VR. FOLLOWING A FIRST PERSON ROLE PLAYING GAME AND LOVE STORY, THE BRAND WAS ABLE TO SHOWCASE THE SS22 COLLECTION WHILST ALSO TAKE THE VIEWER ON A JOURNEY FOLLOWING TWO ANIMATED CHARACTERS AND THEIR LOVE STORY WITHIN A VIRTUAL WORLD. THIS CAMPAIGN OPENS UP A WHOLE NEW ASPECTS TO ENTERTAINMENT AND THE PROGRESSION OF FASHION ALLOWING BRANDS TO PORTRAY THEIR NEW RELEASES IN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT MEDIUMS WIDENING THEIR AUDIENCE AND OPENING NEW ARTISTIC VISION.

AFTER REALISING  THE CAPABILITY OF THE META VERSE, I CAME UP WITH THE IDEA TO ATTEMPT TO CREATE A CHARACTER INVENTORY FOCUSED ON THE SEVERAL HARAJUKU STYLES. THE WAY I WOULD WANT TO PORTRAY THIS IS THROUGH THE POV OF A NORMAL PERSON WHO WOULD WAKE UP AND PUT ON A PAIR OF GLASSES WHICH WOULD HAVE AN INTERFACE BUILT IN WHICH WOULD ALLOW THAT PERSON TO PICK FROM A A VARIETY OF CHARACHTERS ALL INSPIRED BY THE HARAJUKU SUB-CULTURE. I WANT TO CREATE A SWIPING ASPECT TO THE IDEA SO THAT THE PERSON CAN SWIPE THEIR HAND AND FLICK THROUGHT THE CHARATERS MUCH LIKE IN VIDEO GAMES. TO ALLOW THEM TO CHOOSE HOW THEY WOULD WANT TO EXPRESS THEMSELF ON THAT DAY. I WOULD WANT TO IMPLEMENT AN OPTION TO BE ABLE TO CUSOTMIZE THE CHARACTER BY BEING ABLE TO PICK FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT GARMENTS AND APPLY THEM TO THE CHARACTER. THIS WOULD ENABLE STYLING CREATIVITY FOR THE PERSON WITHIN THE METAVERSE AND A MORE PERSONAL ASPECT TO THE IDEA.  THE WAY I WOULD GO ABOUT THIS IS BY  EXECUTING MY OWN SHOOT OF DIFFERENT CHARACTERS, CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES. I WOULD THEN LIKE TO APPLY THIS TO A SOFTWARE AND THEN INTERGRATE IT INTO A FILM OF SOMEONE WAKING UP AND PUTING ON THE GLASSES WHICH WOULD THEN  SWITCH TO THE INTERFACE.

HOWEVER, I WILL NEED T LEARN HOW TO CODE AND FILM THIS WHICH I MAY BE DIFFICULT SEEING AS I HAVE NEVER CREATED SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS.

INITIAL PERCEPTION OF HARAJUKU 

IN THE FIRST INSTANCE DUE TO ME BEING A WEEK LATE TO THE START OF UNIVERSITY IT MEANT THAT I WASNT PRESENT FOR THE INITIAL INTRODUCTION INTO THE CONCEPT OF ZINES AND THE DISCUSSION AROUND WHICH SUB-CULTURE WE COULD PICK. HOWEVER AFTER CAREFUL DEBATE AND DISCUSSION WITH MY GROUP WE ALL DECIDED TO STICK WITH A SUB-CULTURE UNDER THE NAME OF HARAJUKU. THIS FOREIGN AND UNKOWN SUB-CULTURE TO MYSELF AT FIRST MADE ME QUITE SCEPTICLE AS TO WHETHER I WOULD BE ABLE TO FIND INTEREST AND RELATION TO A SUB-CULTURE COMPLETELY OUT OF MY KNOWLEDGE. UPON FIRST RESEARCH EFFORTS ABOUT THE SUB-CULTURE I WAS QUITE UNFORFILLED WITH THE DECISION AS I BELIEVED THAT THIS SUB-CULTURE MEBODIED A SENSE OF VIBRANT COLOURS AND IN ALL HONESTY FEMALE ORIENTATED STYLES WITH SUCH LOOKS AS THE ‘CUTE GIRL’ AESTHETIC MUCH LIKE THE IMAGES BELOW:

HOWEVER. AFTER TAKING MYSELF TO THE GRANDE PARADE LIBRARY AND FINDING FURTHER STUDIES AND MAGAZINES ON THE SUB-CULTURE, I REALISED HOW NAIVE I WAS BEING. IT OPENED MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE FACT THAT HARAJUKU WAS NOT JUST ONE SINGLE LOOK BUT INSTEAD A PLETHERA OF DIFFERENT STYLES AND SUB-CULTURES ALL UNDER THE UNBRELLA NAME ‘HARAJUKU’ (ACTUALLY A DISTRICT IN THE HEART OF JAPAN, TOKYO. I REALISED THAT THIS SMALL BUT POWERFUL AREA WAS ACTUALLY AN ECOSYSTEM FOR THE EXPRESSION OF MANY DIFFERENT YOUTHFUL SUBCULTURE SUCH AS, PUNK, ROCK, SKATER, GOTH, GLAM AND MCUH MORE. I ACTUALLY FOUND THAT IT IS HARD TO CATERGORIZE MOST OF THE LOOKS AS THEY ALL ENCOMPASS DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF MANY DIFFERENT STYLES ALL MIZED IN ONE. AS SEEN IN THE PHOTOS I FOUND BELOW;

