Bubblegum-pink hearts, tulle skirts and polka dots: the unapologetically feminine fashion that originated in Tokyo has exploded in the West with Hollywood celebrities earning brickbats for adopting the “girly” style.
The hugely popular kawaii (cute) look, which blends traditional Japanese concepts of purity and innocence with the doll-like aesthetic embodied by Hello Kitty and other beloved mascots, traces its roots to the late 1970s.
While it made significant inroads into Southeast Asia throughout the 1990s, Western fashion sentiments had remained largely impervious to — and even somewhat sneering about — its cutesy charms.
Photo: EPA
The vivid aesthetic occupies pride of place in Japanese pop culture, particularly in the visual stylings of 22-year-old kawaii entertainer, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. However, it has begun winning fans further afield, including musicians like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj.
A watered-down version of the style has made inroads into US pop culture, embodied by Disney star Ariana Grande and actress Zooey Deschanel in her leading role as a quirky schoolteacher in the TV show New Girl.
Miley Cyrus’ current psychedelic, hyper-sexualized look also contains plenty of kawaii inspiration. As the glitterati gathered in Tokyo for fashion week, Japanese designers showcased plenty of outfits with a cute twist. Designer Keita Maruyama dressed models in feather-topped ankle socks and suits embellished with pompoms, while offbeat label Dresscamp opted for pink taffeta capes and sequinned tulle petticoats.
Photo: AFP
Tokyo-based blogger and TV host Misha Janette says Japan also experienced a new surge in kawaii culture after the 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster.
“I think people needed the infusion of fun, which is why we saw these colorful fashion statements emerge,” she said.
However, the sight of women wearing items usually aimed at children — from headbands embellished with cat-ears to frothy skirts and tops showcasing strawberry cupcakes or cartoon characters — have aroused the ire of feminist commentators based in the West.
“To make a woman look like a child is to make her unthreatening, helpless and worthy of condescension. When women dress like children, they encourage this attitude,” wrote Hadley Freeman, columnist for the Guardian newspaper.
Industry insiders dismiss such concerns.
“Just because a woman dresses like a doll doesn’t mean she wants to be treated like a doll,” said Janette, host of popular TV show Kawaii International.
Furthermore, in a country that values conformity, fashion offers a rare window for self-expression, Janette added.
Tokyo’s streets are famous for the proliferation of fashion tribes ranging from gothic schoolgirls to pastel princesses, with young men and women seizing the opportunity to explore subcultures and stand out from the crowd.
“Every time a new aesthetic emerges here, it really is about girls dressing for themselves as opposed to girls dressing to get a date,” said Tiffany Godoy, author and editor in chief of the bilingual The Reality Show Magazine.
In Tokyo’s trendy Harajuku neighborhood, where US clothing chain stores compete with tiny boutiques crammed with stuffed unicorns, glitter-covered ballet flats and heart-shaped bags, 26-year-old singer Momo Ninomiya said she was on the lookout for a kawaii accessory.
“This kind of style is so girly... I love cute things, that’s why I enjoy dressing like this,” Ninomiya said, referring to her frilly ankle socks, headband and 1950’s-style skirt printed with perfume bottles and flower bouquets.
“Some of my friends say they are embarrassed to walk with me when I am dressed like this ... [but] I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the way I dress,” she said.
According to fashion editor Godoy, the criticism leveled at young women like Ninomiya represents a dated take on feminism.
“It’s such an old-fashioned way of looking at things. The way these girls dress, it’s about being playful and wearing clothes that make them happy,” Godoy said.
And like any subculture, “it makes people uncomfortable because it’s not a traditional way to dress,” she said.
The domestic unit of the Chinese-owned, Dutch-headquartered chipmaker Nexperia BV will soon be able to produce semiconductors locally within China, according to two company sources. Nexperia is at the center of a global tug-of-war over critical semiconductor technology, with a Dutch court in February ordering a probe into alleged mismanagement at the company. The geopolitical tussle has disrupted supply chains, with some carmakers reportedly forced to cut production due to chip shortages. Local production would allow Nexperia’s domestic arm, Nexperia Semiconductors (China) Ltd (安世半導體中國), to bypass restrictions in place since October on the supply of silicon wafers — etched with tiny components to
Singapore-based ride-hailing and delivery giant Grab Holdings Ltd has applied for regulatory approval to acquire the Taiwan operations of Germany-based Delivery Hero SE's Foodpanda in a deal valued at about US$600 million. Grab submitted the filing to the Fair Trade Commission on Friday last week, with the transaction subject to regulatory review and approval, the company said in a statement yesterday. Its independent governance structure would help foster a healthy and competitive market in Taiwan if the deal is approved, Grab said. Grab, which is listed on the NASDAQ, said in the filing that US-based Uber Technologies Inc holds about 13 percent of
Taiwan is open to joining a global liquefied natural gas (LNG) program if one is created, but on the condition that countries provide delivery even in a scenario where there is a conflict with China, an energy department official said yesterday. While Taiwan’s priority is to have enough LNG at home, the nation is open to exploring potential strategic reserves in other countries such as Japan or South Korea, Energy Administration Deputy Director-General Chen Chung-hsien (陳崇憲) said. While the LNG market does not have a global reserve for emergencies like that of oil, the concept has been raised a few times —
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday received government approval to deploy its advanced 3-nanometer (3nm) process at its second fab currently under construction in Japan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a news release. The ministry green-lit the plan for the facility in Kumamoto, which is scheduled to start installing equipment and come online in 2028 with a monthly production capacity of 15,000 12-inch wafers, the ministry said. The Department of Investment Review in June 2024 authorized a US$5.26 billion investment for the facility, slated to manufacture 6- to 12nm chips, significantly less advanced than 3nm process. At a meeting with
RSS