Halloween: Shibuya109 Style

Happy Halloween!

At this time of the year it's not unusual to see spooks, ghouls and other horrifying, terrible creatures prowling the floor of Shibuya109. Well, to be honest, most of them aren't terrifying.

The brands of Shibuya109 released their 2014 Halloween collection and what better date to post it than Halloween itself?









My picks are:

⋆ Swankiss
⋆ MA*RS
⋆ one*spo
⋆ Fig & Viper
⋆ Liz Lisa
⋆ SPIGA
⋆ GARULA
⋆ tutuHA
⋆ Cocolulu
⋆ SLY

The accessories from Ruby Rose are really cute too!

My question to you girls is if you had to wear something from one of these brands, which one would it be? I think I'd have to go with MA*RS because it looks like typical MA*RS whilst also being a bunny. ♥

Stay spooky! ♥

Long Live Gyaru

There's been a lot of controversy surrounding gyaru recently. "I hear that gyaru is dying out," is whispered behind false fingernails. Egg, the original gyaru bible, has shut their doors for the second time and with the demise of In Forest, Ageha, Happie Nuts and other magazines have all stopped filling the shelves. For one of the first times since it's incarnation, gyaru has begun to follow Western trends.

Gyaru is dead!


I highly disagree.

The style has simply decreased in popularity and become more merged with the mainstream trends we'd usually be seeing stocked in H&M, Zara and the stores that we've all grown accustomed to filling up Western shopping centres. As always, things cycle in and out of fashion. Gyaru fashion is on the decline but it most certainly can't be called dead. There's no need to mourn for something that hasn't fully died. This is the second decline of gyaru since the 90s and after the first decline things exploded even more.

B A C K ★ T O ★ B A S I C S

Looking back at gyaru, the style began to grow in popularity as Japanese girls began to rebel against the expectations society had on them. Society could expect them to act a certain way but they couldn't control how the girls chose to do their make-up or what clothes they wore. With fashion leaders such as Namie Amuro in 1996 with her tanned skin, short skirts and platform boots to Buriteri and her unique and controversial ganguro style, the spark for other girls to rebel was lit. The streets of Shibuya began and Center Gai began to fill up with manba.

The economic situation at the time was similar to what it is now and that didn't stop the gyaru from tearing up a storm and cherishing their beloved Alba Rosa. It didn't stop them from using tanning booths to achieve the perfect skin colour and it didn't stop them from caring about their appearance. The state of the economy has never, ever been able to keep a good gyaru down. It might have been enough to force the doors of 'Egg' to shut it's doors one time but even then the gyaru were able to survive without their precious magazines.


E V O L U T I O N

Gyaru is a style that is always evolving; how else would we see the various substyles we see now? Without kogal there would have never been ganguro. Without ganguro there would have never been manba. A girl who may have been a manba may have looked upon the arrival of the current gyaru sweetheart Tsubasa Masuwaka in horror and proclaimed, "That isn't gyaru!"

By the mid-00s the more extreme styles such as manba were beginning to die down in popularity and were seen less and less on the streets of Shibuya. But that didn't mean gyaru, which was initially about rebelling, had disappeared. They were still rebelling against what society had told them to be. They still had their tans, their blonde hair, their noticeable (yet still turned down from the extremes of manba) make-up. They still rebelled what society considered acceptable by wearing clothes that showed their shoulders (which is considered to be the equivalent of Western girls wearing short skirts) and by hiking their skirts even shorter.

Para Para Clubs were still somewhat popular after the initial rise of them and it wouldn't be surprising to see models releasing their own music. Tsubasa Masuwaka's 'Magic to Love' with accompanying para para routine just shows how popular it still was.


It's around this time more gyaru substyles began to be more prominent. Agejo, rokku, oraora kei, etc. were all on the rise and as such magazines began to pop up everywhere to serve them. Whilst the styles were all different one style in particular began to rise in popularity more than any other and it appealed to a more mainstream audience which is where gyaru began to really change and begin to be more socially acceptable.

