20 JAN 2011 AT THE BARBICAN!!

This could be interesting...might have to check this out...
http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?ID=11302

.Anna.

FUTURE BEAUTY 30 YEARS OF JAPANESE FASHION AT THE BARBICAN

Helena and I visited this exhibition back in November as part of our cultural research of Japan, in a fashion context. It was a really great exhibition and there were some amazing original pieces on show from iconic Japanese deigners such a Issey Miyake of course & Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo, Tao Kurihara...


"Japanese designers introduced revolutionary conceptual form and the language of deconstruction thereby changing international fashion forever" -Barbican, 2010
So far through our research I think we have discovered that Japanese fashion and design is like no other, unique in its daring ways that other cultures just haven't captured. The beauty industry should follow suit...there is a definite gap in the market for innovation in cosmetics!!

.Anna.

BIG EYES

For many girls in Japan, they deisre the wide-eyed look depicted in anime cartoons tahe take inspiration from a western face. This larger eye shape can be achived through carefully applied make up that creates the illusion of a larger eye and also by wide contact lenses that are now widely available for anyone to purchase. Lady Gaga in the Bad Romance video wore some!

 

.Anna.

PINK AND GIRLY EVERYWHERE

Cuteness is at the heart of Japanese popular culture and Helena and I certainly noticed this in the form of cosmetic brands too. One example of this was at Jill Stuart, which was created by an American lady who has really tapped into the make up market over there selling Parisen-esque chic but very girly almost childlike in the way it is presented. Everything seems to scream girly pureness and innocence, and this appears to flow across a range of marketing ephemera from other brands, here I have just scanned in a few of them that also denote this girlish cuteness. In Japanese the word kawaii is used to explain the epitome of cute wihch is used almost like a compliment.

.Anna.

SHIBUYA 109 STORE

There are severeal 109 stores in Tokyo and Helena and I visted the one in Shibuya, it's a department store that sells mainly womens apparel but does have a mens floor. There is a definite look that goes with the 109 stores, based mainly on that 'tanned, over groomed and styled to the max' Ganguro guys and girls work in all of the mini-shop style concessions within the store. The customer experience is very interactive, with the sales assistants welcoming you to their shop and calling to you to come in even if you are just walking past.
I personally like this friendly atmosphere and the Japanese consumer seems to require a very high standard of customer service that appears to be consistent across all forms of retail environments.

.Anna.

KIKO MIZUHARA

I came across this model and actress on the Nylon Japan site, she was born in America but raised in Tokyo. She has appeared in Seventeen and Vivi magazine, Vivi being one of the best selling womens fashion magazines in Asia aimed at 17-27 year old women predominantly students and fashion conscious working women.
Although her audience as been quite young, I feel that she pulls off some really quite strong looks and is very different from other Japanese models in fashion and beauty mags aimed at young Asian women that I have seen so far.

.Anna.

PALM MAGAZINE JAPAN - ISSUE 04

I picked up this magazine called Palm at the Tokyo magazine centre, which was a mission to find but it was well worth it. I love this shoot, especially the make up, these scanned images certainly do not do the shoot any justice, but I had to post it on here as I just love it so much!!
Ignore the strange translated English (see shoot title) hehe. Anyway the make up is great, very psychotic an just beautifully styled.

These 'finger tassles' are just amazing!!

.Anna.