Japanese magazines are where it's at.

Japanese magazines are where it's at.

I can't even begin to describe the variety of fashion magazines and content, the fashion styles and trends, as like Japanese fashion itself I guess. I spent more time scouring news agencies than I did all the extensive list of designer store shopping, my rationale was that I could buy all those things online, the magazines I had to have and while I could!

My already pushing it baggage limit was well exceeded by the time I had to return, lugging all these 'had to have' glossy glories.. Fruits, Vogue Nippon, Fudge.. Fruits, quickly becoming a favorite, especially because it was entirely pictorial and the language barrier played a part in being unable to utilise the feature articles in others, and because I have an inherent interest in street style. As with Harajuku itself, quickly became a favorable little place to spend my days. The street fashion itself wasn't as prominent as I had anticipated, the reputation it has vastly exceeds what it has to offer on a daily basis, don't get me wrong, there is some amazing things to be seen in terms of street style, but its not everywhere and everyone, or as obscure and typically 'Fruits' style as I'd imagined. I learnt that the hey day of the fruits ended in about 1999 with the reopening to traffic of a certain road where, on Sundays the Harajuku kids once congregated en masse, before this it was a mecca of crazy street style, the street style magazines creating celebrities of some of them, appearing again and again, but always on the lookout for the new looks and new styles, however the style as a whole never had enough integrity to take off as a movement, such as the punk movement. Its different it seems these days, the kids I saw dressed up and congregating on a Sunday were more 'emo' fashion victims that brilliant street style icons! I understand the whole Lolita and Goth things, but again, it wasn't the same -it was definitely 'emo'. On the actual streets though I saw some brilliant street style, and not just in Harajuku, not as plentiful and playful as I had expected, it was interesting to see how it works though, and the almost designated place where the photographers and all the hopeful street stylers congregate, hoping to get snapped.

But anyway, back to 'Fruits' -this magazine captures all the best bits, so here are some of my lovings from the mags I dragged home.

More on japan to come.