Hime-kaji, sweet styles, etc.

Whilst stores like Liz Lisa had always been around it's more popular than ever. Whether intentionally or not, Tsubasa Masuwaka headed the shift of gyaru that made it more accessible to normal girls and it became less about rebelling and more about looking fashionable. Whilst there is still an element of rebellion in there most girls get into the styles these days because they 'look nice' or 'want to be seen as cute'. Liz Lisa, Ank Rouge, Swankiss, Rosebullet, etc. all provide the sweet look that's currently reigning above all else in terms of popularity.

These styles brought along the shiro gyaru or pale skinned girls that we're more accustomed to seeing. Gyaru make-up trends went towards false eyelashes and circle lenses; something other styles such as those you would see in Kera magazine would begin to embrace. Other gyaru styles still exist of course, but that isn't stopping the wave of sweet styles that are flooding magazines and stores. Some magazines that had been considered for catering to gyaru such as Popteen branched off; looking at Popteen as it currently stands, it cannot be called a gyaru magazine. Dark hair or straightened hair was something that would normally not be seen in gyaru yet it's acceptable for these styles to be incorporated.


The hime-kaji styles appealed to girls who weren't gyaru or who were scared of being seen as rebelling against society. The clothes were cute and looked pretty; who could be worried about being seen as dirty or rebellious by having a floral dress? It wasn't going to stand out in the crowd. Some of the brands began incorporating these looks; MA*RS is definitely agejo but it has some elements that would appeal to hime-kaji styled girls for example.

In addition, Harajuku fashion and gyaru began to mix more and more. People claim Kyarypamyupamyu is gyaru based off her false eyelashes and circle lenses; however that's not gyaru. In addition gyaru make-up began to borrow elements from Harajuku fashions such as the under eye blush, the current trend of replacing lower eye liner with eye shadow, etc. Tsubasa and Kyarypamyupamyu, the two biggest icons of these scenes, have both released their own eyelashes, music, clothes, etc. They both wear wigs and are constantly changing their hairstyles as a result.

The two styles are still recognisably different of course but they both borrow elements from each other. The dramatic gyaru make-up has gone for now and has been replaced with a more toned down, natural look that has been influenced by the fashions that would most likely be seen in Harajuku than Shibuya 109.


T A K I N G★ G Y A R U ★ B A C K

Since the arrival of NeoGal which is taking Japanese magazines such as ViVi and Jelly by storm, there's been a backlash especially from gaijin gyaru about how this isn't gyaru. You'd be forgiven for thinking this style was intended to be gyaru, especially with the figurehead of this new and quirky trend is Alisa Ueno who is a Blenda model and former gyaru herself. Fig &Viper, the brand which Alisa produces herself, occupies a space in gyaru haven Shibuya 109. With the heavy influence from Western fashion it's understandable why some people might think that this is the future of gyaru.

Is it? Who knows.

NeoGal is definitely an odd mix of Western fashion meets Shibuhara culture. The influences of H&M, Zara, BOY London and all of the other Western brands that have began creeping into Japanese fashion with their cheaper prices has definitely played an influence but it's still not completely there. The make-up of NeoGal is more Harajuku than it is gyaru. Whether or not gyaru can 'take it back' is another matter but the arrival of NeoGal has definitely forced girls to remember where gyaru came from and what it means.

It means more than to fit in and look fashionable. It's used to rebel against society.

Is gyaru dead? No, of course not. It's evolving. With the most popular styles turning the look down into something that isn't what it quite used to be when it first reared it's head and the style turning back into a more underground movement as it was when it originally appeared, gyaru is definitely in an interesting place right now. Whether or not older styles make a comeback or something totally new and unexpected appears is undecided. Gyaru isn't dead.

Long live gyaru.