THESE WIDE RANGE OF STYLED MADE ME REALISE HOW IMPORTANT FASHION IS WITHIN THIS DISTRICT TO EXPRESS IDENTITY FOR THOSE WHO WERE BEING PHOTOGRAPHED AND JSUT NORMALLY WALKING DOWN THE STREET. THIS SPARKED AN INTEREST IN ME TO STUDY MORE ABOUT THE NUMEROUS INFLUENCES AND INSPIRATIONAL MOVEMENTS THAT SPURRED THIS CREATION/REBIRTH OF MANY PAST YOUTH MOVEMENTS. IT ALSO HAS MADE ME MORE INTERESTED IN THE MAGAZINES THAT ARE BEING PUBLISHED SUCH AS TUNES AND FRESH FRUITS THAT DOCUMENT THE DIFFERENT TRANDS AND FAHSIONABLE CREATIONS THAT ARE EXPLODING ONTO THESE DISTRICTS STREETS. AFTER FINDING NUMEROUS BOOKS ON TOKYO STREET STYLE AND MAKEUP WITHIN THE LIBRARY I REALISED THAT I HAD ONLY JSUT SCRATHCHED THE SURFACE OF THIS FOREIGN SUBCULTURE.

INITIAL PERCEPTION OF HARAJUKU

WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK OF THIS MODULE I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND UNI MEANING I MISSED THE INTRODUCTION OF WHAT A ZINE AND THE DIFFERENT SUBCULTURES WE WOULD EXPLORE AND DISCUSS. UPON MY RETURN MY GROUP HAD COME TO THE CONCCLUSION THAT THE SUBCULTURE THAT WE COULD ALL AGREE ON WOULD BE THAT OF THE HARAJUKU SUBCULTURE. S THIS WAS A VERY FOREIGN AND UNKNOWN SUBCULTURE TO MYSELF I WAS PARTICULARLY SCEPTICLE S TO HOW I WOULD FIND INTEREST AND REALTE TO THIS SUBCULURE AND HEREBY SHOWCASE IT WITHIN A ZINE FORMAT. THIS WAS DUE TO MY FIRST AND VERY SHALLOW RESEARCH INTO THE CULTURE. BELIEVING IT TO BE PARTICULARLY HEAVY IN TERMS OF COLOUR, SUCH AS BRIGHT PINKS AND PURPLES AS WELL AS VERY EXCENTRIC ACCESSORY SOMETHING I AM QUITE THE OPPOSITE TO WHEN IT COMES TO STYLE. WHEN RESEARCHING I ASSUMED THA THE SUBCULTURE SHOWCASED STYLES MUCH LIKE THE IMAGES BELOW.

FURTHER RESEARCH AND IN DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE SUBCULTURE

APON FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH MY GROUP AND THE TUTORS AROUND THE BACKGROUND OF HARAJUKU, I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO SEARCH THROUGHT THE LIBRARY FOR ANY TEXTS THAT FOCUSED ON THE SUBCULTURE AND COULD WIDEN MY KNOWLEDGE OF HOW IT AS A PLCE AND MOVEMENT HAS CHANGED AND MOLDED MUCH OF MODERN FASHION AND THE DESIGNERS WHO HAVE PRODUCES NUMEROUS STYLES AND TRENDS. PERSONALLY MY INITIAL HOPES TO FIND TEXTS IN THE LIBRARY WERE SLIM DUE TO MY LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE POPULARITY OF THE SUBCULTURE. HOWEVER, UNDER FURTHER INSPECTION, I WAS ABLE TO FIND A BOOK OMN THE MAKEUP USED AND HOW TO SHOWCASE IT ON ONESELF OR OTHER IN THE MANY STYLES OF HARAJUKU. THIS BOOK ALSO SHOWCASED MANY ILLUSTRATIONS OF NUMEROUS HARAJUKU STYLES AND MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATIONS. THIS ALLOWED  ME TO GET MORE OF AN IN DEPTH VIEW ON A DIFFERENT ELEMENT OF HARAJUKU AND WHAT IT CONSISTS OF AND HOW IT IMPACTS THOSE WHO WEAR IT/ ARE ASSCOCIATED WITH IT.   I THEN WENT ON TO FIND 2 ADDITIONAL BOOKS ON THEY TOKYO STREET STYLE IN HARAJUKU. THESE TWO BOOKS COMPLETELY OPENED MY EYES TO THE MANY VARIETIES THAT CONSIST IN HARAJUKU AND SOLIDIFIED MY KNOWLEDGE IN THE FACT THAT HARAJUKU IS NOT A STYLE BUT A PLACE WHERE NUMEROUS SUBCULTURES OF PEOPLE AND FASHION STYLES RESIDE, THIS STARTING FROM PUNK TO ROCK N ROLL TO GOTHIC AND THE LIST GOES ON. THE DISCOVERY OF THESE TOW BOOKS ENLIGHTENED ME AND EDUCATED ME THAT MANY WESTERN DESIGNERS TAKE INFLUENCE ON THE STYLING TRENDS AND MOVEMENTS THAT ARE APPEARING OUT OF HARAJUKU RAPIDLY. IT ALSO GAVE ME A GREAT INSIGHT INTO THE DIFFERENT MAGAZINES THAT DOCUMENT AND SHOWCASE THESE SUCH AS FRESH FRUITS AND TUNES.  WITHIN THESE MAGAZINES I FOUND NUMEROUS STYLES THAT I LIKED AND WANTED TO SHOWCASE MYSELF AND TOOK INSPIRATION FROM.