Research Session [in construction]
Lolita
Under construction
Moodboard (pardon the graphic design):
Gyaru: Always Bold!
Moodboard (pardon the graphic design again):
History
Gyaru(ギャル) is a subculture that comes from a term called "gal" in Japanese. Before Heisei era, this words represent a lively woman — trendy and style-savvy. During 1990s-2000s ‐ just after the Japan economic bubble burst, gyaru became the symbol of societal norm resistance. Bold makeup, tanned skin, and bleached hair color is a statement against the conservative Japanese women standards: pale skin and black hair. This subculture is usually represented by bold makeups and the overall vibe, rather than wearing a specific fashion. Gyaru is all about challenging societal norms by creating bold and unapologetic identity that looks flashy to the crowd.
Makeup
Before gyaru makeup (right) and after (left)
Unlike other subculture where fashion coord is the key to be distinctive, gyaru style utilizes makeup as its core feature. Gyaru keeps evolves through years, but the common feature of gyaru makeup is the eye-enlarging makeup. The characteristics is matte foundation, silver or golden eye shadow, dark eyelash on upper and lower eyelid, pale or cool colored lips, and colored round contacts. There has been many variation of this rules too, for example black eyeshadow is pretty common. Appearance of double eyelids also contribute to this appeareance so the eyes looks enlarged than normal. The hair color of gyaru is also opposing against the traditional Japanese beauty standards, with bleached hair and unnatural shade of blonde; sometimes pink and silver dyes.
Substyles
Although gyaru is mainly defined by overall styling vibe, there are multiple styles popular among the subculture.
Classic
- Heavily bleached hair
- Droopy eyeliner
- Long fake nails
- Animal print patterns
- Denim mini skirts
- Fuzzy leg warmers
Amekaji *considered unactive*
- Bold, brightly coloured prints. (Red, yellow and blues, neon shades)
- Baggy clothes, such as jeans and shirts. Can use graphic tees too.
- Simple gyaru makeup, tanned ranging from medium to heavy.
- Flat shoes, such as sneakers or ballet flats
Gothic
Gothic is a sub-style of Gyaru that incorporates goth fashion into gyaru subculture. Inspires Modern Gothic.
- Hair color often black, white, grey, or blonde
- Clothing color scheme is almost primarily black or grey, with very small amounts of color.
- Shoes range from platform, flatforms, heels, and dollyshoes
Hostess (Agejo)
Agejo is a substyle of gyaru that embodies a glamorous and feminine fashion expression, influenced by expressing a high level of sex appeal through style and attitude. It doesn't always have to be hostess that wear these. Inspired by a magazine called 小悪魔 AGEHA.
- Big and intricate hairstyle. Curls and long hair are the most common.
- Hair is often dyed to be light brown or dark blonde.
- Long nails.
- Makeup is thick on eyeliner on top and bottom, with thick lashes.
- Dolly-styles circle lens.
- Color combination of black with pink/white/purple.
- Tight clothing, often dresses and skirt are worn and very short.
- Brand-name bags and jewelry.
Project Update [always updated]
22 June 2025
Things done:
- Made a moodboard.
- Made a list of assets needed
- prototyping already started, and I need to generate these stuff
Things haven't done:
- Gotta find more artists
- Gotta find model
- Gotta generate layouts.
Hope things get clearer at 28th.
10 June 2025
Finally make a starting team to start this passion project. At least just make it first, can perfect it by the time. I already have a rough timeline at least for soft-promo to be made:
- June: a full research about the cultures, what should be the zine structure and its content
- July-October: production
- end of October: test print and printing
- since end of August or start of September: start of promotion period.
I'll make a detailed calendar after everything seems clear.
I should research more diligently and make every time count. Therefore, I shall spend less time on social media LMAO. Thanks to friends for filling me in tho, I should make something with those references they have given. Also for social media references, my friend has given me lots of them so I could probably study them carefully. I am no social media expert myself and I should learn about copywriting soon. But yeah I think
7 June 2025
I think I got lost in the process of thoughts and research with insufficient results again. I'll do interest check midway the process, but now I think it's the best if I'm starting with the execution. Okay lemme edit some of the section first. Okay, so after some thoughts, I still believe that this project has to gain some audience first, so it's needed to give some fillers before the main course. As I just realized that launching a big A4 magazine with high price out of nowhere without any notion was a risky move LMAO. (Yes, 150K A4 book is already considered a high-end book in Comifuro in my notes)
So we should definitely start small, and the mini-magazine (therefore, zine) will be a just-for-fun-and-giggles experimental type shit layout and design to just try to make shits LMAO. I think I'll try to limit the artists count first since this will be a small one first. I do need to learn graphic design from feminine perspective, and also try asking a person that is good on feminine design as well. Maybe 1 graphic designer, 2 artists, and 1 writer is enough for a zine. It's better to keep things simple to manage for now, since we're just starting anyways. Because I'm basically still managing Fresh 'n Fits for the merch production and promotion from now on LMAO.
