So after Kim Kardashian’s recent ill-starred attempt to culturally seize kimono (the word, not the garment) for her own, this seems like a fitting time to talk about the women’s fashion and beauty market in Japan. Consumers in Japan are some of the most sophisticated and hard-to-please in the world, yet with open wallets for products they trust in.
Here are some facets of Japan’s rag trade, beauty trends and beyond—including makeup, youth and senior fashion—that marketers in Japan or those that plan a market entry into Japan should know, as well as how shopping for all this stuff is changing.
The major key is self-expression for
those times when not in harness in the working world.
The Japanese fashion market: low-down from ‘Fashion World Tokyo’
Tokyo is a fashion bastion with few
equals, and Fashion
World Tokyo—Japan’s largest fashion trade show, coming
up at the beginning of October—lures many overseas exhibitors to hawk their wares
to an audience of discerning Japanese and global buyers, boutique owners and
industry observers inspecting new fashion, bags, shoes, jewelry and more.
Exhibitor feedback from the autumn 2017
show reveals that Japan’s consumers have some particular tastes. Accessories
and bags with a low bling factor, for one. They also prefer clothes that don’t
wrinkle or fade, which makes clothing produced using completely natural
materials and dyes less attractive. In footwear, they favor more comfortable,
less formal styles. And given the recent #KuToo
movement in protest of being forced to wear
high heels at the office, that trend will likely strengthen.
The skincare game and other altered states
A few decades back, the gyaru look—deep tans and exaggerated (some might say clownish) makeup and hair—was startlingly popular with a subculture of young urban women. But the bihaku (beautifully white) skin trend, also born in the nineties, has endured and spread. Springing from an old Japanese proverb that “a fair complexion hides seven flaws,” this skin-whitening ethos incorporates countless products that bleach or diminish pigment, but preferably do so using natural ingredients such as rice, kombu seaweed, jabara citrus extract, camellia oil and sake to revitalize, moisturize and enrich the skin.
Bihaku – white skin as the epitome of beauty
Bihaku is an integral element of a
sophisticated skincare regimen known as J-beauty, encompassing makeup removal, cleansing, lotion, serums and
moisturizers, exfoliators and more. That self-care actually extends to what’s
eaten and drunk—collagen-rich and fermented foods, seaweed and oily fish, for
example, and green tea—as well as onsen bathing.
Technology also comes into play, with
devices such as the VisaPure Advanced home facial device from Philips being
hugely successful. Developed in cooperation with Japanese massage experts, VisaPure
goes beyond facial cleansing to boost blood circulation and relax facial
muscles, simulating 750 gentle finger taps per minute to revitalize the skin.
The mochi skin phenomenon
There’s a definite desire among
Japanese women to attain what’s known as “mochi
skin”—essentially a complexion that mimics the soft, smooth texture of mochi rice cake desserts.
In vivid contrast to that flawless
skin, Japan’s young fashionistas are applying colored eyeliner (yellow, green,
pink and more), or maybe under-eye blush or glossy, glittery eye shadow.
There’s vibrant gloss for the lips, too, in fruity shades. Younger Japanese
women also go in for colorful nail art, including what are known as “nuance
nails,” with each nail covered in different colors, designs and decorations.
Cutting edge contact lenses and hair care
Colored and patterned contact lenses—the latter known as “circle lenses”—hold a particular appeal in the land of manga, anime and cosplay. Want to sport violet eyes, oversized pupils, spoof David Bowie with two different hues, look like a zebra-human hybrid or have Hello Kitty on your orbs? Lenses for all those looks and more (the gaping maw of Jaws, anyone?) are available, and makers and fashion retailers also issue exclusive products for special appearances.
Important to know for overseas
marketers is the fact that while some circle lenses are for nearsighted,
farsighted or astigmatic folks, most are pure fashion statements.
Japanese manufacturers have also devised some radically new tech for hair care. Louvredo’s Fukugen hair dryer uses a special far-infrared wavelength of 6 ～ 20 μm and negative ionization to shake the moisture out of the hair, eliminating the usual damage to hair proteins that hot air causes. Lumielina’s Bioprogramming range of care and styling products use a new type of ceramic that not only shields hair from heat but also actually improves its smoothness, moisture balance and gloss.
Again, a
marriage between cutting edge technology and beauty intrigue the Japanese
consumer.
Online fashion buying habits of the Japanese
Buying fashion and beauty products
remotely has always been a bit tricky unless you know exactly what you’re
getting, especially when it comes to fit/drape and shade. That doesn’t stop
many, though. You see ladies avidly scrolling through clothes and accessories
online. On a train or in a coffee shop, for example, they may be hunting for
bargains on name-brand goods at a flash sale site such as Gilt Groupe or Rue La
La.
Smartphone apps are changing the game
as well. One called Bodygram uses AI deep-learning and machine-learning algorithms based on just a
front and profile photo to size you perfectly, like a master tailor. Augmented
reality (AR) makeup mirrors from app developer Perfect Corp. are helping Estée
Lauder, L’Oréal
and Amway give shoppers the chance to virtually apply products via smartphone
as well. New Balance has set up machines in major Japanese department stores
and elsewhere to do 3D scans of your foot for an exact fit.
The customer is not king, but god in
Japan. Anything you can offer them to enhance their shopping experience might
get you into their good graces – and purchasing decision.
The Japanese senior fashion market: A graceful transition into maturity
Older women in Japan are increasingly opting
for mature styles in both hair and what they wear, not seeking to duplicate the
fashions their daughters and granddaughters pursue. That includes a more
natural, personal look and going gracefully gray up top. The desire to stop
dying their locks was spurred by photo collections such as Advanced Style, first published in the U.S. in 2012, and Over 60 Street Snap II and Paris Madame Grey Hair Style. All
featured older women rocking distinctive styles and dos.
To support that urge, Takarajima
Publishing launched a magazine in December 2017 called “Sutekina ano hito no
otona fuku,” which translates as “Adult Clothes for That Stylish Person.” Not
the most succinct title, perhaps, but the publication does feature plenty of
chic, silver-haired seniors wearing striking yet appropriate clothing and
accessories—and its debut issue sold 50,000 copies.
That’s one powerful indication that
designing for and selling to the senior
market is worthwhile.
Functional fashion is not a niche, but mainstream in Japan
For marketers, some other
pivots include temperature—such as wide-legged pants to stay cool in Japan’s
steamy summertime, and Uniqlo’s “heat-tech” garments for keeping warm in the
winter. Other upcoming segments include fashion and beauty addressing environmental,
ethical and sustainability issues, like e.g. anti-pollution skincare products.
The eco and cruelty-free gap is yet to be closed
At the moment, the ethical and sustainable fashion and beauty market is still in its infancy in Japan. Global research from Philips also reveals that while nearly half of women (48 percent) in Turkey, Argentina (47 percent) and India (45 percent) might be persuaded to change their health and beauty routine if they found an ethical/eco-friendly/cruelty-free product, only 18 percent do in Japan.
Yet, there is some great
potential here for marketers to persuade Japanese women to adopt beauty products
and regimes that provide practical results but are also more ethical and
sustainable, especially if you tie that in with some of the other factors that
appeal to Japanese consumers when making purchasing choices.