FASHION INTO THE WORLD OF ANIME
A deep dive into the relationship between fashion and anime.
From fashion-focused films like The Devil Wears Prada (2006) to the Academy Award-winning superhero blockbuster Black Panther (2018), fashion has always played a significant role in the film and entertainment industries. However, individuals have started to pay attention to the influence of fashion in animated media in more recent years. The 2020 pandemic left people with a lot of time on their hands, which many people used to binge-watch their favorite shows. As a result, interest in anime underwent a huge increase. With the more mainstream popularity of these Japanese animated series, it has helped bring its attention to big well-known brands. Such collaborations include Loewe’s collection with popular Studio Ghibli films Spirited Away in 2022 and Howls Moving Castle earlier this year. Both collections featured various garments and accessories with pictures of popular scenes from each movie on them.
The 2022 Loewe collaboration with the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away
The 2023 Loewe collaboration with Studio Ghibli’s film Howls Moving Castle
Other successful collaborations include the fast fashion retailer Uniqlo’s multiple collections with popular anime like Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Spy x Family. Both of these examples captured the attention of the anime community as well as drew in a wider audience with their simple designs and silhouettes that really let the animated graphics steal the show.
The 2021 Uniqlo collaboration with anime series Jujutsu Kaisen
Fashion has also played a major part in character development within many anime series. Some of the series I want to discuss are Sailor Moon (1992) and Nana (2006). The well-known magical girl series Sailor Moon took the world by storm during the late 90s and early 2000s. I remember watching the show personally and becoming fascinated by the delicate feminine elements that were woven throughout, including the strong female characters, the whimsical, youthful transformations, and not to mention the startlingly stylish attire. The series' attention to detail for each character in Naoko Takeuchi's fantasy, fictitious world set it apart from other television shows of the era. Many of the characters wore different attire each episode for different occasions when they weren't donning their school uniforms or transformation costumes, in contrast to many animated series that frequently portrayed their characters wearing the same outfits each episode. Each character received careful attention from Takeuchi, and whatever they wore served as an extension of their unique, individual identities.
The Sailor Scouts from the 1992 anime Sailor Moon
Looking deeper into the fashion of each character, the main character Usagi Tsukino (aka Sailor Moon) is your average fourteen-year-old student by day and a badass superhero by night. While Usagi is brave and courageous as a teenage superhero, she also still possesses the naivety and playfulness of a young teenage girl. To help portray these traits, Takeuchi gave Usagi a very feminine, youthful wardrobe that heavily featured many skirts, shorts, and ribbons to help emphasize her very young age. However, Usagi's wardrobe is the least defined of all the characters on purpose to demonstrate how, as a growing teenager, she is easily influenced by others' tastes in fashion and does not adhere to one color when it comes to clothing, as she is still defining her identity throughout the series.
Some of Sailor Moon’s looks from the 1992 anime
Other heavily woven fashion references in the series include the various direct depictions of Sailor Moon characters in looks taken directly off the runway. An example of this can be seen in Takechi’s illustration of the character Sailor Pluto in the infamous Chanel haute couture chain dress from the autumn/winter 1992 collection. This depiction perfectly aligns with Setsuna Meiou’s (aka Sailor Pluto’s) personality as well, as the sophisticated look of the dress helps emphasize her maturity within the Sailor Scouts group, with her being the eldest and most wise of them, and portrays her love for fashion, which is one of her character traits featured in her profile.
Sailor Pluto illustration in Chanel haute couture chain dress autumn/winter 1992
Chanel chain dress from the haute couture F/W 1992 show
Last but not least, Takechi’s appreciation for luxury fashion is further emphasized in the Sailor Moon Universe through the depiction of the character, Princess Serenity, in the tv series in a look heavily inspired by Christian Dior’s Palladium gown from the haute couture spring/summer 1992 collection. Princess Serenity in the series is the prior identity of Usagi Tsukino before her reincarnation into the fourteen-year-old we all know and love. As an ethereal, otherworldly princess, this look falls exactly in line with its pure, elegant, and regal appearance.
Princess Serenity in Christian Dior inspired Palladium gown from the haute couture spring/summer 1992 collection
Christian Dior’s Palladium gown from the haute couture spring/summer 1992 show
The other anime series that I wanted to discuss that had heavy fashion references is the music based 2006 series, Nana. Nana is a series created by Ai Yazawa about two 20-year-old girls named Nana who have opposite personalities, yet end up moving to Tokyo at the same time and becoming roommates. One of them is attempting to break into the music industry, while the other is adjusting to her first time living away from her hometown. It is the most realistic animated series I have ever seen, thus fashion plays a big part throughout. To help further differentiate each girl’s personality and distinctive aesthetics, they are often portrayed in very detailed and stylized outfits. One of the girls, Nana Osaki, as well as her bandmates, are often depicted wearing actual Vivienne Westwood apparel to help portray their very grunge, punk rock image. Westwood’s iconic Saturn motif can be seen throughout many characters’ wardrobes, including Osaki’s signature Saturn earrings as well as her bandmate Shin’s unique Saturn lighter he wears as a necklace.
Nana Osaki in Vivienne Westwood attire
Nana Osaki in Vivienne Westwood accessories in the 2006 anime Nana
Shin with Vivienne Westwood Saturn lighter in 2006 anime Nana
Westwood is already known by many as a pioneer of the punk rock fashion scene, paving the way for the unique, bold style all throughout the 70s. She was a disruptor in the fashion industry, not hesitant to speak up for the causes she believed in and venture outside the box when developing her designs. Utilizing her apparel in the tv series really helped to portray the lifestyle, aesthetic, and personality of the characters to the viewer and establish some sort of familiarity. When you watch the show, you feel like you already know exactly what type of people these characters are because of their appearance, which is also then twisted and changed once you actually watch the show and get to know the characters.
Nana (2006)
The other female lead, Nana Komatsu, is completely the antithesis of Osaki in terms of style. Komatsu frequently dons very feminine and airy silhouettes to highlight her bright and ebullient attitude. This stands in stark contrast to Nana Osaki's reflective and frequently moody nature. Nevertheless, throughout the series, both girls rely on and find solace in one another, frequently leaning on each other in times of need. Although they have completely different tastes, they discover that they are comparable on a deeper mental and emotional level. This similarity can also be seen in their shared love of fashion and more daring designs and silhouettes.
Nana Osaki (left) and Nana Komatsu (right)
Overall, with every new anime movie and show, the significance of fashion in animation and its connection grows more and more. I think the creators and people within the anime industry, as well as the higher-ups within the fashion industry, are rediscovering the power that can come from the collaboration between the Japanese animated series and fashion. Fashion communicates a lot when it comes to portraying fictional characters and helps viewers better understand who a character is. On the other hand, anime has helped many designers in showing them to a wider audience. I think it is safe to say that this relationship will only continue to grow as time goes on and the possibilities are endless.
