Customer Reviews

The Tokyo Look Book: Stylish To Spectacular, Goth To Gyaru, Sidewalk To Catwalk

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Doctor of Tokyo fashion Philomena Keet's Tokyo Look Book takes the reader directly to the streets of Tokyo with herself as our guide and ears, and photographer Yuri Manabe as our eyes. Their colorful book is loaded with photos and such specific cultural and subcultural fashion information that an amateur on the subject, such as myself, will feel quite overwhelmed at first. If you too are a novice, you'll be amazed at the subtle differences the trained eye notices in fashion styles and cliques that rule the Tokyo scene. The book is divided into 5 chapters: Shibuya Girls and Guys, which focuses on energetic young teen styles, Spectacular and Subcultural, which holds more theatrical styles like the popular Lolita, Goth, and Cosplay, among others, Youth Street Fashion, which takes a look at young people whose style is fashion for fashion's sake, The Stylish Female, which is much like it sounds, a section on slightly older, more professionally fashionable young women, and finally, Young Men At Work, which is sort of the male version of The Stylish Female. The book also takes a look at popular locales and interviews various designers who are particularly en vogue.

The Tokyo Look Book is a visually fun read and has plenty of info for someone new to the whole Japanese fashion scene. I, myself, being a professional artist and having noticed how popular certain Japanese styles are in commercial art and illustration today, found it to be quite fascinating, but I also realized that what I would have preferred would have been a book focusing on that second chapter, Spectacular and Subcultural. This is because it's those extreme, theatrical styles that are naturally most prevalent in U.S. illustration these days. I know there are a few books out there that do cover some of those very popular styles specifically, and I'll have to pick some of them up, but for the broader view of styles worn by young people on the streets of Tokyo, The Tokyo Look Book is an excellent guide.

I have been a fashion designer and makeup artist for quite a few years, having been designing clothing for most of my life. When I saw that I could have a chance to review the Tokyo Look Book, I jumped at the chance.

The Japanese people have long captured my attention with their venturous spirit when it comes to fashion and trends. I find them delightful and inspiring.

The Tokyo Look book is 222 pages long. There are scads of photos in it arranged in the following chapters:

1-Shibuya Girls and Guys
Shopping Mall Shibuya 109
Fashion Designer Riko Nakane of rienda
Fashion Designer Miwa Mochizuki of Glad News

2-Spectacular and Subcultural
Fashion Designer h.Naoto
Fashion Designer Nama of Moi-meme-Moitie
Fashion Designer Takuya Angel

3-Youth Street Fashion
Boutique: Dog
Fashion Designer: Naoyuki Ohira of Team Message
Street Fashion Magazine FRUiTS and TUNES

4-The Stylish Female
Fashion Brand Crystal Ball by GARCIA MARQUEZ gauche
Fashion Brand THEATRE PRODUCTS

5-Young Men At Work
Fashion Designer Kazuhisa Komura of 5351 Pour Les Hommes
Workwear Shop Mannenya

Glossary
Shop List
Acknowledgements

The books bright pink and black cover is delightful and trendy retro looking. The author Philomena Keet and photographer Yuri Manabe just scoured the streets with camera, tape recorder, and clip board trying to capture a well rounded view of what fashions are on the streets of Tokyo in 2007 at the time they prepared the pages of this book.

Each chapter has many many photographs with descriptive captions that are fun and interesting and then there are a few interviews interspersed in the chapters which give a perspective from someone in the fashion industry related to the styles featured in that chapter.

I found the book to be refreshing, fun and delightful to look through. A wonderful conversation starter, this would do well to sit on your coffee table - ready for conversations to start at any time.

Also, this is a wonderful book to pick up after a rough day at work or in the world when you just want to curl up with a cup of tea or coffee and just relax and smile.

Sometimes I laughed out loud, and other times I got great inspiration. One of my favorites was a Japanese girl with ice blue contact lenses and pink long hair.

The fashions range from haute couture to down right goth extreme and everything in between. There are catwalk photos and on the street photos.

I found a lot in this book that inspired me to go out and be daring and different, after all, I don't think anyone can top what some of these marvelous people have dared to do on the streets of Tokyo when it comes to fashion.

I gave this four stars because I felt that the book lacked a little bit in terms of cohesiveness. It was not organized in a retro extreme fashion that would echo the contents of the pages, but it also was not organized severely either- which would give it that edge in the opposite direction.

Had the book a little bit more cohesiveness with graphics and layout, it might be a little easier to read. As it is, it looks a little like someone's layout for scrap book ideas just before they add the embellishments, if that makes any sense at all. It just feels a little incomplete.

