Статті в журналах з теми "IMPORTED BRAND CLOTHING"

Indonesia's domestic market, which is a very broad market with a very dense total population which can be estimated at around 270 million people (BPS, 2021). Such a large domestic market can push the possibility of forming a strong competition or competition between imported products and local products. Increasing local brands is a strategic step that is useful to show or introduce Indonesian-made products to the global market. The purpose of this research is to understand the attitudes of Generation Z consumers towards local and imported fashion brands. The research methodology uses a descriptive qualitative approach. Data collection using questionnaires can be explained according to student behavior on the use of local fashion brands and imported fashion. In Generation Z, both men and women, do not tend to buy imported fashion products, do not tend to buy the latest imported brand brand clothes, do not agree to buy different imported brand products with the same quality and lack confidence in wearing imported fashion brand clothes, but like to buy product clothes quality imports. With the quality of the product, it can be the first benchmark in product evaluation and this also depends on the attitude of the consumer. The results of the study explain that Generation Z men and women, tend to buy local fashion products, tend to buy the latest local brand clothing models, like to buy quality local clothes, often buy different local brand products but the quality is the same and are more confident by wearing fashion clothes. local brands. So it can be concluded that most of Generation Z are more likely to buy local brand fashion products. And for the quality of local products, you can say that they are not far behind imported products, so it can be said that local products can compete with imported products.

The development of fashion trends continues to move from time to time. In Indonesia itself, the fashion trend that is currently emerging is thrifting or buying and selling of imported secondhand clothes. Based on data from the Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS), the import value of secondhand clothing has increased significantly by 607.6% (year on year) for the January-September 2022 period. This raises a problem which is, so far, the import of secondhand clothing has cut the MSME market share in the fashion industry by 15-20%. This could happen because society, especially Generation Z, prefers to buy imported used clothes rather than buying local brand clothes, which is supported by the results of preliminary research. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find out what factors that influence Generation Z's purchase intention towards imported secondhand clothing. Based on previous studies and the results of preliminary research, the authors used 8 factors that have an influence relationship with purchase intention, which are, frugality, eco-consciousness, need for status, need for uniqueness, fashion involvement, reference group, perceived quality, and bargain hunting. The research method used an online questionnaire survey and analyzed using descriptive text and PLS SEM with SmartPLS. A total of 356 respondents filled in the questionnaire, which is Generation Z, living in Indonesia with the requirement that they have at least bought imported used clothes at least twice in the past 3 years. The results of this study found that the need for uniqueness, fashion involvement, reference group, and perceived quality, and bargain hunting significantly influence the intention to buy imported used clothing. On the other hand, eco-consciousness and need for status indirectly affect the intention to buy imported used clothing through a mediating variable, which is bargain hunting. Frugality has a significant direct effect on the intention to buy imported used clothing and has a significant indirect effect through bargain hunting. The results of these findings provide insight to local fashion brands regarding what factors influence Generation Z's purchase intention towards imported secondhand clothes.

Importing used clothing has become a controversial topic in recent years. Some see it as a good solution to fight poverty and promote resource saving, while others see it as a practice that is detrimental to the clothing industry and the environment. On one occasion, I will discuss the first, why thrifting used clothing is in great demand by the public, then, second, is there a legal basis for prohibiting the import of used clothing, after that, third, is there any negative impact from buying used clothing. Because at this time Thrifting has become a fashion product that is in great demand because of its very affordable prices, attractive models, and of course it has a brand label from abroad. However, the Trade Law and the Regulation of the Minister of Trade have given a warning that actually importers may not import used goods, clothing that is not suitable for use. And if you violate it, you will be subject to sanctions in the form of 5 years imprisonment and or a fine of 5 billion. Therefore, importers and the public are urged not to buy imported used clothes and to support domestic industries that are no less good.

70 interested elderly (65 yr. and over) men and women participated in an investigation of older consumers' apparel-shopping behavior and satisfactions and dissatisfactions with available clothing and facilities. Analysis showed that the participants considered shopping ease, wide variety, and label/brand as some of the important factors while shopping for clothes. The respondents were satisfied with good selection, closeness of the mall, and reasonable sales. However, their dissatisfactions ranged from service to fit and size, youthful styles, and abundance of imported clothing. In-store displays, mail order catalogs, and window shopping were the most commonly used sources of apparel information. Several implications of the findings were discussed and suggestions for further research were made.

