One of my biggest inspirations are the young people of the Harajuku.  This Japanese phenomenon is just waiting to be discovered by creative minds worldwide…. Tutus, leather, chains, pearls, glitter, feathers, platforms, make-up, tartan, sequins, gingham, whatever your style, Harajuku Kids are sure to intrigue you. Confused? Let me explain…..

The Harajuku is a district of Tokyo, Japan.  It is from this area that the name ‘Harajuku kids’ has been given to young people who gather in their hundreds during the weekends to show off their fashion creations and the way in which they have pieced them together.  I make and customise all my own clothes and I have found this eclectic style to be my greatest inspiration. It is hard for me to explain the pure brilliance of the variety and individuality expressed in what these kids wear. There is simply nothing like it anywhere else in the world.  It is a forest of young people who can’t be fitted to a mould and stereotyped.

I first discovered and developed my obsession with the Harajuku style when I discovered FRUITS. This is a book compiled from back issues of a popular Japanese fashion magazine of the same name.  Quickly followed by FRESHFRUITS, these books are simply brilliant. The beauty is that every time you flick through them (and I’ve done this thousands of times) you notice something new because every page holds, for me, at least hundreds of points of inspiration. These curious and eccentric outfits will interest even the most boring amongst us. I have looked through these books with friends, toddles, grandparents, teachers and doctors and had difficulty retrieving them every time.

Since discovering the Fruits books I have become increasingly obsessed with every aspect of creative Japanese culture and I am now desperate to understand everything about these new and individual works of art.  Whether it’s a mini skirt made of ties or a plastic crocodile adorning an arm, these kids are ever able to interperete and create new looks.
           
There are many different reasons I find the Harajuku clothing and attitudes so intriguing. It is incredibly refreshing for me to see young people ranging generally from say 12 to 21, simply making an effort to be individual in what they wear.  I’m sure that I am not the only one who has noticed that the majority of British kids have in adopting the attitude of sheep and follow the crowd when it comes to fashion. I love how the clothes these kids and young adults wear reflect their personalities and hobbies. I think the philosophy behind the Harajuku is to be creative, individual and outrageous.

As fashion gets wilder in the Harajuku it has become harder and harder to shock and impress which has led to outfits becoming even more bizarre and unusual, rather than practical and wearable. I love that. I love the illogical side to this style, because this fashion is so outrageous it becomes impossible to copy and so it is one of the few forms of dress that is truly original.

Typically celebrities have begun making this style mainstream.  Singer Gwen Stefani makes reference to them in her songs on her recent album, such as “I'd get me four Harajuku girls to inspire me”. She has even used them as a basis for her fashion clothing line L.A.M.B. This displeases me and I’m sure many other fans of the Harajuku, as she seems to have claimed their fashion as her own. The Harajuku range she is marketing is far too Americanised and off the point. I think if you have seen examples of these kids and this style to can recognise just how different her ‘Harajuku’ is to the real thing. It can’t be bottled and resold!

I guess these kids are finally receiving the recognition they deserve, even if it is through overrated pop stars, but with that always comes the doom of mass culture take over, which depresses me.  It is sadly becoming more noticeable that the Harajuku habit has decreased in popularity for the kids of Japan and Western influences and brand names are taking their toll on the originality reflected in the clothes they wear. I think it will be a tragic cultural loss if this way of life dies.

My advice, inspired by Harajuku kids is…don’t be afraid to stand out and try new styles and ideas that aren’t necessarily ‘in’.  It gives you a satisfaction I love to share with others who get the same buzz from being creative in how they dress.  Customise old stuff and impress your friends with one offs they can’t find in mainstream shops.  I think I’m turning Japanese!
           
By Amber Parkin Robinson