Having said that- it is a minor thing- I still enjoyed the book and am thrilled I got the chance to read through it. I know that I will keep it handy to look at again and again.

Although the subject matter is inherently interesting, this could have been a much better book. Probably the biggest problem is that for a book so reliant on its images, the photography is generally uninspired and the quality of the photos mediocre. Also, though the author fancies herself an "anthropologist," the text consists mostly of superficial descriptions with little insight or analysis. This is an example of a book that might have worked better as a website.

This book gives so much information, so many pictures, and interviews. It's perfect for anyone who's ever wanted to see Japanese fashion beyond the eccentric photos found in Shoichi Aoyama's "Fruits". (While Fruits is also amazing.)
Definitely worth the money.

I have been a big fan of Japanese fashion. I used to buy many Japanese fashion magazines to check out the latest styles, accessories, hairstyles, shoes and I can tell you that fashion in Japan has been a big interest for me.

May it be the city of Shibuya where the hottest shops and the latest trends can be seen, the city of Harajuku where anything goes and you can easily go to a fast food restaurant and see a group in visual kei/goth style of clothing, the city of Daikanyama which seems to be a cross of Shibuya and Harajuku styles and then you have the chic, may it be Omotesandou which has its style of trendy but elegant and then Ginza which is elegant with those who have a more expensive taste in fashion.

Tokyo is literally the mecca of fashions that takes in styles from the West and styles from Europe or styles that are inherently Japanese. There is no shame in some cities. It's the way how things are.

So, I can' tell you how pleased I am when I read "THE TOKYO LOOK BOOK" by Philomena Keet and photos by Yuri Manabe. Well-written, well-researched and photography to pretty much finely showcase what anyone who goes through Japan can see in terms of fashion trends and various styles.

The book is broken up by the following chapters:

* CHAPTER I - Shibuya Girls and Guys - From Shibuya 109 and interviews with fashion designers Reiko Nakane of rienda and Miwa Mochizuki of Glad News.
* CHAPTER 2 - Spectacular and Subcultural - Interviews with fashion designer h.Naoto (known for his designs which include Hangry & Angry), fashion designer Mana of Moi-meme-Moitie and Takuya Angel.
* CHAPTER 3 - Youth Street Fashion - Looking at the Boutique: Dog, interview with Fashion Designer: Naoyuki Ohira of Team Message and Street Fashion Magazines: FRUiTS and TUNE.
* CHAPTER 4 - The Stylish Female - Fashion Brand: Crystall Ball by GARCIA MARQUEZ gauche and Fashion Brand: THEATRE PRODUCTS
* CHAPTER 5 - Young Men at Work - Fashion Designer: Kazuhisa Komura of 5351Pour les Homes and Workwear Shop: Mannenya

What I enjoy about this book is how it is approached visually. The book features large photos and then a description of each photo of people that Keet and Manabe came in contact. Asking them about their clothing, accessories and pretty much interviewing the people featured. Keet does a great job in her coverage and part of the enjoyment is they go so far in capturing a variety of styles in Tokyo and so, there are literally literally over 200 photos featured. The interviews with the designers and the shopping areas were also great to see.

For those who have a passion or curiosity towards Japanese fashion and the various styles, this is one book that you want to own.

For me, I go through many Japanese magazines to check out the various trends and many seem to be a catalog for a clothing line and various models dressed up showcasing various fashions in cool settings. And there are websites that do a good job but are limited to showcasing the photos of their full body shot and accessories but no information on what they are wearing and why.

This book has soul as the writer and photographer just approach whoever is on the street and ask them questions in regards to their fashion and the people answer honestly of why and what their favorite fashion styles are. Also, featuring a glossary and address and websites of the stores/designers covered.

This is a really well-done book that covers people, young and old. Cool, stylish fashion that some may have gone simple and added a few accessories to make everything look so vibrant and for some, fashion that may be very unusual but they could care less of what people think. It's Tokyo and you expect nothing less.

"THE TOKYO LOOK BOOK"... Highly recommended!

As a total Japanophile, I really loved this book! The pictures are beautiful and its just a perfect example of why I love those Tokyo Fashionistas. Unlike North America, where we are slaves to what we think other people want to wear and try to "fit in", a lot of the young Japanese people on the streets where what they want and have no qualms about standing out and looking unique!

The book shows and describes the different looks, and often which district the look is from or originated. The text is mostly narrative, but I would've preferred some more informational style text. Such as a list of what elements compose each style and/or how to recreate the look for yourself.