31 May 2025 22:52
I did it. Okay, next time I go to this kind of gathering I definitely need friends I can rely to, cause damn I'm such an introvert to ask even a simple things. Gotta build up confidence again LMAO. But I think this is a totally fun event. They do A LOT of the subcultures I've searched. such as: lolita (many substyles), gyaru, visual kei, ouji, etc. I learn a lot that many people dresses up just for fun, and that's how fashion should be. To express a statement, and to show yourself no matter how flashy it is. Friends are very interested to join, and I am really interested to start the project, but I need a quick poll from general audience about this topic. I think there are roughly 20-30 participants in the gathering. If I'm gathering data from this group of audience of course there will be a bias, so I need to know how general audience think about J-fashion. Even if they just want to know about these.
And I am super sure that the final product would take 2 CFs. Because 5 months of production of this kind of magazine wouldn't do enough, and I prefer to build audience bit by bit. Maybe a minizine about a specific subculture with cheap cost of printing would be good for next CF. Even if this project doesn't attract that much people to be interested, I'm totally fine because I love the vibe of J-fashion itself and I just want to see when it's done.
So, the checklist I have to do by June:
- Gathering public opinion about this project by using interest check form.
- Starting to experiment with girly design style
- Try crafting some accessories based on the subculture
31 May 2025 0:21
I'll attend a J-fashion gathering event today. I saw that some of them would do lolita and it's crazy. The expectation is crazy man. I registered as a photographer/kameko yet I will come very unprepared LMAO. I only have two tools in this one: an analog camera and a 3DS camera (this is the digicam brother LMAO). Only one of them is pretty usable I think, and I still need time for processing the film. I really hope they're not disappointed LMAO. Also yeah, I think I gotta decide the scale of the project really soon. This has been called off several times by my friends. Maybe there is one important question about this project.
Would the magazine have a model photos or not? How much the portion of real-life photos of people and illustration? What's the balance?
This is an important question, and for now I only have an answer of photos would be used for these options:
- Magazine cover
- Section cover
- Supporting images
And then, where would be the illustration featured? Is it to fill the gap to support the pages? To be merches? That is also a big matter to consider.
If the scale to be this big, I feel like I need at least six months to finish this project. I also need to fill the research session with lolita section as well. I need to take card names and a magazine sample with me to introduce myself properly so I wouldn't look so shady LMAO. I also need to prepare myself mentally cause God I'm not a good person to live up a party man LMAO.
Also there is something I need to learn shortly if this project is coming true — I need to learn girly graphic design as well, and I've never done this before.
28 May 2025
Just finished Comifuro. It was a blast! Saw a Facebook post about gyaru subculture, and saw some lolita and decora too. I can see the Y2K J-fashion is resurging here and it's pretty crazy how this would go. There will be a gathering this weekend, and I can't wait to ask more for more materials. Also will blast interest filling form this weekend. Gotta speed up things. But I have a plan in mind to just starting small first, gathering and growing the audience is the goal here, and magazine is the final product of it. I think social media is a must, then starting small by making merchandise and small A5 printed booklets just promoting J-fashion for a teaser. I think that's a good idea for now. Gotta gather more second opinions from many sources for sure.
20 May 2025
Okay, I finally interview one person who knows a lot about Lolita fashion. It was pretty cool to know things that I don't know before. And holy this is not a cheap hobby, like any other hobbies. But I'm just very surprised with what people would pay for the coord. The misconceptions tho, yeah I guess it is pretty common. But I never thought people would mistaken a coord that totally look like lolita and then call it jirai kei just because it's pink and black. :ducksmoke: I think I need to expand more to another subculture, but I need to build confidence if I am going to interview someone who is not my mutual. So far, the research process has progressed, and I want to know more about this.
15 May 2025
Made a proper question list for interview. I think this is one of those times I sketch my thoughts again with pencil and paper; mind map always help greatly in brainstorming as usual. Already asked for second opinions since I came from STEM world and I know nothing about social humanities research process.
6-14 May 2025
I finally started a proper research process of J-fashion. I started from Lolita subculture, because that seems to be the subculture that already has a communnity here, and there are many reliable sources online. I think if I'm going to take it easy, it will take roughly a month to do so. Hence, I need to be more diligent and not taking segue in my research process wkwk. But at least, it's moving right now.
