Saturday, January 7, 2012

Koakuma - kimono gal style

I`ve been thinking about my kimono style recently, in what do I like etc so I can do a bit more directed buying. Of course I love retro-modern/kimono hime style, but I also really like koaguma kimono style.

Koakuma (小悪魔)means little devil, and is basically very sexy young style of fashion featured in the hostess inspired magazine ageha, and the grown up gal magazine NUTS etc. It is mainly western style clothing, but at the popular times of years (coming of age, summer yukata) they feature kimono.

Now, agejo fashion doesn`t have a good image the older/more conservative levels of Japanese society because of the hostess connections, but I am not one to judge someone on their style or profession. I would argue that the agejo disapproval has a streak of class-ism to it, and instead of hysterics maybe parents should wonder why their daughter finds hostessing a more appealing career than working as an office lady fetching cups of tea for the bucho but I digress.....

Some scans from a mook done a few years ago.



Here is an album for the complete mook here.


It`s very OTT but it`s so outrageous and fun! The mook features a lot of make up and hair tutorials, although they are as I would say advanced and difficult to do alone. But you`d get your hair set for this kind of outfit anyway...

And it is a one stop shopping for the style, the rakuten shop sweet angel. They supply pretty much every kimono outfit you`ll see in ageha, and they`ve been spreading to the other magazines like nuts and I`ve just seen they`ve been using egg models (a teen gal magazine).
So a selection from their current catalogue.

Furisode



It sparklessssss. While I love the blingness....RENTAL price is 238,000yen for a 10 piece set.

Orian lives!



Yes, koakuma will do an orian style, which is quite sexy I think. In the mook the detail how to wear it like this. For a 30 piece set rental = 348,000yen. Hostesses have a bottomless wallets (ahem sugar daddys).











Ok so while the furisode are very pretty it`s not something I could ever try.

But there are far more achievable styles.

Houmongi
 Something a bit more understated and practical, and houmongi are what you see the majority of hostesses wearing unless it`s a special holiday time.



These are rental cords, which cos 28,000yen. But I think this kind of chic modern look is totally achievable with 2nd hand kimono finds, koakuma is all about the accessories anyway.

Yukata
Totally out of season but yukata is where you can really go to town and you do see gals dressed like this at festivals.




Sets on sale from 3000-8000yen.


The essentials of koakuma:
-big hair
-big hair accessories
-dark sexy make up
-flashy komono

Unless there are sales, I find sweet angel a over priced, but it`s a great place to browse for ideas to `glam` up your cords.

The komono like sparkly obiage and fancy han eri are available from sweet angel, but I`m sure could be recreated with some nice fabrics and a glue gun (if rhinestones, pearls, or lace can be added, add it).
The big corsages I recreate by well putting together a load of smaller (more affordable ones), I will probably make a set and think of a way of adding bling for my orian style yukata I brought at the end of summer last year (in the sale lol)

But before that I definitely want a go at creating a houmongi cord!

1 comment:

  1. So many blings, sparkles, bold and daring accessories combination O_O. I need to train my eyes to get what was what :D. I love the houmongi ensembles, with the polka dots and stripe obi. Seeing all of these pictures reminds me of nagoya style kimono coordination.

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