Harajuku Lovers HP camera

[kimpossible]

http://www.weblogsinc.com/common/images/3511739173005930.JPG

Hit the floor here at CES again today and of course we had to find that digital camera Gwen Stefani designed/styled for HP. The camera’s basically just a tricked out version of their 4.1 megapixel HP Photosmart R607 (i.e. they slapped a skin on it) and according to Gwen, is dedicated to the hyper-trendy girls of Harajuku (which is why they put the words “Harajuku Lovers” on the front, get it?)

If I understand it correctly, this is only the first of her "Harajuku Lovers" design line to be marketed to Japanese. I'm not big on Gwen Stefani either in the positive or negative but one of the marketing gimmicks for the line is the Japanese chicks as accessories... literally, they were listed as accessories. Oh well. This is in the early stages so I guess it's a wait and see matter.

I don't think it's all Stefani driven, HP is taking a big risk thinking she's a good way to get more of the Japan market share of digital cameras based on her music and celebrity status. While I'm not the most up to date on which US pop stars are big in Japan, I've never had the impression that Stefani is the "it" girl in Japan. Personally, I would've gone with Paris Hilton. She may not be a pop star but I think she's more of a recognizable fashion icon.

[VV o n g B a]

While I'm not the most up to date on which US pop stars are big in Japan, I've never had the impression that Stefani is the "it" girl in Japan. Personally, I would've gone with Paris Hilton. She may not be a pop star but I think she's more of a recognizable fashion icon.
not that i'm a fashion maven or anything of the sort, but a lot of japanese girls seem to have an... eclectic taste. and gwen's taste in fashion is more eclectic than paris's, more girly than pink's, less white than avril's, and less completely weird than bjork's.

on a side note: OMFG. how the hell do i know this?

[kimpossible]

not that i'm a fashion maven or anything of the sort, but a lot of japanese girls seem to have an... eclectic taste. and gwen's taste in fashion is more eclectic than paris's, more girly than pink's, less white than avril's, and less completely weird than bjork's.

on a side note: OMFG. how the hell do i know this?

Yes, in profile she's a 'match' but I'm not sure if that's because we're looking at it from a US perspective. Many a US brand and marketing campaign has tanked in Japan because they totally misread Japanese tastes based on what they think would work rather than going in and actually doing good old fashioned market research.

I know Paris is big in Japan in conjunction with image and fashion. I haven't heard the same of Stefani. I'm not even convinced "Harajuku Lovers" is a good way to go. If I were to bet on this, I'd put my money on it selling better to teens in the US than in Japan in the long run.

Anyone know if she's big in Japan?

[VV o n g B a]

maybe i should have reserved comment until i actually knew what harajuku was. i get the feeling that it's not cosplay. i think it is the term for fashion that normally wouldn't be thought of as matching, but i'm not sure. if it's not (i'm lazy and don't feel like looking it up) then i have no clue what we're talking about.

if it is what we're talking about, i get the feeling that it's not typically clubbing clothes b/c most pics are daylight pics and not the subjects aren't superstars (except ayumi hamasaki?). so is this something they wear everyday all day or something they only wear to show off while shopping?

[YuheiCarreau]

maybe i should have reserved comment until i actually knew what harajuku was. i get the feeling that it's not cosplay. i think it is the term for fashion that normally wouldn't be thought of as matching, but i'm not sure. if it's not (i'm lazy and don't feel like looking it up) then i have no clue what we're talking about.

if it is what we're talking about, i get the feeling that it's not typically clubbing clothes b/c most pics are daylight pics and not the subjects aren't superstars (except ayumi hamasaki?). so is this something they wear everyday all day or something they only wear to show off while shopping?

To be honest, the Harajuku fashion (if there is such a thing) resembles costumes more than everyday clothing. Think heavy, halloweenish makeup, outlandishly frilly clothing, a 'goth' look - basically something that looks like dracula designed by a bunch of 9-year-old girls. I think Gwen Stefani's look is pretty standard California punk/ska, although I seem to remember her wearing those Indian face beads and a bindi way before Madonna did it.

[VV o n g B a]

harajuku was definitely not what i was thinking of. by yuhei's description, this camera's design, which looks girly and cutesy (i think that was the intent anyways...), is all wrong for the goth-ish look of harajuku. i wonder if hp really thought this marketing thru...

[kimpossible]

^yeah but you can still lookit and guess. it's fun.

[Faithless]

Harajuku is just one aspect of "Japanese fashion", right -- but one that is overplayed by the powers that be.

So, what happens when Stefani gets bored with it? (Or grows up.)