Week 7 "Japanese Teens as Producers of Street Fashion"

Rida Riaz
Week 7 Blogpost
ASA 141
"Japanese Teens as Producers of Street Fashion"

Japanese streetstyle is nothing less than extravagant and free. As Japanese teens are showcasing their personalities on the streets of Japan, it’s evident as to how these people set up trends even designers look up to due to their free-spirited take on style. There is a mix of several different styles in Japan each reflecting on a teens’ self-identity, self awareness and getting out of one’s comfort zone to explore the many possibilities of self life has to offer. What’s seen on the streets of Japan is diverse and isn’t unified as people express their different styles which could be neon hair, grunge makeup, colorful prints intermixing with different patterns, “tacky” fabrics and patterns creating visual images one wants to represent as well as express. One walks the streets of Japan and can feel almost invisible, unnoticed and obviously boring considering the creativity displayed by many. From the dress right down to the hair color, Japan streetstyle leaves designers coming back for more and more inspiration as creativity is infinite.

Here are some of my favorite streetstyle looks in Japan as seen in Vogue’s “The Best Style from Tokyo Fashion Week Spring 2019” article.  

Moreover, in class when we watched the video about the chicano subculture in Japan and it totally moved me out of my element. The way those women and men were describing their love for the chicano culture opened whole new possibilities to me about viewing what it means to be chicano and the message that is delivered through the way one carries their exterior characteristics. One can see the passion for the love of the chicano culture they had and by moving out of their cultural norms they accepted another to participate in resistance or combat stereotypes. There are many things we are not in control of; however, the way we dress allows us to be 100% in control of what we want to convey to the people around us. We can be silent, but our sense of style speaks for itself.