With the innovation of computer, virtual clothing has also emerged. This research mainly discusses the real-time animation complex of interactive clothing design based on computer simulation. In the process of realizing virtual clothing, the sample interpolation synthesis method is used, and the human body sample library is constructed using the above two methods (primitive construction method and model reconstruction method) first, and then, the human body model is obtained by interpolation calculation according to the personalized parameters. Building a clothing model is particularly important for the effect of trying on. The clothing that needs to be displayed can be scanned and then input into the computer to build the model. The model can be directly built in 3DMAX and other software and then its surface texture can be mapped, or the clothing model can be directly built. The 3D model in the 3ds file is loaded by the loop body nested switch branch selection structure. Correspondingly, the write-back operation of 3ds files is similar. Just follow the general structure of the 3ds file and write the root block, version information block, edit information block, key frame information block, etc. to a brand new file in sequence. The main reason for this article to perform the 3ds file write-back operation is that, after the clothing model is dynamically simulated through the dynamic principle, the deformed key animation frame needs to be saved as a 3ds file so that it can be further imported into the 3DSMAX software and generated by the renderer, form high-quality picture information, and finally get high-definition animation video. In the CPU-GPU hybrid method, modules such as force calculation, collision processing, and position update use the GPU method, while overstretching is processed by the CPU method, making the overall performance 10 times higher than the pure CPU method. This research helps to promote the development of 3D virtual clothing design.

Business competition in both the domestic and international markets has turned into hyper competition. Companies who want to develop or are least able to survive must be able to provide customers with goods or services of higher value, quality, availability and better services. The point is to maintain sustainable marketing performance (sustainable marketing). The growth of local products is now growing, including clothing, shoes, bags and much more. There are several well-known Indonesian original brands that are still often considered to be imported. One of them is The Executive brand which is the object of research. This study aims to determine the effect of promotion and price on purchasing decisions for The Executive products. This type of research is explanatory research with nonprobability sampling techniques with purposive sampling and accidental sampling methods. Methods of data collection used questionnaires and interviews with a sample of 100 visitors to The Executive Mall Paragon Semarang. Data processing is performed with the help of SPSS ver 18. Testing includes validity, reliability, correlation coefficient, determination coefficient, simple regression, multiple regression, the significance of the T test and F test. The results indicate a significant positive effect of promotion and price on the product purchase decision Executive Promotion and price together have a positive and significant effect on purchasing decisions for The Executive products.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore and identify the cues that shape the purchase of local retail apparel clothing brands in an emerging economy. The study further develops a conceptual framework for the cues that shape the purchase of local retail apparel clothing brands. Design/methodology/approach A focus group methodology is used for data collection from the local retail clothing consumers in Bangladesh. Data collected for this study were coded and categorized using inductive reasoning methods and similar responses were identified from a prepared data matrix. The results were presented in narrative while preserving the authenticity of participant response. Findings Three cues were identified that shape the purchase of local retail apparel clothing brands in Bangladesh. First, consumers buy local retail apparel clothing brands due to the product authenticity (product quality, product uniqueness, apparel fittings, apparel durability, color combination, attractive design, comfortability and reasonable price). Second, consumer cosmopolitanism (urbanization of people, migration and overseas travel, and access to cable television and international channels) positively related to the purchase of local retail apparel brands in Bangladesh. Third, consumer ethnocentrism (superiority of local made brands over imported foreign brands, moral obligation for purchasing local products and patriotism) is a contributory cue responsible for the success of local retail apparel clothing brands in Bangladesh. Originality/value This study is a first of its kind to significantly enrich the consumer behavior literature related to local retail apparel branded companies and their implications.

The crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years has forced all businesses to accelerate the digitization process. At this point, it appears that MSMEs are not fully ready to carry out digital transformation. The Digital Readiness Index of MSMEs is on average at 3.6 or still in the middle stage. It is no longer possible for a business to avoid digitization. With the industrial revolution 4.0, digital technology is no longer just a support function, but must be part of the company's innovation. SMEs are expected to have high creativity in creating innovation, this becomes a very important consideration in business activities because innovation makes the company survive in a competition. MSMEs must also provide facilities for consumers to be able to find detailed information using digital marketing. Currently, the development of fashion in Indonesia is quite rapid with the support of the creativity and innovation of young designers. The emergence of local brands makes many consumers interested and proud to use domestic products. MSME Khawila Dinanti is one of the local fashion brands created by local children who are engaged in women's clothing. Khawila is expected to start a women's clothing business in early 2021 in the city of Medan. Khawila Dinanti wants to meet the needs of energetic and fashionable young women who have good quality among many imported labels. The problem of MSME sales fluctuating and increasing in certain months and the lack of use of digital marketing. The purpose of the study was to determine the digital-based marketing model in increasing sales volume at the awaited Khawila MSME. The method of analysis in this study uses descriptive data analysis and quantitative approach. Data processing in this study using SPSS version 24.00 software program. The results showed that product and price had a significant effect on increasing sales volume. The purpose of the study was to determine the digital-based marketing model in increasing sales volume at the awaited Khawila MSME. The method of analysis in this study uses descriptive data analysis and quantitative approach. Data processing in this study using SPSS version 24.00 software program. The results showed that product and price had a significant effect on increasing sales volume. The purpose of the study was to determine the digital-based marketing model in increasing sales volume at the awaited Khawila MSME. The method of analysis in this study uses descriptive data analysis and quantitative approach. Data processing in this study using SPSS version 24.00 software program. The results showed that product and promotion had a significant effect on increasing sales volume.