If you're a Japanese fashion fanatic like me, this book is indispensable. If you're a casual street fashion observer or at least consider yourself somewhat interested in fashion, then this still serves as a great resource. Crisp, full-color photos give the reader a beautiful glimpse into the fashions of Harajuku, Shibuya, Ginza, and all over Japan, while the written portion is a great comprehensive study of the evolution of Japanese fashion and those in the cult of street style. I love the fact that the writers were able to get insider interviews from people within the Japanese fashion industry and fandom- everyone from the ultra-hip teenage Gyaru shopping in Shibuya's 109 building to cross-dressing, elegant goths decked out in Moi-Meme-Moitie and h.Naoto, to baby-faced lolita girls prancing the streets of Harajuku in a frilly confection by Baby the Stars Shine Bright. This edition was just recently published, so most of the information about current trends and fashions are fresh and not obsolete. Do yourself a favor and forget about the overpriced knock-offs at department stores designed by certain celebrities, take a glimpse into the real life of Japan's street culture.

I requested this book through the Amazon Vine program and finished reading it yesterday. Although I am not a fashion junkie, I am interested in ways that people express themselves and I'm interested in other cultures. I admire people who can work with fiber and sew their own fashions. I love seeing people take something old or out of fashion and recreating it into something new and fresh. I also was curious to learn of a fashion scene that is not just copying American fashion in another country.

I really loved it.

In The Tokyo Look Book, anthropologist Philomena Keet writes of the full spectrum of Tokyo's street fashion scene. This is the first book to cover all the types of fashion, to cover everything from Goth to high fashion. The text explains of each subculture and gives a bit of information on the people in the photographs, both about their clothing and a little about their lives. There are also spotlight features on specific designers that go into more detail about how they began in the fashion design business.

The photographs are great, showing the true personality of those pictured as well as capturing their clothing and accessories.

The book has a great aesthetic and is interesting to flip through. The paper is thick and glossy and it has a paperback cover.

I read the entire book cover to cover and found it very interesting. This is not just a book of fashion photos. I found Keet's explanation of the subcultures and of how and why they choose to wear these clothes so interesting. Keet received her doctorate degree in Tokyo's street fashion scene. My only complaint is that I would have liked just a little more information on each sub-culture and a chapter at the end to wrap everything up. It seems that Keet is so knowledgeable about 'the scene' that maybe she assumes the reader knows a bit more than they actually do. Keet states this is the only book to cover ALL the sub-cultures rather than focusing on single sub-culture's or a couple of certain ones (as Fruits magazine and the Fruits books do).

This is so different than the fashion scene with American teens and 20-something's. The idea that they dress to synchronize in small groups and cliques and try not to stand out as an individual too much was fascinating. And the idea that they dress up and hang out on a specific bridge so that spectators, photographers and tourists can see them is just something I didn't even know people did for fun! I found learning about and seeing these fashions fun. I enjoyed seeing the creativity of the people featured in the book.

I imagine that anyone working in fashion and curious about the fashion scene in Tokyo would of course be interested in this book. "Project Runway" junkies may like this book too. Those who love Japanese culture would enjoy it as well. Fiber artists and those who like to design their own clothing or those who re-use vintage garments and turn them into something new will also find the visual stimulation and creativity of the people inspiring. People watchers and those curious of other cultures also will enjoy this book as well.

This is a fun and interesting read! This may be interesting as a coffee table book as one reviewer stated but if all you do is flip through the photos you will miss out on the interesting parts that are in the text!

Since I'm an author, and my novels often feature both Asian Americans and Asians who have moved to the US from overseas, I was very interested in this book as a research tool. I was not disappointed.

This book is rich with pictures showing the different fashion styles prevalent in Tokyo. For someone who only visited Tokyo a couple times with family (and who didn't meet anyone my age), this was an eye-opener.

I like the fact that there are often several photos showing examples of each particular style, rather than just one photo to show each style. It helped me get a better feel for the trends of the "look" rather than just one person's ensemble.

The book shows the entire breadth of styles, from conservative to garish. I liked the hair and makeup showcased on the people photographed, as well.

The fact that the people were all from off the street gave the book an air of greater credibility, since they didn't arrange a photo shoot with models. I felt like I was getting a slice of Tokyo life and culture.

For me, this was an excellent research tool.

If you want a real conversation starter, have this on your coffee table. The Tokyo youth fashion scene is unlike any I can imagine - the closest might be the 60s London, but with a large dose of glam-rock, punk, and uniquely Japanese influences. Excellent photo coverage, but not really enough text to explain the phenomena to the uninitiated. Still, visually arresting and probably the best one-volume coverage.