Rikarin
Let’s meet Rikarin, a true Harajuku girl!
Rikarin is smart, cute, and fashionable; a triple threat! She attends Keio University which ranks amongst the top 10 in the country, is bilingual in both English and Japanese and is well-known around the streets of Harajuku. She is often snapped in fabulously executed outfits that mix both street fashion with high-fashion elements.
She says that brands such as 6%DOKIDOKI and the cool shop staff of Harajuku really influence her style. Having started her fashion journey wearing Decora, she, at first, couldn’t imagine herself not wearing the brightly coloured clothes and hair clips in her fringe. But since working in Harajuku, she has received so much encouragement and felt motivated by other people that now, flashy clothes or not, she feels cute in any style! There is no one key component to her style—just anything that feels right to her!
She manages to balance her university and part-time jobs through careful planning. Once a month she looks at the schedule in her diary and pretty much any days she has free from university, she will be at her part-time job. She has a really busy schedule!
Rikarin is in her final year of university and is doing a study on Harajuku fashion for her final essay because it really is her passion. She says she even wants to be a Harajuku grandma! However, she’s not sure of what to do between now and then. Traditionally, university students in Japan are expected to participate in shuukatsu—which translates to “job hunting activities”. The jobs they typically seek are ones in huge companies such as Toyota, IBM, etc. But Rikarin cannot see herself donning a black suit, black hair, and working in a corporate environment. She’d much prefer going to a fashion school—maybe in New York or London. Sounds much more exciting!
Aside from fashion and university, she enjoys snowboarding which she does during her time off in the winter.
Her final words to readers are: “I might not seem cool, but please follow me on instagram! Let’s hang out in Harajuku together!”
Instagram: @rikarin0526
Twitter: @rikarin0526