Editor’s Message
Welcome to Issue 5 of Volume 4: Happily Ever After
All good things must come to an end. A happy end! The events of the two years have made the world seem like a dark place. In times like these, it’s the small pockets of joy that keeps us going.
This issue, we want to highlight community members who find joy in their everyday lives. From fashion to family, friends and fulfilled dreams, these people are thriving and living life to the fullest!
Our interviewees walk different paths in life, finding joy in completely different ways. From Butterfly Princess Chii to Harajuku Chameleon Mathilda, we discover how Japanese street fashion has transformed their styles. For members of the community like Sayaka, street fashion is important for their self expression. While for Gretchen, Ali and Loretta, moving to Japan was their dream. Read about their experiences getting to grips with full time jobs, learning Japanese, and navigating their way around Japanese society.
Twitch streamer Maria, revisists the experiences that brought her to Japan with IRL streams. But, for those outside of Japan, the online world is the closest they’ll get to the streets of Harajuku. Lizzie Bee is an avid blogger who is keeping the spirit of gyaru alive by blogging like it’s 2010! And then there’s Marina who’s connecting the community with Frill Talk, an online platform that focuses on social issues in the kawaii community.
Members of the community work hard to make their fashion dreams come true. Tempest now owns a kawaii boutique, while Gaëlle works in PR for Japanese high fashion brands. And then there’s Imani who’s the proud owner of a tattoo shop, Little INKPLAY, and Kammie who owns kawaii boutique Minty Mix.
We also interviewed sisters Nennen and Poyo, and the YunNon twins who love wearing matching looks. And let’s not forget matching mums and babies! Laura just loves dressing up her baby like a mini version of herself.
We hope you can take something away from them and apply their philosophies of happiness to your own life. Spread the joy on social media and share with us your happiest moments using #thecommoffline!
Choom
Editor-In-Chief