Walking around Harajuku in central Tokyo, it is not unusual to see some people you just can't take your eyes off. Some are outrageously attired, while others show off their creative flair in their use of colours. Yu Kimura, who has become a fashion icon for young Japanese, blends in well among them. For the past year and a half, she has been appearing in a number of teenage fashion magazines and has attracted a lot of fans.
For that reason, Kimura has been chosen as the pop culture ambassador by the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
To get a sense of how she creates her style, Channel NewsAsia went with her to one of her favourite shops in Harajuku, which has everything – from business wear to casual clothes.
Some of the items sold there, which are mostly second-hand, cost as little as US$7.
"I'm kind of looking for something that would work for live concerts. It's so that I'll look pretty on stage. I'm looking for a top that will serve as an accent," said Kimura, who sings for a pop band called Peek 4 U and is now in the middle of a nationwide concert tour.
Apart from mixing the unthinkable, she literally creates her own fashion. She has sewn a teddy bear on a skirt and cut off a purple turtleneck top to convert it into a vest.
At her concerts, her original armbands can be purchased at around US$18 a piece.
"My concerts are supposed to be a form of entertainment. It's to be enjoyed visually, so I care about my fashion," she said.
Unlike other artistes, Kimura is keen to continue to be her own stylist and to dress in colourful layers as long as she can.