Liz Lisa A/W 2014 : New Fancy Girl

Off the back of Swankiss' A/W Collection, Liz Lisa have offered a preview of their own collection. Liz Lisa is one of the leaders in sweet and roma gyaru styles and appeals to the non-gyaru market through the use of their sweet and girlish approach to fashion. As always, this has carried over to their A/W collection.


The name of their A/W 2014 collection is 'New Fancy Girl' and envelops the retro girly look that's set to be a big trend in the upcoming season whilst staying with their recognisable Liz Lisa brand. Tartan, floral prints, flared skirts and muted colours are the main points of this collection. It's not overly girly and sweet compared to Swankiss' collection which is a nice surprise!

The key colour trends of this collection are:

♥ Red
♥ Rose Pink
♥ Dusty Green
♥ Brilliant Blue
♥ Bordeaux
♥ Navy

The collection also includes the classic A/W fabric choices such as tweed, corduroy, knitwear, quilting, etc. which is perfect for the cooler weather!

Looking at the 60s trend that is sweeping the current collections there are definitely a few pieces inspired by this time period in the Liz Lisa collection. However, I feel like Liz Lisa didn't quite hit the mark with these. They were close but no dice.




I really feel like the last one is hideous as it's so frumpy! It's definitely 60s but not glam; it feels like something my gran would have worn!

This collection will be available from 26th July instore with further pieces to be added.

Stay sweet! ♥

Liz Lisa March Novelty Items

As someone who lusts over the feminine edge of Liz Lisa, one of my favourite things to do is to check out the 'novelty' items that they release each month. They're usually super cute and make their way onto my 'wanted' list.


The first item of the list would be this gorgeous rose themed bath set. I think it'd look really pretty in any bathroom.

The price? ¥30000 aka £175.62 aka $293.19

Looking pretty has a pretty price tag if you're a bathroom.


Next up is their rose themed room wear set. Pretty and girly, this is standard of Liz Lisa in my opinion. I'm almost surprised to see it come up as a 'novelty' item!

The price tag is ¥15000 (£87.81 or £146.59)

It's a cute room wear set but I'm not sure if it's quite worth that much.


Lastly, but certain not least, is this pretty rose themed storage box. It could be used to store jewellery etc. and I think it's realy lovely. I'd love to have this sitting in the corner of my room.

The price tag is ¥20000 (£117.08 or $195.46)

It's a cute box but I think it's completely out of my price range!


The rose print is lovely and I can definitely see why people would buy these. As for myself, I'll skip. As much as I love Liz Lisa I'm going to draw my purse strings tight.

What about you guys? Would you buy any of these?

Stay sweet!

Liz Lisa: Summer 2012

Hi guys! Long time no speak!

My internet has been acting up a little bit recently and it's very hard to stay connected, so I have been unable to blog. As a result I have a week's worth of blogging to catch up on so there will be no Blog of the Week this week. The series will resume next week! I've bought a new router which will hopefully be able to keep me connected instead of disconnecting every two minutes.

Today I want to show you my favourite picks from Liz Lisa's Summer 2012 collection!

Roses are a Girl's Best Friend!



...Well, if they are if you're a Liz Lisa type of girl. As I expected, the collection is full of roses, florals and everything else you can expect from Liz Lisa.

This is my favourite showcase of these. The bag, the skirt and even the rose buds in the hair all add to this. I particularly like the rose buds because it's incorporating that signature Liz Lisa style without being too overwhelming although I'm sure some people would find this too cute.

The skirt also stands out due to the hem of it. Statement skirts were big in Tokyo Girl's Collection and this particular style of skirt cropped up a lot.

The wedge shoes the girls are wearing are very prominent in this collection. They add height without half of the pain of heels! One of the pairs reminds me of a pair of shoes from New Look which I blogged about here!

Beautiful in Blue



I love seeing blue in Liz Lisa collections. A lot of people seem to associate the brand with florals, pinks, whites and brown so I always love when blue pops up in a collection!

