I'm still a little jet lagged and I can't begin to describe what an amazing experience it was to travel in Japan, but I can at least show off some spoils.
I had a niche in my wardrobe for a pair of white sneakers and I started stalking these flatforms before I left. They're by Tokyo Bopper, a cult street wear brand I discovered on style-arena.jp. They've had a shop in Harajuku since the early '90's, which makes them a bit of a local institution. I made a bee-line for it on my first night in Tokyo to check them out so I'd have plenty of time to think about it before we returned to the city two weeks later.
The idea was to round out my denim capsule so I'll be wearing these mostly with loose-fitting jeans, but I can't resist a bit of shameless kawaii styling too. A little juvenile perhaps, but why should the kids have all the fun? I'm wearing them today with my pleather midi by BACK and my new-ish winter fur, which, when worn upside down, goes nicely over a backpack, which is just as well because I had a lot to carry today.
Which brings me to the kawaii overload detail: a frog purse by seto design which I bought at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum half way through the trip. This little fellow made many friends in his subsequent travels, strapped to a battered Longchamps Pliage. Almost everywhere I went someone made a nice comment, which just goes to show that when you don't know the language you can always speak fashion.
There's another travel souvenir here, a football scarf from FC St Pauli which I bought in Hamburg. The club was the first in Germany to ban right-wing nationalists from its matches and the slogan on the scarf reads "St Pauli Fans Gegen Rechts". The look might work better without it, but I'm wearing it all the same. Here's why.
Because of recent events in Paris and Brussels, which feel so very close to home, Europe is not the same now as when I left it. I put on the scarf today because like the frog it reminds me that whatever language you speak, things like fashion and football can bring us all together, even though some people would use them otherwise.
And that's what makes a great community. Skylurker, Inge and all other fabbers in France and Belgium, I'm thinking of you.
