Today I just suddenly felt the urge to write again. I'll have to disappointed you though, thats this post is probably not going to be a news trending bomb. Today I'm just going to talk about my love for fashion and Japan, and how its tangled and entwined together, sometimes separated, only to be entwined again.
Usually when I feel unmotivated to go on with my Japanese and my studies, I dive into my "passion" for fashion. And it is usually because of me surrounding myself with fashion, that I get motivated again to go on with my Japanese studies. And it wasn't until a bit ago, that I actually realized this. I think.
Maybe I should go back to the beginning before I continue my little talk. Back to why I entered South University and why I am studying Japanese in the first place. It all started with the anime on dutch television. Omg shock, the horror, I know. But when watching Digimon and Dragonball Z, Pokemon, Sailor moon and Cardcaptor I fell head over heels for the clothing. Sailor moons customs were just too cute and I loved Sailor moons daily wear. When I asked my father to download me the Dragonball movies, he came across an anime called Chobits, and I decided while watching that anime I would become as cute as Chii -let me remind you that I was maybe 14 years old-. Of course that never really happened, but thanks to Chobits I got to learn about the Japenese Lolita fashion. And while looking for more information about that I learned about all the other street styles the Japenese fashion culture holds.
Way before that I had already fallen in love with the Kimono and the Yukata, but as a child I though everybody in Japan only wore those (or business suits), so that was a real eye opener for me.
When entering the Fashion/seamstress school, I had this idea in my head that I would become the princess of Lolita at school, I would look beautiful like a doll, and parade the hallways dolled up in Lolita fashion everyday and fluent in the Japanese and French language (don't ask me where I got that idea, cause I seriously don't know). How different did that turn out, no? When I got bashed (maybe rightfully so) and lost my confidence in Lolita fashion, I started searching for the more "wearable" Japanese fashion styles, and came across Gyaru. Also a sub culture fashion, and one that isn't quite well loved by the normal Japanese, or so I heard. I designed my exam runway collection using inspiration from the Gyaru fashion (and its many, many sub styles).
While graduating I didn't really know what to do. One of my old friends had studied Japanese at the South university, and with my love for Japanese fashion -and my love for Japanese culture and language- in mind, I figured it wouldn't hurt to go and take a look. I already went to visit Fashion universities, several Art academy and Communication and Management courses, but none really fit to the goal I had in mind: Being able to work with the Japanese clothing industry, one way or an other. Be it as a designer, a retailer, someone who works in a clothing/brand company or a magazine editor.
When I saw the building were I would be studying Japanese, and after hearing about the new course were I could study Japanese AND communication and management, I just knew this was were I needed to go. And here I am, a second year Japanese, Communication and Management student at the South university. Maybe I'm not the best student, but I'm trying.
Like I said, whenever I'm unmotivated to go on with my Japanese studies, I surround myself with fashion. All kinds of it: old fashion, new fashion, American, Chinese, Korean and Dutch fashion, but most of all, I surround myself with Japanese fashion. And somewhere in being surrounded by the fashion world I love most, I rediscover WHY I started this study. Somewhere amongst those pieces of fashion I find my motivation to start giving my all, and a little bit more. And each time I lose and find my motivation, I learn something new about myself, too.
So, for me, no matter how I look at it and try to turn it around, studying Japanese renews my love for fashion, and my love for fashion renews my love for Japan. Knowing this, I just know I can do this, I can become a good Japanese student, I can get good grades, I can work my way into fashion.
Thank you for listening,
Lotsa love
Chibiohimesama
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