Introduction. The garment industry has always played a significant role in the state economy development and in everyone's life, as a factor in meeting consumer needs and a source of budget revenue, but in recent years there has been an extremely difficult situation - the garment industry has almost completely lost competitiveness in the consumer market. First, this situation arose due to fierce competition from imported goods, which saturate the market with their products of well-known brands, with a lower price, thereby displacing domestic goods. This encourages the need to study this industry, taking into account the specifics of working with toll raw materials, in order to identify problems and ways to overcome them in global competition. Purpose. Describe the current state of garment production; identify the features of the organization of sewing companies that use toll raw materials, analyze the main advantages and disadvantages of their operation; explore the accounting features; to consider the taxation of services for the processing of toll raw materials value added tax, the peculiarities of import duties calculation, other taxes and fees. Results. The peculiarities of the work organization of the sewing enterprises on the conditions of toll raw materials are covered. An indices analysis of light industry industrial products by activity type for 2015-2020 and revealed a decline in the industry production in 2018-2020. Ukrainian enterprises of the garment industry in 2010-2020 mainly used production on the terms of toll raw materials; full export; production for the domestic market. The main advantages and disadvantages of functioning of domestic garment productions with the use of toll raw materials are considered. A study of textile production indices, production of clothing, leather, leather products and other materials on a monthly basis in 2020 showed that starting from August 2020, the gradual decline in production stopped and there were trends of slight growth in production in the textile industry. The necessity of proper documentation of operations with toll raw materials for processing enterprises and creation of own package of primary forms by executing enterprises is substantiated, in order to simplify the complexity of the process of keeping accounting documentation. The interpretation of the category "toll raw materials" according to the Customs and Tax Codes of Ukraine is considered. A list of criteria in accordance with the current legislation on the recognition of transactions with toll raw materials, confirming the inability of the garment company to sell finished products made from toll raw materials, and therefore loses profits, most of which are sold by the owner of raw materials. The taxation of services on processing of toll raw materials by the value added tax, features of charge of import duty, other taxes and charges are considered. Prospects for further research are the development of virtual sales channels for garments.

The research has been conducted to study the impact of brand image and Quality on the customer's purchasing behavior of imported brand clothing in Kazakhstan. The study's objectives were to investigate the factors influencing customer behavior, including brand image and Quality. As well as to investigate the influence of consumer behavior on buying decisions. This was a qualitative inquiry by definition. For this research, a random sample of 500 working persons in Astana city was chosen; however, only 408 of them participated and provided their responses as survey respondents. This study's participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire to gather data. Statistical software (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. To validate the hypothesis, the correlation was applied to the results. This study employs multivariate analysis to investigate consumer behavior and purchasing decisions, with the influence of the two predictors (brand image and Quality) weighed against the mixture of the two outcome variables. The correlation and multivariate analysis results indicate that Quality impacts both consumer behavior and purchasing decisions on foreign clothing companies, while the brand image does not deal with the customer's buying decision. Also, it has explored that consumer behavior has a positive association with their decision to buy from foreign clothing companies. This study will assist in gaining awareness of existing market tastes in Kazakhstan and how it will assist in estimating the customer's potential needs, desires, and desires, patterns.

