Over the past few decades, Harajuku has made its way into global fashion history. But what exactly is Harajuku style, and who were the Harajuku girls?
Star hairpins littered across electric pink hair, lace-lined Rococo-style dresses, and gunmetal chains clanking against each other. Harajuku is an eclectic sensory medley of crazy accessories and fashioned art. The station has gained the reputation of being an essential stop for fashionable teens in Japan. Over the recent decades, it has grown into a global fashion center of stylish subcultures and maximized visual self-expression.
The Birth of a Fashion Wonderland
Harajuku has been the focus of Tokyo’s fashion landscape for some time now. Despite that, the district’s notable style has a relatively short history tracing back to the early 80s. With the opening of the fashion store Laforet Harajuku, Harajuku took on the mantle of being the fashion hotspot from Shinjuku and Shibuya. Japanese youth flocked to the area to shop, listen to music, and watch street performances and art.
Entering the 90s, Western fashion elements began to merge with the fashion in Harajuku. The rise of fast fashion led to the arrival of brands and retail stores, such as Forever 21 and H&M. In addition, the presence of the post-war Alliance further fueled this global exchange between the East and West. Independent clothing brands and fashion retail stores were also popping up on the streets, forming a markedly unique fashion hub. With this new exposure, Japanese teens started to take inspiration from American clothing. This exchange defined the Harajuku style as the bold and quirky street fashion the district is known for today.
Harajuku fashion represented everything that traditional Japanese norms and fashion opposed. It was whimsical, outlandish, and glaringly prominent in a crowd. Within the conservative Japanese culture, the strange styles intentionally stood out as a statement of personal expression and rebellion. In Harajuku, there are no guidelines or restrictions; the only rule is “wear what you want.” The street was a wonderland of fashion, art, and identity — a place where one could transform themselves completely and become whoever they liked.
Lights, Camera, Action
FRUiTS Magazine
As the 90s progressed, interest in Harajuku fashion continued to grow. During this time, photographer Shoichi Aoki started to document the Harajuku fashion scene with photographs. He chronicled them in FRUiTS Magazine, a fashion magazine centered around Harajuku street style. When asked about how the magazine started, Aoki explains, “For about five years, there was not much fashion at all. Then suddenly, young people on the streets of Harajuku started to create new fashions.” The students’ fashion escapades offered a fun way to play around with clothes and stand out. From Aoki’s perspective, the students were reinventing fashion in a way that had never been seen before.
Aoki’s lenses captured countless eye-catching outfits, from punkish Westwood sweaters to plethoras of charms upon charms. The district’s distinct fashion soon gained traction, and the magazine blew up in popularity. With this surge in interest, FRUiTS Magazine was one of the first media outlets to expose Harajuku style to a global audience.
Pushing the Limits
The Harajuku street style went beyond just clothes, though. It extended to makeup, hair, and anything else that could be manipulated and transformed. People explored their limits in varying ways–choppy bangs and braids, abnormal silhouettes, and even genderbending androgyny. Within every look — whether it be everyday clothing or a theatrical costume — there was an element of play and daring. The magazine mainly consisted of simple street photography, but the experimental and ever-changing styles ensured that not a single page was boring. As years passed, FRUiTS Magazine became the holy grail of Harajuku fashion, uncontested to this day. Each print was a compilation of wild, avant-garde street styles that fueled the creativity of fashion-obsessed viewers around the world.
Back to Basics
Throughout the magazine’s lifetime, there were several brands that appeared frequently. A few notable ones were Vivienne Westwood, Hysteric Glamour, and Comme des Garçons, whose clothing became staple pieces in Harajuku fashion. Vivienne Westwood and Hysteric Glamour cemented their popularity in the youthful crowd with their punk-adjacent roots and fresh style. Meanwhile, Comme des Garçons’ theme of personal autonomy and freedom aligned perfectly with the individualistic energy that permeated Harajuku fashion. For the Harajuku fashionistas, dressing up was both entertainment and an art form. Their outfits served as a symbol of fun, individuality, and rebellion against Japanese conventions. The brands commonly worn and photographed, whether they be popular global names or independent designers, complement this dynamic through their own goals and purposes.
Style or Subculture
Regardless of Harajuku’s short past, it is undeniable that the style’s history is saturated with innovation and creativity. The mixture of fashionable and expressive teens congregated in a single area made Harajuku the perfect breeding ground for subcultures and alternative fashion to thrive. Participants in Harajuku fashion were able to find others with like-minded interests to shop and style with, forming close communities. Haruka Kurebayashi, a popular Harajuku “decora,” explains in a Refinery29 interview that “If they come to Harajuku, they know that there are other kids like them. By sharing it, we can enjoy this space together.” Several subcultures eventually reached global interest for their distinctive looks and shared philosophies, which remain relevant today.
“Decora”
“Decora” fashion remains one of the most commonly associated subcultures with Harajuku fashion, and it’s not hard to see why. Aoki describes this style as a “fearless fashion,” which is no exaggeration. Wearing “decora” is to highlight one’s freedom of expression by “decorating” oneself maximally. These decorations can be anything, from necklaces and plushies to stickers and bandages. The important thing is that whatever the item is, it’s either cute or meaningful. A full “decora” outfit often features but is certainly not limited to, overwhelming amounts of childlike accessories, cartoonish makeup, and colorfully dyed hair. The style is lighthearted and playful, bringing back feelings of childlike glee. The motivation behind “decora” is pure and simple: if it sparks joy, then it belongs in your outfit. Kurebayashi puts it another way, easily stating, “I dress this way because my life is more fun this way.”
