Thanks AnimeNYC: How Anime Aesthetics Are Taking Over The Streets!!!
Maya Hanks
If you were a fan of anime back in 2006-08, then congrats! You were probably a weeboo or an otaku!! You showed off your fan status by wearing t-shirts you bought from Hot Topic with Naruto, Bleach, or Sailor Moon on the front. You might have also been guilty of eating copious amounts of ramen, pocky, and wearing a tie over your t-shirt with 3D glasses with the lenses popped out to try to look ‘edgy’. You also woke up hours before your alarm rang to watch fan-subbed anime on Youtube before school, wore an insane amount of wrist bands with anime titles stamped on them, had an interest in Japanese alternate fashion, and always brought no less then four mangas to school to read between classes. This might not describe everyone, but this was my experience during my first years as an anime fan. It wasn’t seen as something cool, it just marked my friends and I as ‘other’. It wasn’t fashionable to be into anime and to be fair, not a lot of people dressed in a way to make their fandom and popular fashion mix. For the longest time it didn’t look like anime and street wear would ever meld together. Well, with the passage of time and the rise of social media influencers, this mindset is changing and making strides in the fashion industry.
Hypland Crew
When I arrived for AnimeNYC 2019, I noticed a few changes. You still had your cosplayers, and typical t-shirt and jeans ‘fashion’, but now there was much more of a demand for anime-street wear. I could see fans walking around in more Instagram fashionable clothing, along with alternate, pastel Lolita, and casual cosplay. I saw more booths selling quality gear, more compelling designs, and more utilitarian items for everyday wear. Companies like Hypland, and Nami Wear, take clothing from popular shonen anime such as Naruto, Akira, Slam Dunk, and My Hero Academia, and translate those items to functional windbreakers, denim jackets, puffer jackets and button up shirts. They also have an official licensed collaboration with Shonen Jump for their clothing, which not only makes the clothing unique to their stores, but also gives their companies loads of credibility. In a culture that is willing to spend hundreds of dollars on name brand clothing, these stores capitalize on fans and their willingness to support their favorite shows and look cool.
iiiiClothing Crew
Other stores such as Wooji.us, Lotus Eater, and Bibisama have a more relaxed aesthetic. If you ever found yourself on a lo-fi station on Youtube, or Spotify, the artwork for these stations are very dreamlike. As the music focuses on you as you try to chill out and relax, the images on these clothing brands reflect that dreamlike state as they are put into some pretty intense fashion designs. Somehow the philosophy to relax and enjoy life, is translated to fabric and it is working.
iiiiClothing and Liarclub on the other hand are influenced by graphic art and tattoo designs. They give off a punk design fused with some elements of horror and erotic anime. Not made for everyone, but totally awesome when you see it. If the former were a relaxing day at the beach, then these guys are a Japanese metal band screeching into my eardrums.
Me in Hypland’s Signature HxH Shirt
While talking to these designers and creators one thing was made clear, most if not everyone I spoke with came out from the west coast! More specifically LA, California. There is a culture of anime fans looking to strip away the stigma of being an anime fan and brand it into a culture that is socially ‘cool’. One such entrepreneur I spoke to was Jordan Bently, creator of Hypland. I picked his brain about why he wanted to break into this burgeoning industry. He’s been an anime fan since forever and some of his favorite shows include Attack on Titan, Naruto, and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
The company launched in 2015, but didn’t start collaboration until November of 2018. Hypland puts fashion first when it comes to their designs and puts in the effort to make sure the customer looks great in their clothing. The goal is to shy away from the ‘weeb’ label, and in my opinion they are succeeding. He wanted to mix things he was interested in along with clothing he wanted to wear. The reception he received at AnimeNYC was astounding. People couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw his products and I was one of them.
Anime is fascinating in that it can make and influence a plethora of fans! I was able to meet designers, artists, and entrepreneurs of many ethnicities, styles, and ideas. Models, influencers, and other social media pioneers now make it is easier to popularize anime beyond the fandom. Other collaborations with popular brands such as Coach, Gucci, and Vans, are bringing fans and consumers together as well. Until anime fashion hits the mainstream, we all just have to keep up with the demand for anime’ fashion using social media to keep up with these creatives. My 16 year old self would have never seen this coming, but I’m glad it’s happening for younger generations.
