Fairy Kei Essay

Summary

1. Introduction ………………………………………………………….…….. 01
2. Overview on Japanese fashion …………………………………………. 01
2.1. Lolita …….…………………………………………….......…….......... 02
2.2. Kogal, Ganguro and Mamba …………………………......……....... 03
2.3. Visual Kei ……………………....…………………………….............. 05
2.4. Decora ……………………………………………………………......... 06
2.5. Fairy Kei .....…………....………………………………………………. 06
3. Emergence and inspiration ……………………………….……………... 07
4. The Do-It-Yourself factor ………………………….……………………… 08
5. Visual aspects ……………………………………………………………… 09
5.1. Headgears ……………………………………………………………... 10
5.2. Clothes ……………..………………………………………………….. 10
5.3. Footwear ………...…………………………………………………….. 11
5.4 Accessories …………………………..………………………………... 11
5.5. Makeup ………….……………………………………………………… 12
6. The future of Fairy Kei …………………………………………….……… 13
7. References ………………………………………………………………….. 14

1. Introduction The name Fairy Kei – Fairy, as in fairylike, and Kei (系), which means “style” in Japanese – refers to one of many Japanese street fashion styles that can be found in the district of Harajuku.
Harajuku (原宿) is a site located in the district of Shibuya, prefecture of Tokyo, Japan, most known worldwide for its exquisite fashion styles, beautifully sewn clothes and rare color combinations. It was popularized in the west by celebrities such as the singer and actress Gwen Stefani, and in Brazil, Sérgio Groisman – in his TV Show Altas Horas, – not to mention online communities, where most international fans of these styles gather to share information and celebrate these fashions. I’ll begin this paper by offering an overview of the most famous Japanese street fashion styles and their international repercussion, proceeding to talk further about the style called Fairy Kei, which is currently one of the most popular styles in communities of fans of Japanese Fashion from all over the world.