TOKYO - A new wave of gyaru fashion is surging in the Reiwa era, and this time the center of the boom is elementary school children.
At a recent fashion event in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district, more than 500 parents and children lined up before opening, many of them grade-school fans eager to meet a 13-member influencer collective of girls ranging from third grade to first-year junior high. The group posts songs and fashion content on social media and has amassed a combined following of over 1.135 million and more than 11.5 billion cumulative video views.
A former editor-in-chief of a gyaru magazine notes that, unlike the Heisei-era kogal craze of the late 1990s centered on high-school students, today’s core demographic has skewed younger. Mothers who spent their own youth as gyaru are now enthusiastic supporters, some even handing down clothes to their daughters.
The Heisei style—sun-tanned skin, dyed brown hair, platform shoes and loose socks—has given way to more individualized looks. Sixth-graders Yunachi and Imopi, for example, favor bold makeup and coordinated outfits; Imopi says she does her own makeup, highlighting a three-color eyeliner technique. When they go to school, both tone down their appearance, but their commitment to gyaru makeup—accentuating each facial feature—remains a point of pride. In a demonstration, a 25-year-old TV staffer tried a full gyaru makeover with deep-tan foundation, heavy contouring and a blond wig, transforming into a flashy Reiwa-style look in about half an hour.
Among the most distinctive figures is Riripi, a fifth-grader who identifies with the hime-gyaru (princess) substyle. At home, nearly everything is pink—from the dining area to the living room—and her wardrobe is filled with frilly dresses. Her mother, Rika, 38, also embraces hime-gyaru. Riripi says her rule is to be a princess both in appearance and in spirit, even when she removes her makeup for school.
The boom is also spawning new offshoots. Nine-year-old Suu-chan, who traveled with her family from Fukuoka to visit Shibuya 109 and Harajuku, is a promising middle-distance runner and calls herself a run-gyaru. After struggling to attend school in first grade due to friendship issues, she says a local middle-school gyaru encouraged her with a makeover and the words, “If you keep gyaru in your heart, you can be strong.” Since then she has returned to school, made friends, and taken up athletics on her own initiative, joining a training camp in Chiba with top runners her age.
Source: TBS