Abstract Several important studies of New York City's fiscal crisis of the 1970s identify the city's deindustrialization as a key component. The flight of manufacturers from New York fostered a racialized unemployment crisis while eroding the city's tax base, undermining its ability to meet increasing demands for social services, creating incentives for policymakers to focus on real estate development as the motor of the city's political economy, and weakening the institutions, especially labor unions, that had served as bulwarks of the city's unique (by American standards) brand of municipal social democracy. This article explores the roots of deindustrialization in one of New York City's most important industries, the manufacture of clothing. Capital flight, in the form of “runaway shops,” began as early as the teens, when the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union (ILG) established itself through a series of key battles. The handmaiden to runaway shops was the reemergence of contracting, whereby the assembly of garments was disaggregated in terms of time, space, and legal identity. The twin forces of contracting and runaways threatened the existence of the ILG by draining garment work out of its New York City stronghold. I trace efforts to combat it through their culmination in what I call the “New Deal settlement,” a stabilization of the industry across what contemporary analysts called the “New York Production Area.” This settlement, I argue, was at once geographical, political, cultural, and economic. Its goal was to limit competition and establish a new equilibrium in the garment industry, one that could permit manufacturers acceptable profits without resort to the sweatshop. I borrow the notion of a “regulating capital” from the economist Anwar Shaikh to describe these attempts to engineer a reproducible cost structure. As soon as the New Deal settlement emerged, manufacturers began working to collapse it. I trace the dispersion of garment work to places like northeastern Pennsylvania, where manufacturers enlisted the wives and daughters of unemployed anthracite miners to sew their garments. Factory owners, sometimes linked to organized crime, sought to establish a new regulating capital rooted in relationships of domination, protected by authoritarian local governments. When imported garments arrived in the 1950s, a new regulating capital rooted in a worldwide sweatshop economy forced manufacturers to leave Pennsylvania for the US South, the Caribbean, and beyond. In an attempt to link political economy with social history, I stress that the currency of regulating capitals, particularly in labor-intensive industries, is political domination. Throughout, I illustrate these processes with reference to Judy Bond, the blousemaker whose departure for the US South prompted a widely publicized but unsuccessful national boycott led by the ILG. In terms of the historiography of New York City's deindustrialization, this account offers an alternative emphasis to that of Robert Fitch, whose influential account emphasized “a conscious policy” to deindustrialize the city, overseen by the real estate industry. Instead, I show how deindustrialization was rooted in significant ways in the dynamics of competition themselves, shaped at each stage by particular social relationships, state policy, and world politics.

Abstract. Thrifting Business is a type of business in the trade of goods in the form of used clothing that offers clothes with brands at relatively low prices. As a trading activity, these business actors must comply with the prohibition order that has been regulated in Law Number 7 of 2014 concerning Trade. The research method used in this study is normative juridical by analyzing theories and applicable legal provisions. The specifications of this research is descriptive analytical. Data collection techniques use secondary data by qualitative analysis methods. The results of this study show that the activity of importing used clothing and trading in used imported clothing in Indonesia is a criminal offense in the economic field and is threatened by criminal law. The importation of used clothing is an ommisionist crime, which is a criminal offense resulting from violations of orders, while the trading of used imported clothing is a commissionary crime. The law enforcement against thrifting business actors has not been at the stage of applying the law and executing sanctions, especially against used and imported business actors in the market. Law enforcement efforts carried out by officials are also considered inappropriate and wrong in applying the law. Some of the factors that affect law enforcement do not reach all its stages, namely the substance of the law, law enforcement officials, and the community. Abstrak. Bisnis thrfiting merupakan jenis bisnis dalam kegiatan perdagangan barang berupa pakaian bekas yang menawarkan pakaian dengan merek dengan harga yang relatif murah. Sebagai kegiatan perdagangan, maka pelaku bisnis ini harus mematuhi perintah larangan yang telah diatur dalam Undang-Undang Nomor 7 Tahun 2014 tentang Perdagangan. Metode penelitian yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah yuridis normatif dengan menganalisis fakta-fakta sosial dengan menggunakan teori dan ketentuan hukum yang berlaku. spesifikasi penelitian ini adalah deskriptif analitis. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan data sekunder dengan metode analisis kualitatif. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa kegiatan impor pakaian bekas dan perdagangan pakaian impor bekas di Indonesia merupakan tindak pidana bidang ekonomi dan diancam dengan hukuman pidana. Impor pakaian bekas merupakan tindak pidana ommisionis yaitu tindak pidana akibat dari pelanggaran terhadap perintah, sedangkan kegiatan perdagangan pakaian impor bekas merupakan tindak pidana commisionis. Penegakan hukum terhadap pelaku bisnis thrifting belum pada tahap penerapan hukum dan eksekusi sanksi pidana khususnya terhadap pelaku usaha pakain impor bekas di pasaran. Upaya penegakan hukum yang dilakukan oleh aparat juga dinilai kurang tepat dan salah dalam menerapkan hukum. adapaun faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi penegakan hukum tidak mencapai seluruh tahapannya yaitu kerena substansi hukum, aparat penegak hukum, serta masyarakat.