“Lolita”
Despite “decora” fashion’s popularity, another style had gained even greater traction in the West. “Lolita” fashion played upon Rococo and Victorian-style garments with a more modern, doll-like finish. These outfits often featured voluminous skirts and petticoats, delicate stockings, and lace embellishments. All the attention was on the details and not the girls’ bodies. They combined fluffy layers with puffy silhouettes, ensuring that their figure was hidden from unwanted eyes. These were important and conscious choices in defining the “lolita” style, since one of the driving themes behind the fashion is modesty. Many girls who wanted to dress up without being sexualized gravitated toward “lolita” fashion and its more conservative dress. For women in Japan, “lolita” is a fashion style against sexualization as well as a creative outlet for themselves.
“Gyaru”
If “lolitas” are one side of the coin, the opposite side belongs to “gyarus,” also known as “gals.” The “gyaru” style also came about as a means for young women to rebel against the traditional beauty standards and expectations put on them. Yet “gyarus” do so in a completely contrary manner to “lolitas,” emphasizing their sexuality instead and engaging in delinquent culture. The original “gyarus” also had an extreme set of rules regarding appearances. They would heavily tan their skin, bleach their hair blond, and apply glamorous makeup. Participants underwent such drastic changes to directly contradict typical Japanese beauty standards. Their clothing also stood out in the crowd for its sexier feminine style. For the finishing touch, many “gyarus” would also adopt flirtatious and rebellious mannerisms, like raving and drinking.
“Visual-Kei”
While the previous styles tended to be more feminine, “visual-kei” was known for its its majority-male participants and androgynous appeal. “Visual-kei” started as both a music and fashion movement, inspired by glam rock, punk rock, gothic rock, and heavy metal. As the name suggests, “visual-kei” placed a heavy focus on elaborate and extravagant costumes, with an aim to be as visually shocking as possible. Most “visual-kei” bands were male, but that hardly stopped them from experimenting with gender in their work. Members would grow their hair out long, wear delicate makeup, and adopt feminine cuts to appear more androgynous. Their gender fluidity gave them a visual punch while also paying homage to the genre’s glam-rock roots. “Visual-kei” bands used their own forms as a canvas for their artistic visions of music and fashion.
Harajuku Girls Displaced
With Harajuku’s international roots, it makes sense that its subcultures also took inspiration from the West for their style. This can be seen with the European influences in “lolita” dresses or in the way “visual-kei” parallels British glam rock. Yet, despite American influences in Harajuku fashion, most people in America only know Harajuku from pop culture references. Gwen Stefani’s song “Harajuku Girls” is one such moment that capitalized on the 2000s Harajuku craze.
In the song, Stefani paints a romanticized picture of Harajuku. She lists off staple brands in her song, such as BAPE, while fawning over the Harajuku girls’ “wicked style.” She references the street and its fashion yet only achieves a narrow look of Harajuku. Like much of American interest in Harajuku, the song focuses on how crazy and different the styles were. The flashy photos captivated viewers, with little attention given to the specific subcultures and their origins.
Myriad photos featured “decora” and “lolita” styles as examples of Harajuku fashion, likely due to their stark contrast to American fashion. Styles like “gyaru” or “visual-kei” were more familiar, but “decora” and “lolita” were fashions that had never been seen before. They provoked conversations and garnered incredulity, mocking remarks, and admiration all at the same time. American media sought to capture the wildest outfits that they could parade in Harajuku fashion. While some joined in on the fashion for the trend, there were also many who committed to the lifestyle. Several subcultures, especially “lolitas” and “gyarus,” gained a cult following in the West that kept the style alive across borders.
Digital Developments
In today’s online world, Harajuku fashion has faced a similar fate, particularly through TikTok. The app’s fast-paced algorithm is known for how quickly it cycles through trends, and subcultures were no exception. With the rise of Y2K and McBling fashion, “gyaru” is now returning as an online trend, as newcomers flood into previously established communities. Some old-school “gyarus” have faced backlash for gatekeeping the subculture from new members. At the same time, “gyarus” criticize new members for their shallow desire to wear the fashion without committing to the lifestyle. Other popular Harajuku subcultures have also faced similar issues, with many people online viewing the fashion as merely a cute, trendy outfit. This “aesthetic-ification” of various subcultures ignores their role as alternative communities, bypassing their complex motivations and implications for a few good pics.
Despite the range of consequences, online platforms also played an integral role in keeping Harajuku fashion alive, especially when it appeared to be dying out in Japan. Although Harajuku fashion flourished rapidly in the beginning, after 20 years, FRUiTS Magazine stopped publishing. In a 2017 interview with The Cut, Aoki explains his decision, stating: “There were no more fashionable kids to photograph.” As the original Harajuku teens grew older, many phased out of their adventurous style for a more professional and modest look. At the same time, the streets of Harajuku had been facing changes, with many independent stores and brands shutting down. The creative flow seemed to have trickled away until even the fashion stagnated into predictable and boring looks. Harajuku was in desperate need of something new, something with a fresh perspective.
Neo-Harajuku
While Harajuku fashion in Japan was fading away for the moment, online communities and influencers kept Harajuku fashion alive and well. The greater access to Harajuku subcultures and clothing styles allowed people outside of Japan to partake in the fashions with much more ease. American, Chinese, and Korean communities were some of the most active in keeping Harajuku culture alive on both the streets and screens. Their perspective brought something new and innovative, expanding these cultures beyond their barriers. With Harajuku fashion experiencing a resurgence in popularity, many communities have also rebranded for a fresh start. In Japan, “decora” wearers revived the subculture under the name “neo-decora-kai”. Other subcultures, such as “yami-kawaii,” have inspired new ones like “jirai-kei” in a style evolution. With fashion growing more experimental and expressive, Harajuku style seems to have found its place, flourishing in the hands of young, stylish teens all around the world.