The dress is really feminine and cute. I especially love the neckline on it as it just seems to give the dress that extra little bit of charm.

Once again, wedge shoes are used for this outfit and they compliment it really well. As the dress is pretty short, the addition of wedges makes her legs look much longer as well as being a very cute addition.

Not so Maxi...



This came as a surprise to me. For the past few years maxi dresses have bee a summer staple, particularly within Liz Lisa. Imagine my surprise when this is the longest dress in the collection; it's not even comparable to the dress in the spring collection!

The check print was also another surprise for me as it almost seems too bold for Liz Lisa. I would expect maybe a checked shirt or checked skirt but not a full maxi-esque dress. It's definitely one of the stand out pieces in the collection jsut for being so different.

The only criticism I have is that it vaguely looks like a pair of pyjamas I used to own; I think you would have to be quite brave to wear this out.

Relaxation is Key



I was quite pleased to see this. Sometimes I think people feel as though they need to dress up every day which you really don't. Or that t-shirts aren't 'gyaru' whereas Liz Lisa seems to think it is.

Both co-ordinates are really cute; the t-shirt is really nice and I am super happy to see dungarees as they were one of my favourite small trends last year!

I like both sets of shoes too but I'm not 100% convinced about those daisies...




To be honest I'm not 100% sure what I feel about this collection. A lot of it is very staple Liz Lisa-ish and they feel like I've seen them before, but others were very pleasant surprises! It's nice to see Liz Lisa trying not to be the same old cookie cutter attempts to remain what made them popular.

Comparing this collection with the spring collection, Love Pasterine I am a little disappointed! I was hoping the mint trend would keep up as it was a nice variety and I was hoping orange would sneak more into the collection as it is quite a summery colour.

If you would like to see the full collection you can see it here.

Tell me what you think of the collection! Yay or nay?

Tokyo Girls Collection S/S12 - Sherbet Garden

On March 3rd, Tokyo Girls Collection 2012 was held at the Yokohama Arena. The theme for this particular collection was 'Sherbet Garden' which took its name from the recent pastel trend that is sweeping gyaru and starting to seep into the rest of the fashion concious world.

If you're unfamiliar with Tokyo Girls Collection (TGC), it's a fashion event which showcases fashionable streetwear, often by domestic brands. The clothes are often modelled by celebrities instead of professional models. It's open to the public and not just to journalists and the fashion elite and its almost unique in the sense that it there are often music performances, auctions and the famous Miss TGC Contest.

Musical performances this time came from Kyarypamyupamyu, Milky Bunny, Kana Nishino, IU and KARA.

Brands which attended are:
Abbey DAWN
BEAMS
bonica dot
CECIL McBEE
chesty
Double focus
DURAS
Khaju
LANDS OF Eden.
LIZ LISA
Lovedrose&Co.
Nina mew
NINE
one way
phebely
RYZA
SERENE Dept.
TWNROOM
VENCE EXHANGE
YEVS

TGC is useful as it can help to pinpoint what the upcoming trends can be in the upcoming months, so you can stay one step ahead of the fashion pack. Noteable trends from ths TGC are:

Sensational Skirts



This year at TGC statement skirts were all the rage. Liz Lisa, phebely, chesty and DURAS were just some of the brands which showcased this upcoming trend. It's a fun, and girly, feature that could be added to all of our wardrobes.

The skirts don't need to be as over the top as the catwork outfits. You can wear these a little more toned down for the same sort of girly flair. DURAS' offering shows a more evening way to wear these skirts whereas Liz Lisa's offering shows the skirt in a more day-to-day option.

Pair these skirts with a minimalist outfit. Keep the top half fitted and let the skirt do the talking for the rest of the outfit.

Which Brand Wore This Well: I like DURAS over the top offering as it showcases just how these skirts should be worn.
Which Brand Didn't Wear This Well: I wasn't a fan of chesty's presentation of this trend as the floral top swamped the skirt completely.