The peculiarities of producer-driven global value chains as well as buyer-driven global value chains have been characterised. The most distinct peculiarities of buyer-driven global value chains are low entry barriers, outsource production, labour intensive sectors. In addition, giant brands, large retailers and wholesalers are at the top of the value chain and coordinate it. It is emphasised that the light industry belongs to the low-technology industry and is a common example of the buyer-driven global value chain. The light industry includes industries that produce goods for end consumers among the main ones are apparel and footwear. The article outlines the challenges and opportunities for integration of Ukrainian ready-made apparel and footwear manufacturers into global value chains. It has been concluded that the domestic light industry is integrated into global value chains through the export of the finished products made primarily from the toll-raw materials. An expert survey among manufacturers of apparel and footwear was conducted in 2020. 40 representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises from different regions of Ukraine took part in the survey. According to the results of the expert survey, Ukrainian apparel and footwear manufacturers are involved in various stages of the production cycle. At least half of the enterprises have used raw materials mainly of foreign origin. Turkey and China are the main countries of imported raw materials. Apparel and footwear manufacturers in Ukraine have sold their goods to foreign as well as domestic markets. Domestic manufacturers of ready-made clothing and footwear have faced the challenges during the last three years among which are Covid-19 pandemic, the agreement on a free trade area between Ukraine and Turkey, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Among the opportunities that have been emerged are the use of online marketplaces to sell their goods, relocation to safe regions in Ukraine, strengthening cooperation with EURATEX. Apparel and footwear manufacturers have mentioned that only if government and local authorities support and promote the domestic producers at national and regional level the industry will be further developed.

Introduction The sensational appearance of kawaii fashion in Tokyo’s Harajuku neighborhood—full of freedom, fun, and frills— has captivated hearts and imaginations worldwide. A key motivational concept for this group is “kawaii” which is commonly translated as “cute” and can also be used to describe things that are “beautiful”, “funny”, “pretty”, “wonderful”, “great”, “interesting”, and “kind” (Yamane 228; Yomota 73; Dale 320). Representations in media such as the styling of Harajuku street model and J-pop star Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, directed by Sebastian Masuda, have helped bring this fashion to a wider audience. Of this vibrant community, decora fashion is perhaps best known with its image well documented in in street-fashion magazines such as Shoichi Aoki’s FRUiTS (1997–2017), Websites such as Tokyo Fashion (2000–present), and in magazines like KERA (1998–2017). In particular, decora fashion captures the “do-it-yourself” approach for which Harajuku is best known for (Yagi 17). In this essay we draw on New Materialism to explore the ways in which decora fashion practitioners form kawaii affective assemblages with the objects they collect and transform into fashion items. We were motivated to pursue this research to build on other qualitative studies that aimed to include the voices of practitioners in accounts of their lifestyles (e.g. Nguyen; Monden; Younker) and respond to claims that kawaii fashion is a form of infantile regression. We—an Australian sociologist and kawaii fashion practitioner, a Japanese decora fashion practitioner and Harajuku street model, and a Japanese former owner of a tearoom in Harajuku—have used an action-led participatory research method to pool our expertise. In this essay we draw on both a New Materialist analysis of our own fashion practices, a 10-year longitudinal study of Harajuku (2012–2022), as well as interviews with twelve decora fashion practitioners in 2020. What Is Decora Fashion? Decora is an abbreviation of “decoration”, which reflects the key aesthetic commitment of the group to adorn their bodies with layers of objects, accessories, and stickers. Decora fashion uses bright clothing from thrift stores, layers of handmade and store-bought accessories, and chunky platform shoes or sneakers. Practitioners enjoy crafting accessories from old toys, kandi and perler beads, weaving, braiding, crocheting novelty yarn and ribbon, and designing and printing their own textiles. In addition to this act of making, decora practitioners also incorporate purchases from specialty brands like 6%DOKI DOKI, Nile Perch, ACDC Rag, YOSUKE USA, and minacute. According to our interviewees, whom we consulted in 2020, excess is key; as Momo told us: “if it’s too plain, it’s not decora”. Decora uses clashing, vibrant, electric colours, and a wild variety of kawaii versions of monsters, characters, and food which appear as motifs on their clothing (Groom 193; Yagi 17). Clashing textures and items—such as a sweat jackets, gauzy tutus, and plastic toy tiaras—are also a key concept (Koga 81). Colour is extended to practitioners’ hair through colourful hair dyes, and the application of stickers, bandaids, and jewels across their cheeks and nose (Rose, Kurebayashi and Saionji). These principles are illustrated