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This post written by Clarissa Japan Ai
by Aimee Major Steinberger
[cover name=japanai]
This is kind of a travel sketchbook, by a professional artist (she works on Futurama and other things you’ve seen) who’s really into Japanese stuff–costumes, anime, manga, kimono, dolls–and decides to go to Japan with two of her friends. She’s six feet tall and white, so she really stands out! Fortunately for her, and for the reader, she has a really good sense of humor. You can follow along with her as she and her friends experience Japanese trains, food, and hot springs; dress up like geisha; get lost; generally have a lot of fun. She uses her own style of drawing, which is heavily influenced by manga but still unique. The drawings are supplemented with lots of handwritten explanations about what’s happening, and you’ll learn a lot of interesting stuff about modern Japanese pop culture, because she generally knows what she’s talking about. This is really a one-of-a-kind book, giving you the feel of a trip to Japan with three fun, kind of geeky (in a good way!) girls the way a travel guide never could.
Go here for a preview, or click on “OMAKE” for 60 pages of bonus sketches and photos that weren’t included in the published book! (One page has a tiny amount of back nudity of a seated person.)
By the way, if you decide to look for this in a bookstore, it might be in the manga section, even though it’s not manga. It was published by Go!Comi, a manga publisher, so Borders puts it in manga, but a used bookstore might not. You may have to ask.
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Where to Find It
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This post written by Clarissa The Tokyo Look Book: Stylish To Spectacular, Goth To Gyaru, Sidewalk To Catwalk
by Philomena Keet
[cover name=thetokyolookbook]
Unlike Style Deficit Disorder, this book wanders around Tokyo exploring various fashion “tribes” of the city, including flashy “gals,” Victorian doll-like gothic lolitas, cosplayers, and chic Ginza-neighborhood fashionistas. If you read manga or watch anime, you’ve probably seen all of these types. If you’re interested in high fashion or street fashion, you’ve probably seen these looks copied by American or European designers. This book includes five themed chapters with lots of candid photos of normal people in their outfits, photos of their accessories (even their manicures!), as well as explanations and interviews with both designers and fans, information about shops and costs, etc. Several reviewers noted that this book was interesting because it includes more guys and more people who are over 18 compared to other books on Japanese fashion. It also includes not just the typical “freaky” or subcultural fashions that foreigners usually focus on, but also mainstream examples of work clothing, upscale thirtysomethings’ fashions, and the expensive kimono that young women wear for their coming-of-age-ceremony when they’re 20 years old.
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Where to Find It
[linkplus name=”The Tokyo Look Book” url=”http://csul.iii.com/record=b25337090~S0″]
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This post written by Clarissa Style Deficit Disorder: Harajuku Street Fashion
by Tiffany Godoy
[cover name=styledefecitdisorder]
Remember when Gwen Stefani was trying to borrow the Japanese street fashion image? You can read about the real thing in this book, although Japanese fashion changes pretty quickly–so once you’ve read about the terms and brands in this book and The Tokyo Look Book, you’ll have to go online to catch up with what’s popular now. This book explores the different aspects of Harajuku, which spawns tomorrow’s trends and often results in US fashion designers running several steps behind the random creativity of Harajuku’s strange mix of DIY teens and haute couture. There are about 200 photos, and essays by Japanese and American fashion editors, fashion designers, makeup master Shu Uemura, etc., covering everything from history to music to magazines. This isn’t just a picture book: many of the essays are pretty serious (so yes, you could probably use this as a reference in certain classes!) and some Amazon reviewers called this book a “must-have” for anyone serious about fashion design or Japanese pop culture.
You can read some of it online through Google Books.
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Where to Find It
[linkplus name=”Style Deficit Disorder” url=http://csul.iii.com/record=b25096335~S0″]
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This post written by Clint Tupac Shakur Legacy
by Jamal Joseph
[cover name=tupacshakurlegacy]
This book was written by Jamal Joseph, a friend of the Shakur family. It includes family photographs, reproductions of handwritten lyrics, poetry, and lots of other things.
You can look it up on Wikipedia.
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Where to Find It
[linkplus name=”Tupac Shakur Legacy” url=”http://csul.iii.com/record=b22678766~S0″]
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This post written by Clint Graffiti L.A.: Street Styles and Art
by Steve Grody and James Prigoff
[cover name=graffitila]
Graffiti L.A. covers the history of graffiti from the 1930’s until the 21st century. It includes hundreds of photographs, as well as interviews with graffiti artists. It is supposed to come with a CD-ROM, too.
If you want even more, check out Steve Grody’s website, linked above. It has some stuff that was cut from the book because it was too long, plus other material.
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This post written by Clint Body Type: Intimate Messages Etched in Flesh
by Ina Saltz
[cover name=bodytype]
Body Type explores and celebrates tattoos of one specific thing: words. The author includes a lot of pictures, as well as comments on the designs of the letters and some of the stories behind these tattoos.
You can see some of the pictures at the author’s website.
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Where to Find It
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[linkplus name=”Body Type” url=”http://csul.iii.com/record=b23314139~S0″ cchasone=true]
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