"Ganguro Girl Rebellion"

"Putting on a show, when you dress up in your clothes. Wild hair color and cellphones, your accessories are dead on."- Gwen Stefani, "Harajuku Girls"

Well, since i'm taking you around the world with different fashion, pop culture, and art, I thought to myself, what better way to take off by traveling to my favorite country....JAPAN!!

They're eclectic and wild taste in fashion is immaculate, and it inspires my way of dressing 100 percent. Now, our destination in Japan...the Harajuku section of Tokyo, Japan (which is close to Shibuya Station).

Believe it or not, Harajuku fashion is constantly changing. It is not just one particular style, it's several. Whether it's Gothic Lolita (or GothLoli), Decora, Kawaii, etc, Japanese teenagers and young adults are always finding away to put their own spins on the different types of styles. But, I think the one that stood out to me the most was the "Ganguro" or "Gyaru" style, because it is so strange, satirical, and outrageous to me.

Now, "Ganguro" is actually a style in which Japanese teen girls, or even twenty-something really take to the limit. Many believe that it is a mockery of American women with fake tans, blonde hair, and sometimes rather revealing clothing. In Japan, it is a form of rebellion against traditional Japanese society. Ganguro girls are often ostracized or tend to stick together because they are seen as whores or prostitutes by the way they look (America, look at your influence on the world. Haha!)

The "ganguro" style consists of the girls painting their skin bright orange and dark brown (similar to "black faces" back in the 19th/20th centuries) in order to obtain that "tan" look. They wear incredibly sparkling silver makeup or other outrageous colors depending on preference. They dye their hair blonde or add extensions of multiple colors to make them stand out. Oh, and not to mention, they always have a cellphone with crazy charms on there. They also wear clothes with bright neon colors, short skirts, platform shoes, etc.

This is the gist of the whole ganguro style. I thought it was very weird and off-putting at first (I still do), but it is a form of rebellion against traditional society. And, as stated before, it is sort of satirical because if you look at the ideal American woman this day in age (blonde hair, tan, alot of makeup), it's almost like it is poking fun at American women.

Well, this is the fascinating fist post. I'll take you all to Germany in my next post :D

-Monique