Brave Bolds



Bold prints are making their way into our wardrobe and many, many brands showcased this upcoming trend. Liz Lisa, BEAMS, DURAS, tokyo girls collection and a fair few other brands showcased this in their collections. It's a daring move which will certainly brighten everywhere in the summer!

With bold prints, the bolder the better. Just don't go for clashing colours as you'll stand out and not in a good way at all. BEAMS shows us how to wear the trend in a bright and eyecatching way.

With these bold prints, let the prints do the talking. You don't need to over-accessorise and wear another half a dozen prints with these. Liz Lisa's offering shows us exactly how these prints should be worn.

Which Brand Wore This Well: Although I adore BEAMS' offering, DURAS shows us how to look classy and sophisticated wearing a bold print.
Which Brand Didn't Wear This Well: I wasn't too fond of the tokyo girls collection special collection's offerings; I thought all of the other collections managed to out-bold them.

Wonderful Warms



With the arrival of summer, we'll be leaving be leaving behind the pretty pastels of spring and seeing warm colours creep into our wardrobe. Yellows and oranges are wonderful additions to our wardrobes. Lovedrose&Co., Double focus, BEAMS, Cecil McBee and TWNROOM were just few of the brands which showcased this trend. RYZA also had a lovely orange dress; check it out if you already haven't!

This trend can be easily worked into evening dresses which will brighten you up, or worked into your daily wardrobe. CECIL McBEE's lovely raincoat will even brighten you up on a cold, rainy day!

The key to working these pale warm colours is to not wear an outfit consisting of them. Work one key piece into your outfit and leave it at that. It'll brighten you up and make you look super awake. If you don't want to wear this, use an accent like Lovedrose&Co. did; the yellow belt brightened up the white dress more than a brown belt ever could!

Which Brand Wore This Well: I'm in love with the coat CECIL McBee put on its catwalk. It's perfect for those long, rainy summer days!
Which Brand Didn't Wear This Well: I thought everyone wore this well, but I found TWNROOM's use of this colour a little boring.

Ravishing Reds



If there was one colour that dominated the TGC, it was red. Nearly every collection had red somewhere in its collection, and if it didn't it had another flame colour. Red is set to be this summers hottest colour so prepare to see this everywhere.

If you're a pale girl, red will probably drain you of all colour to beware wearing this colour. If you're pale maybe wear this colour as an accent to your outfit, or if you're feeling braver wear red on its own.

You can wear red on its own or team it with a plethora of other colours for a fresh look. It's a bold colour to wear but if you wear it with confidence you can definitely pull it off.

Which Brand Wore This Well: Most! Most of the brands worked this in without making it look too bold.
Which Brand Didn't Wear This Well: Barely any. Take a look through the collection for inspiration and tips on how to wear this colour.

Funky Florals



Are we surprised to see this trend pop up? No? Didn't think so!

Florals have now appeared so many times for the S/S period they're now considered to be a staple piece. I wasn't surprised to see these pop up in TGC! One Way, bonica dot, chesty, TWNROOM, LIZ LISA and Khaju were just some of the brands to feature this summer staple item.

To be honest, you can't go wrong with florals! They're girly and sweet and will always crop back up year after year. My only recommendation is to ensure that the floral pattern itself doesn't look as though it came off your granny's curtains!

Which Brand Wore This Well: I loved TWNROOM's combonation of trends : it worked really well and looked bright and fresh!
Which Brand Didn't Wear This Well: I was a little disappointed by LIZ LISA's contribution. The pattern looked unsettingly similar to my granny's pyjamas!


Other trends I noticed were maxi dresses (which are now becoming a summer staple), short front and long back skirts (a carry over from the current trend but will it stand the test of time) and pastels which may fade out as spring ends.


The next Tokyo Girls Collection A/W Collection will be held on October 13th at the Saitama Super Arena. See the report for this Tokyo Girl's Collection here!

Which trend are you looking forward to seeing this summer?

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