|
Implications
on the fashion industry
The
2000 census in Japan shows several significant demographic changes
By MYNIPPON Team
(with contribution from Kurt Hahn of Pacific Edge)
Previously:
Demographic changes for fashion in Japan
E.
Purikura (Print Club) Generation: 15-25 years
|
|
|
Earning
their name from the photo-print, vending machines popular
during the mid-90s, the Purikura Generation are the
trend setters in Japanese fashion today and are targeted by
a host of brands including Burberry Blue Label and Japanese
brands such as Ships, Beams and United Arrows. As
in the US for example, retailers successfully devote specific
channels to this segment including the Marui Department store chain,
Cinderella City (Isetan Department Store) and a number of select
shops (hodge-podge brand specialty shops). The Shibuya ,
Shinjuku and Harajuku neighborhoods in Tokyo are bastions for these
brands retailers.
|
 This
generation represents the rebellious spirit among the youth in Japan
– the generation that is witnessing the crumbling of the edifice
on which the Japanese society was built after the Second World War
– lifetime employment, almost guaranteed jobs, stable families.
Bleached
hair, tanned skin, tattoos, funky hair styles –
things that would have kept anyone from being part of mainstream
Japan – are no longer frowned upon as companies increasingly hire
temporary workers who are not bound by company’s acceptable
appearance policies. This
generation has set some very interesting/ground-breaking trends for
young people that fashion designers all over the world watch
carefully. Not all of
these trends have been easily transported to the West, but it is not
unlikely that during next five years the world will see a lot of
mainstream fashion inspired by Japanese teenagers.
Implications for
fashion companies operating in Japan
Unlike
Europe and the US, Japan has a relatively short history of modern
fashion of roughly 30 years, which suggests fewer customers and
limited business opportunity for fashion brands that specifically
target customers over age 50.
As
suggested by the rise in cross-over purchases by the Dankai and DC
Generations of Dankai Junior brands, Japanese consumers (men and
women) are inclined to buy below their age group, particularly in
fashion basics. Perhaps more than some other countries, it is
critical in Japan to have designs inspired by younger fashions than
your target consumer segment.
The
Dankai Junior are at the core of Japanese fashion, particularly
brands that serve single working females who typically live with
their parents well into their 20s. The high disposable income of
this segment, plus the cross-over purchase trends by their parents,
make brands in this age group uniquely attractive versus other
segments. Despite
the past success of The
Gap, fashion brands in Japan continue to
take styling cues principally from Europe reflecting the legacy of
modern fashion in Japan. As the second and third generation of
fashion-conscious consumers enter adulthood, consumers today are
more sophisticated and inclined to purchase a variety of brands and
price points to suit various needs and occasions.
By
extension, the children’s market (under 15 years) is one of the
most hotly-contested segments for fashion brands today, despite
declining demographics. Family and lifestyle brands, including Five
Foxes and Polo Ralph
Lauren, are seeing successful new growth in
this competitive segment, reflecting fashion-oriented tastes of
their parents.
|
