Before we had swag, steez, drip and sauce, the forefront of fresh to death and dopeness transcended the celebratory affirmatives to our fashion forward peers. The ‘90’s is known as the “Golden Age” of fashion streamline. Streetwear on a western (American) standpoint as well as Japan’s unique approach to streetwear set the tone on how we navigate streetwear in modern times. But how did these influences translate into the creative minds of our favorite mangakas? Why was ‘90’s anime style so monumental in terms of drip? Lets explore these dynamics.
Yoshihiro Togashi, creator of YuYu Hakusho , stylized his characters with the ultimate fashion sense. We usually see character repeating outfits or being very bland with their peacock of personality, but these character designs truly optimized ‘90’s culture. From the layered looks, to the exceptional hairstyles, we are captivated tremendously by the foundation of their character sauce. We see these styles translate into the Urahara movement in Japan. This style incorporated influences from western standpoints.
Slam Dunk, courtesy of Takehiko Inoue, is a basketball manga/anime who’s influence runs rampant. Inoue was an avid basketball fan, this translated into his character design and the compounds of their “drip.” During the ‘90’s, Michael Jordan was a prominent player in western basketball league. His popular sneakers, Jordans, can be seen displayed within the anime during shopping sprees and game plays. Wardrobe of the main characters and the extras consisted of baggy pants, Jordans, Airmax 95’s, bucket hats, adidas Superstars and Nike cortez. Inoue undeniably chose his hairstyles directly from those in the NBA.
Sailor Moon is another prominent ‘90’s figure. Created by Naoko Takeuchi, she very much based the casual and streetwear styles based off high fashion. Takeuchi studied vogue and fashion week runway shows. Each character transitioned from laxed streetwear, high fashion, roman inspiration as well as traditional Japanese wear. Most of the laxed streetwear looks are still easily replicated in the real world. Closet cosplays are very trendy among moonies. Girls wanted to mimic the Odango, double bun look our Usagi rocked as her signature.
This ability to adapt between formalities allows a more relatable feel to the characters.
As a ‘90’s kids myself, seeing the cultural influence of Japan and their art of animation gives a sense of relief. In comparison to their western counterparts, street fashion isn’t about competitiveness but rather the story you could tell. What can your clothes demonstrate about your personality? Who do you hang with, where are from, what do you like? Manga and anime is all about storytelling, character develop and finding the personality traits within each character. What can it teach us about honing our own personal style ?