in fig. 1, a street snap from 2015 of our co-author, Kurebayashi. Working with the contrasting primary colours across her hair, clothes, and accessories, she incorporates both her own handmade garments and found accessories to form a balanced outfit. Her Lisa Frank cat purse, made from a psychedelic vibrant pink faux fur, acts as a salient point to draw in our eyes to a cacophony of colour throughout her ensemble. The purse is a prized item from her own collection that was a rare find on Mercari, an online Japanese auction Website, 15 years ago. Her sweater dress is handmade, with a textile print she designed herself. The stickers on the print feature smiley faces, rainbows, ducks, and candy—all cheap and cheerful offerings from a discount store. Through intense layering and repetition, Kurebayashi has created a collage that is reminiscent of the clips and bracelets that decorate her hair and wrists. This collage also represents the colour, fun, and whimsy that she immerses herself in everyday. Her platform shoes are by Buffalo London, another rare find for her collection. Her hair braids are handmade by Midoroya, an online artist, which she incorporates to create variety in the textures in her outfit from head to toe. Peeking beneath her sweater is a short colourful tutu that floats and bounces with each step. Together the items converge and sing, visually loud and popping against the urban landscape. Fig. 1: Kurebayashi’s street snap in an decora fashion outfit of her own styling and making, 2015. Given the street-level nature of decora fashion, stories of its origins draw on oral histories of practitioners, alongside writings from designers and stores that cater to this group (Ash). Its emergence was relatively organic in the early 1990s, with groups enjoying mixing and combining found objects and mis-matching clothing items. Initially, decorative styles documented in street photography used a dark colour palette with layers of handmade accessories, clips, and decorations, and a Visual-kei influence. Designers such as Sebastian Masuda, who entered the scene in 1995, also played a key role by introducing accessories and clothes inspired by vintage American toys, Showa era (1926-1989) packaging, and American West Club dance culture (Sekikawa and Kumagi 22–23). Pop idols such as Tomoe Shinohara and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu are also key figures that have contributed to the pop aesthetic of decora. While decora was already practiced prior to the release of Shinohara’s 1995 single Chaimu, her styling resonated with practitioners and motivated them to pursue a more “pop” aesthetic with an emphasis on bright colours, round shapes, and handmade colourful accessories. Shinohara herself encouraged fans to take on a rebelliously playful outlook and presentation of self (Nakao 15–16; Kondō). This history resonates with more recent pop idol Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s costuming and set design, which was directed by Sebastian Masuda. Kyary’s kawaii fashion preceded her career, as she regularly participated in the Harajuku scene and agreed to street snaps. While the costuming and set design for her music videos, such as Pon Pon Pon, resonate with the Harajuku aesthetic, her playful persona diverges. Her performance uses humour, absurdity, and imperfection to convey cuteness and provide entertainment (Iseri 158), but practitioners in Harajuku do not try to replicate this performance; Shinohara and Kyary’s stage persona promotes ‘immaturity’ and ‘imperfection’ as part of their youthful teenage rebellion (Iseri 159), while kawaii fashion practitioners prefer not to be seen in this light. When considering the toys, stickers, and accessories incorporated into decora fashion, and the performances of Shinohara and Kyary, it is understandable that some outsiders may interpret the fashion as a desire to return to childhood. Some studies of kawaii fashion more broadly have interpreted the wearing of clothing like this as a resistance to adulthood and infantile regression (e.g., Kinsella 221–222; Winge; Lunning). These studies suggest that practitioners desire to remain immature in order to “undermin[e] current ideologies of gender and power” (Hasegawa 140). In particular, Kinsella in her 1995 chapter “in Japan” asserts that fashion like this is an attempt to act “vulnerable in order to emphasize … immaturity and inability to carry out social responsibilities” (241), and suggests that this regression is “self-mutilation [which denies] the existence of a wealth of insights, feelings and humour that maturity brings with it” (235). This view has spread widely in writing about kawaii fashion, and Steele, Mears, Kawamura, and Narumi observe for instance that “prolonging childhood is compelling” as an attractive component of Harajuku culture (48). While we recognise that this literature uses the concept of “childishness” to acknowledge the rebellious nature of Harajuku fashion, our participants would like to discourage this interpretation of their practice. In particular, participants highlighted their commitment to studies, paying bills, caring for family members, and other markers they felt indicated maturity and responsibility. They also found this belief that they wanted to deny themselves adult “insights, feelings and humour” deeply offensive as it disregards their lived experience and practice. From a Sociological perspective, this infantilising interpretation is concerning as it reproduces Orientalist framings of Japanese women who