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(Hair) Salon-kei Prince
16/May/2009

Beni-chan is playing with iStylist Makeover. As many as 300 latest hairstyles on “My Best Hair” a hair style magazine,
are also available on “Hair St“.

What’s Harajuku hair salon style?
Did you know hair dressers working at hair salons in Harajuku are so fashionable? Chokichoki is a fashion magazine especially focusing on hair styles and salon-kei models. (Fahionable outfit and coordination that hair dressers enjoy.) In fact, models are only hair dressers who work at hair salons in Harajuku.

Yuuya Nara, an art director and a creative stylist of SHIMA is a fashion icon. He is not just a hair stylist but is very popular everywhere! He enjoys combination of high-class fashion and cheap outfit. The clothing he once got dressed with are so popular that they are sold for double or triple priced at online auction. He is called Nara-sama, not even Nara-san, as “-sama” is used to show more respect!

His fan is everywhere in Japan, they come to his hair salon only because they want to see him. With Nara-sama in the lead, other hair dressers who work for SHIMA are all fashionable. The company offers extra bonus for clothing to wear when they work. JALOUSE, a French fashion magazine has also once featured Nara-sama.

Hair stylists and salon models are 2 major most important icons that determine whether the hair salon gets popular or not. There are many hair stylists in Harajuku streets who are trying to hunt salon models from common people just walking around. ZEST for example, places a high priority on “Modehan” or model hunting. The employees can get extra bonus or holiday if they can catch good models by hunting.
Why is it so important? Because models are common people, they are free models. Only the skills of how the hair stylist can change a common girl to a model looking girl is the key, and money is not the problem here. Once they did that, more and more new customers will come, attracted by these salon models. More and more job may be offered because the models are cute. The models could be a good advertisements that do not need much money!

1/3 of items of the movie, Confessions Of A Shopaholic were purchased in Japan,
and by Patricia Field. She likes Japanese kawaii things.

There is a Japanese hair stylist Mayumi, who works for Patricia. She came to New York at the age of 23. Patricia liked her wearing lolita clothing then, and then she started working for Patricia at her store. Mayumi’s other customers are musicians, artists, and famous celebrities in NYC.
It’s also she that takes care of Patricia’s pink hair. Mayumi also advises Patricia the latest Shibuya – Harajuku fashion.
She says especially Gyaru fashion (such as in egg, popteen, scawaii, ageha) in Tokyo is interesting. Patricia also likes to read Japanese fashion magazines with Mayumi, and she keeps the pages she liked.

Salon models are getting popular. Salon model cafe has 3/4 waiters or waitresses of salon models. People come to the cafe to eat, shake hands and take photos with salon models. “I thought there’s a business opportunity, as salon models are getting so popular,” says the owner of the cafe.

Suzuki sisters are popular salon models who work for 5 hair salons as cut models. Kimiji is a model to Chokichoki magazine. One of his big fan is a university student who dresses exactly like him. “I just want enjoy fashion now before I start working, because that’s when I have to get dressed with business suit everyday.”

Kirin’s opinion

One time in Shibuya, when I was growing my hair, the hair dresser asked me if I was interested in short hair. I declined this offer. The other time was in Harajuku, I was asked if I liked to change my hair color and try short permed hair. But that was very before I went to my hair salon. So I declined this offer, too. I’d love to be a sample girl if I have a chance, but somehow I am missing the opportunities…:p

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