Saturday September 16 was the third Saturday of the month, so it was time for Harajuku Day. My friend Himani managed to snag a spot as a vendor for her brand The Moon Phase, so I got there early to help her set up. After helping get her table to the right spot, I grabbed a coffee while I waited for the event to kick off. Luckily I didn’t have to wait long because everyone is always very eager to get started!
Invent your kei
This month’s theme was “Invent Your Kei.” Attendees were encouraged to combine or create new styles in the spirit of Harajuku Fashion. This month’s event also featured a fashion show, where everyone could show off their invented styles. I thought this was a super fun way to see some of the outfits up close. The fashion show also a very low key introduction to walking in a show! I hope that it inspires people to attend and participate in the fashion shows at other local events. It was fun to see the way that different people interpreted different styles. It was also neat to see that some of the “invented” kei outfits included items made by the attendees.
Vendors
As always, the vendors and swap meet sellers had a variety of new and secondhand goods to browse. I didn’t have any particular items that I was looking for, but fell victim to a very cute cutsew OP from Enchantlic Enchantilly. (It had books on it, my weakness!) Though I tried to go home without it, it was still available at the end of the event, so I had to buy it.
After making the rounds through the vendors and swapmeet sellers, I checked in on my friend to make sure that she didn’t need a break or snacks. Her booth was bustling with people asking questions about her work!
Documenting
All throughout the event, I was doing my best to take videos of the outfits that people wore. It can be nerve wracking to wear alt fashion or try a new style, so I hope that sharing videos of people wearing it can make it seem more approachable and fun! While it’s easy for me to just take videos of my friends, I try to make an effort to talk to people I don’t know and document styles that I don’t wear. (At this event in particular, I was running around asking my friends, “Let me know if you see someone wearing pants, I don’t have that yet!”) It’s lead to interesting conversations with people. Sometimes I find out about new brands or events, and sometimes it’s allowed me to share my knowledge about lolita fashion.
One of the things that I like best about Harajuku Day is how easy it is to run into people and spend time with them in a casual setting. Honestly, the majority of my time was just spent chatting with people from my local lolita community who I don’t get to see often. Even if people only drop by for a little bit, it’s fun to see so many people in one place!
The event started to wind down and Himani started to pack up. I was wiped after nearly 6 hours on my feet and talking with people. We headed home and started the mammoth task of going through all my videos.
Harajuku Day is every 3rd Saturday of the month. You can check out their Instagram, Tiktok, and website to learn more.