enjoy kawaii culture as dependent and submissive, rather than savvy consumers (Bow 66–73; Kalnay 95). Furthermore, this commentary on youth cultures globally, which points to an infantilisation of adulthood (Hayward 230), has also been interrogated by scholars as an oversimplistic reading that doesn’t recognise the rich experiences of adults who engage in these spaces while meeting milestones and responsibilities (Woodman and Wyn; Hodkinson and Bennett; Bennett). Through our lived experience and work with the decora fashion community, we offer in this essay an alternative account of what kawaii means to these practitioners. We believe that agency, energy, and vibrancy is central to the practice of decora fashion. Rather than intending to be immature, practitioners are looking for vibrant ways to exist. A New Materialist lens offers a framework with which we can consider this experience. For example, our informant Momota, in rejecting the view that her fashion was about returning to childhood, explained that decora fashion was “rejuvenating” because it gave them “energy and power”. Elizabeth Groscz in her essay on freedom in New Materialism encourages us to consider new ways of living, not as an expression of “freedom from” social norms, but rather “freedom to” new ways of being, as expression of their “capacity for action” (140). In other words, rather than seeking freedom from adult responsibilities and regressing into a state where one is unable to care for oneself, decora fashion is a celebration of what practitioners are “capable of doing” (Groscz 140–141) by finding pleasure in collecting and making. Through encounters with kawaii objects, and the act of creating through these materials, decora fashion practitioners’ agential capacities are increased through experiences of elation, excitement and pleasure. Colourful Treasures, Fluttering Hearts: The Pleasures of Collecting kawaii Matter Christine Yano describes kawaii as having the potential to “transform the mundane material world into one occupied everywhere by the sensate and the sociable” (“Reach Out”, 23). We believe that this conceptualisation of kawaii has strong links to New Materialist theory. New Materialism highlights the ways in which human subjects are “are unstable and emergent knowing, sensing, embodied, affective assemblages of matter, thought, and language, part of and inseparable from more-than human worlds” (Lupton). Matter in this context is a social actor in its own right, energising and compelling practitioners to incorporate them into their everyday lives. For example, kawaii matter can move us to be more playful, creative, and caring (Aiwaza and Ohno; Nishimura; Yano, Pink Globalization), or help us relax and feel calm when experiencing high levels of stress (Stevens; Allison; Yano, “Reach Out”). Studies in the behavioral sciences have shown how kawaii objects pique our interest, make us feel happy and excited, and through sharing our excitement for kawaii things become kinder and more thoughtful towards each other (Nittono; Ihara and Nittono; Kanai and Nittono). Decora fashion practitioners are sensitive to this sensate and sociable aspect of kawaii; specific things redolent with “thing-power” (Bennett) shine and twinkle amongst the cultural landscape and compel practitioners to gather them up and create unique outfits. Decora fashion relies on an ongoing hunt for objects to upcycle into fashion accessories, thrifting second-hand goods in vintage stores, dollar stores, and craft shops such as DAISO, Omocha Spiral, and ACDC Rag. Practitioners select plastic goods with smooth forms and shapes, and soft, breathable, and light clothing, all with highly saturated colours. Balancing the contrast of colours, practitioners create a rainbow of matter from which they assemble their outfits. The concept of the rainbow is significant to practitioners as the synergy of contrasting colours expresses its own kawaii vitality. As our interviewee, Kanepi, described, “price too can be kawaii” (Yano, Pink Globalization 71); affordable products such as capsule toys and accessories allow practitioners to amass large collections of glistening and twinkling objects. Rare items are also prized, such as vintage toys and goods imported from America, resonating with their own “uniqueness”, and providing a point of difference to the Japanese kawaii cultural landscape. In addition to the key principles of colour, rarity, and affordability, there is also a personalised aspect to decora fashion. Amongst the mundane racks of clothing, toys, and stationary, specific matter twinkles at practitioners like treasures, triggering a moment of thrilling encounter. Our interviewee Pajorina described this moment as having a “fateful energy to it”. All practitioners described this experience as “tokimeki” (literally, a fluttering heart beat), which is used to refer to an experience of excitement in anticipation of something, or the elating feeling of infatuation (Occhi). Our interviewees sought to differentiate this experience of kawaii from feelings of care towards an animal or children through writing systems. While the kanji for “kawaii” was used to refer to children and small animals, the majority of participants wrote “kawaii” to express the vivid and energetic qualities of their fashion. We found each practitioner had a tokimeki response to certain items that and informed their collecting work. While some items fit a more mainstream interpretation of kawaii, such as characters like Hello Kitty, ribbons, and glitter, other