Fashioning Japanese Subcultures

Western fashion has been widely appreciated and consumed in Tokyo for decades but since the mid-1990s Japanese youth have been playing a crucial role in forming their own unique fashion communities and producing creative styles which have had a major impact on fashion globally.<br/><br/>Geographically and stylistically defined subcultures such as Lolita in Harajuku Gyaru and Gyaru-o in Shibuya Age-jo in Shinjuku and Mori Girl in Kouenji reflect the affiliation and identities of their members and have often blurred the boundary between professionals and amateurs for models photographers merchandisers and designers.<br/><br/>Based on insightful ethnographic fieldwork in Tokyo <i>Fashioning Japanese Subcultures</i> is the first theoretical and analytical study on Japan's contemporary youth subcultures and their stylistic expressions. It is essential reading for students scholars and anyone interested in fashion sociology and subcultures.