With the new Kawaii Fashion setting the fashion trend in Nuremberg, Germany, stores like Harayuku and Kiguki are making headlines by being two of the leading traders of Japanese-inspired Kwai fashion in the region. Harayuku is a kawaii fashion store in Nuremberg, Germany.
Founded by Max Wellner, he can be best described as a young aspiring startup founder from Nuremberg, Germany, who also goes by the name SnowDragon on social media, which is a persona he takes up whenever he is professionally cosplaying.
Apart from kawaii clothing items, the shop also sells k-pop merchandise and other premium Cosplay costumes. However, much of its popularity is credited to its k-pop merchandise, which is a sensational wave that is currently taking over the world.
Kigukis also another store from the same founder, that exclusively sells onesies, also known as Kigurumis in Japanese.
As a start-up company owner, Max Wellner is beyond regular young CEOs. He has garnered a massive audience for his services through a long list of social media agencies like Adfluencer.
He also founded the popular cosplay store, CosplayHero, and Harayuku and is now on his newest venture in the fashion industry by starting Kiguki. In this online store, they sell onesies. In Japanese, these are known as kigurumis, and they come in many different designs. The most popular are found in bird and animal designs.
The name Harayuku was derived from the Harajuku station in Japan, which is known for its fashion and well as colors that embrace the streets of Harajuku. It’s also an area in Japan where young adults gather in their favorite Cosplay costumes or trendy avant-garde fashion and hang out.
When talking about his advent into the culture of Japan, Wellner states that he was always interested in the culture, but it only intensified after a trip to the island country in 2019.
“Japanese culture is so incredibly different and unique compared to Europe and the US. I was so amazed by all these new experiences that I wanted to create a brand that would bring that special Japan feeling to our customers’ homes. Now, after months of preparation, we are finally ready to open our store for Japan fans from all over the world,” Max said.
As the owner of some of the leading agencies and start-up companies, Wellner has undoubtedly worked with many professionals, including international artists who are well versed in the culture of Japan and simultaneously the latest trends in the world.
The idea behind the creation of Kiguki and Harayuku is to incorporate the Japanese culture and fashion sense as much as possible and as accurately as possible. Wellner is determined to bring the genuine and authentic understanding of fashion that exists in Japan to his store, where more people can see and experience it through his website.
Kiguki is a shortened version of the word Kigurumi. With this website, Max Wellner hopes to grow organically, bring in more customers, expand his fan base beyond Germany, and reach international recognition.
“When it comes to fashion, Tokyo has this kind of unique flow of energy, with Harajuku as the source of this flow,” (Shoichi Aoki, FRUiTS)
In Japan, the Harajuku fashion is more widely known as Japan or J style in other parts of the world. This fashion aesthetic is a mixture of Cosplay and the latest fashion trends, creating a variety of unique features yet, wearable for everyday life as well.
There are no rules to follow, so people can wear whatever they want. However, they want it as long as it makes sense to them. This very anarchy, rebellious fashion is coupled with the kawaii sense of style, producing a confusing yet beautifully balanced trend.
The shop takes all its inspiration from such sightings on the streets of Japan and attempts to incorporate these nuances into the clothes, accessories, and the store aesthetic itself.
“Unusual and unexpected combinations are found everywhere, from the runway to the stylish streets of Japan’s cosmopolitan capital.” (Sara Rodrigues Pereira, Fibre 2 Fashion)
Post World War Two, the mindset of the Japanese, specifically the youth, changed. As survivors of a war that changed the course of the human race, they came to adopt a hedonist mindset where they focused more on themselves, finding a voice in society, and expressing their need for freedom.
The idea was the have fun with life, not follow social norms all the time, and this was perfectly captured in the reflection of their fashion sense.
Today the influences of Japanese culture and fashion are a mixture of many factors, some even broader than what we think, but there are always some aspects in their style that can be tied back to their origins. There’s a lot of homage to nature and tradition in Japan Fashion. And this can be seen whether they adopt a punk style or Lolita, kawaii clothing sense.
The idea behind the aesthetic is to give freedom of expression to people through fashion. While there is so much to uncover in the fashion world, harayuku tries to bring a speck of international fashion to Germany and even beyond through their online portal.
What the world knows about Japanese fashion is that it is colorful, unapologetic, eclectic, and most of all, an expression. There’s freedom in how Japanese designers construct their clothes, and perhaps this is to showcase their freedom of expression through fashion.
Above all, when one thinks of Japanese fashion, it’s a melting pot of tradition, art, and history. This, when looking at the style on Harajuku streets, it puts people in awe because they are taken aback by the vitally appealing looks of the fashion sense, specifically streetwear.
It’s an overwhelming mixture of tradition and modern fashion that works. This unique experience is what Max Wellner wants to incorporate into Harayuku, the online store for all things Japan Fashion.
His goal is to use the inspiration from the streets of Tokyo, Japan, and paint, a store that will take customers to the heart of Harajuku.
Media ContactCompany Name: XENO communicationsContact Person: Anna SeifertEmail: Send EmailAddress:Haimendorfer Str 34 City: 90571 SchwaigCountry: GermanyWebsite: harayuku.com