practitioners were drawn to non-typical forms they believed were kawaii, such as frogs, snails, aliens, and monsters. As our interviewee Harukyu described: “I think people’s sense of kawaii comes from different sensibilities and perspectives. It’s a matter of feelings. If you think it is kawaii, then it is”. Guided by individual experiences of objects on the shop shelves, practitioners select things that resonate with their own inner beliefs, interests, and fantasies of what kawaii is. In this regard, kawaii matter is not “structured” or “fixed” but rather “emergent through relations” that unfold between the practitioner and the items that catch their eye in a given moment (Thorpe 12). This offers not only an affirming experience through the act of creating, but a playful outlet as well. By choosing unconventional kawaii motifs to include in their collection, and using more standard kawaii beads, jewels, and ribbons to enhance the objects’ cuteness, decora fashion practitioners are transforming, warping, and shifting kawaii aesthetic boundaries in new and experimental ways (Iseri 148; Miller 24–25). As such, this act of collecting is a joyous and elating experience of gathering and accumulating. Making, Meaning, and Memory: Creating kawaii Assemblages Once kawaii items are amassed through the process of collecting, their cuteness is intensified through hand-making items and assembling outfits. One of our interviewees, Momo, explained to us that this expressive act was key to the personalisation of their clothes as it allows them to “put together the things you like” and “incorporate your own feelings”. For example, the bracelets in fig. 2 are an assemblage made by our co-author Kurebayashi, using precious items she has collected for 10 years. Each charm has its own meaning in its aesthetics, memories it evokes, and the places in which it was found. Three yellow rubber duck charms bob along strands of twinkling pink and blue bubble-like beads. These ducks, found in a bead shop wholesaler while travelling in Hong Kong, evoke for Kurebayashi an experience of a bubble bath, where one can relax and luxuriate in self care. Their contrast with the pink and blue—forming the trifecta of primary colours—enhances the vibrant intensity of the bracelet. A large blue bear charm, contrasting in scale and colour, swings at her wrist, its round forms evoking Lorenz’s Kindchenschema. This bear charm is another rare find from America, a crowning jewel in Kurebayashi’s collection. It represents Kurebayashi’s interest in fun and colourful animals as characters, and as potential kawaii friends. Its translucent plastic form catches the light as it glistens. To balance the colour scheme of her creation, Kurebayashi added a large strawberry charm, found for just 50 Yen in a discount store in Japan. Together these objects resonate with key decora principles: personal significance, rarity, affordability, and bright contrasting colours. While the bear and duck reference childhood toys, they do not signify to Kurebayashi a desire to return to childhood. Rather, their rounded forms evoke a playful outlook on life informed by self care and creativity (Ngai 841; Rose). Through bringing the collection of items together in making these bracelets, the accessories form an entanglement of kawaii matter that carries both aesthetic and personal meaning, charged with memories, traces of past travels, and a shining shimmering vitality of colour and light. Fig. 2: Handmade decora fashion bracelet by Kurebayashi, 2022. The creation of decora outfits is the final act of expression and freedom. In this moment, decora fashion practitioners experience elation as they gleefully mix and match items from their collection to create their fashion style. This entanglement of practitioner and kawaii matter evokes what Gorscz would describe as “free acts … generated through the encounter of life with matter” (151). If we return to fig. 1, we can see how Kurebayashi and her fashion mutually energise each other as an expression of colourful freedom. While the objects themselves are found through encounters and given new life by Kurebayashi as fashion items, they also provide Kurebayashi with tools of expression that “expand the variety of activities” afforded to adults (Gorscz 154). She feels elated, full of feeling, insight, and humour in these clothes, celebrating all the things she loves that are bright, colourful, and fun. Conclusion In this essay, we have used New Materialist theory to illustrate some of the ways in which kawaii matter energises decora fashion practitioners, as an expression of what Gorscz would describe as “capacity for action” and a “freedom towards” new modes of expression. Practitioners are sensitive to kawaii’s affective potential, motivating them to search for and collect items that elate and excite them, triggering moments of thrilling encounters amongst the mundanity of the stores they search through. Through the act of making and assembling these items, practitioners form an entanglement of matter charged with their feelings, memories, and the vitality and vibrancy of their collections. Like shining rainbows in the streets, they shimmer and shine with kawaii life, vibrancy, and vitality. Acknowledgements This article was produced with the support of a Vitalities Lab Scholarship, UNSW Sydney, a National Library of Australia Asia Studies scholarship, as well as in-kind support from the University of Tokyo and the Japan Foundation Sydney. 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