Vavavoom in Harajuku

I captured this girl on a street corner in Harajuku, Tokyo. I was only one of many bloggers out and about that day.  The streets were actually lined with fashion bloggers - their cameras and release forms in hand, scouting the streets for photo ops. While I was style spotting in London, I'd come across the odd blogger but it really was a rarity... however, here in Harajuku there were almost more bloggers than passer-bys. Crazy.

Look beyond the legs, if you can, and you will see an outfit that is actually really really cool. This girl has nailed a look that will appeal to girls and guys alike. The seventies inspired fur trim, the horn rimmed glasses that take you back to the sixties when  television's greatest star was a puppet from the Thunder Birds and the suede shoes coupled with socks, all display an edge that cares more about trend than sex appeal.

Socks seem to be an essential for wearing boots in Tokyo this winter - it goes really well with the nerdy glasses. Not always the most flattering look if you have short legs but there's a range of ways to rock socks, from over the knee socks layered over top of sheer stockings to shin high socks with ankle boots - it's definitely a quick cheap way to update your wardrobe.

Hello Harajuku

Harajuku has to be one of the most infamous fashion spots in the world; Gwen Stefani heralds the style in her lyrics, and Lady Gaga has taken inspiration from this hot spot when creating her costumes (you can't call them real outfits, her every public appearance is masked by dramatic costumes). These pop celebrities aren't singing about nothing - it really truly is an inspirational place - quirky, vibrant and bold. 

Amidst the crazy outfits you find genuine design and style that does influence Japanese fashion houses like Comme des Garcons, Kenzo and Issey Miyake. One up and coming Japanese designer that I absolutely adore right now is Junya Watanabe. Whether fashion comes from the bottom up or the top down is impossible to say - but either way I see a resemblance between the knitted threads and patterned woollen knits that are big in Junya Watanabe's latest designs and what we're currently seeing in the streets of Harajuku. 

The outfit above is beautifully woven together in so many ways, from the gorgeous knits to the pairing together of exotic fabrics. 

This is a totally original look that I haven't seen anywhere in Europe. I can't quite put my finger on the key influencer but it has a taste of indigenous South America, native American Indian dress and my grandma's shawl. While the boots and satchel are totally present in London fashion, the rest of the outfit is unlike anything I've seen before.  If you visit Harajuku you will find Tokyo fashion, like Japanese culture in general, draws on the past while remaining utterly faithful to the future by pushing the limits.

Woollen knits with eclectic patterns are predominant right now in both Tokyo street fashion and Junya Matanabe's collection: