The Rise of Anime in the Fashion Industry
Image Courtesy: Graphic Design
Anime has been revolutionizing the entertainment industry for quite some time now, and it is slowly but surely making its way into the fashion industry. We are seeing bits and pieces from the popular Japanese animations become inevitable parts of our daily lives—including food, makeup, and also accessories. All of us are always taking outfit inspiration from some form of media, like films, TV shows, or even social media but have we ever considered how anime can be such a source of inspiration for our fashion choices as well?
Although it might seem like fashion and anime have recently started intertwining, it has actually been happening since the ‘90s. Throughout the action-driven anime Sailor Moon (1992), we see the characters in their heroine outfits accompanied by vibrantly colored matching boots or heels. Platform boots and heels were slowly rising in popularity until March 7th, 2022, in honor of Sailor Moon’s 30th anniversary, when Malaysian fashion designer Jimmy Choo released his collaborative collection Jimmy Choo X Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. This collection featured boots and heels inspired by each of the five main characters from Sailor Moon, which proved to be very popular as they immediately sold out since their release.
Image Courtesy: Jimmy Choo website
A month later, Dolce & Gabbana released a special designer collection in collaboration with the anime Jujutsu Kaisen (2018). The Dolce & Gabbana x Jujutsu Kaisen collection is a mashup between art and style as depicted through outfits inspired by each of the main characters from the anime; each outfit tells a personalized story. The style combines Japanese street aesthetics–cotton and jersey T-shirts, nylon jackets, tracksuits, hoodies, cyberpunk accessories, etc.—from Tokyo with Italian tailoring. This spark in international popularity further deepens the influence that anime has on fashion around the world.
Image Courtesy: Dolce & Gabbana website
According to Vogue, a new trend has also been popping up on TikTok where people emulate “outfits inspired by anime characters” without crossing the line to cosplay and accompany their videos with hashtags like “#animeaesthetic or #animeoutfits.” When we can relate to or grow affection for the characters we watch, we emulate their style as a form of expressing that adoration and entangling their personas within our own personalities as well.
Furthermore, people connect anime characters to certain fashion aesthetics, which adds narrative to our outfit choices and further deepens that personal connection with fashion. Dazai from Bungo Stray Dogs (2016) is associated with the light academia aesthetic characterized by vintage clothing, with muted browns and beiges. On the other hand, Kaneki Ken from Tokyo Ghoul (2014) is associated with the cyberpunk aesthetic, which is more of a combination of futuristic cybernetic and gothic details.
Strike Out,
Writer: Kiara Rojas
Editor: Kaninika Dey
Graphic Design: Kwot Anwey
Boston
