I’ve been reading Japanese fashion magazines for years, and by reading, I mean looking at the pictures. As much as I enjoy flipping through the various glossies available on newsstands, it’s hard to relate to vamps in heels pouting behind mega-dollar shoulder pads. I need real street-style motivation, a peek into someone else’s fantasy closet—or simply a little help making sense of mine. Mostly, I crave escapism through fashion photo-realism, and I always find it when chomping into the pages of FUDGE, Japan’s “New Type Fashion Magazine for Girls.”
A visual wonderland of mismatched ensembles worn by independent lasses unafraid of whimsical style (and smiles), FUDGE eschews that which is trendy in favor of celebrating the individual and unique. You don’t need to know how to read the text to be inspired, either; it’s all about using imagination to create your own story from the snapshots. It’s as if your heightened senses make you that much more aware of what you’re looking at.
In addition to the usual monthly layouts and designer overviews, the magazine highlights global street-style (and has been doing so for years before the legions of web-savvy sartorialists hit the scene). The youthful denizens of Tokyo—from the cool kids in Harajuku to the laid back lovelies in Aoyama—know how to layer texture, color, and shape better than any other fashion capital. FUDGE, you see, is their bible, and they, in turn are FUDGE’s muses.
Japanese fashion acolytes are known for their love of extreme-theme style (the gothic baby doll “Lolita” look for instance), and an outfit’s inspiration might be drawn from a place or worked around one particular item of clothing. FUDGE has been known to devote dozens of pages to the simplicity of a cardigan or show how multicolored glasses can change a look. (I love the name of one of their recent 8-page features: “Only My Glasses Rule!”) Sometimes, they’ll pay tribute to a film such as Peter Weir’s 1975 ode to innocence lost, Picnic at Hanging Rock, giving readers a complete world to aspire to—from willowy dresses the characters might have worn to the china they might have taken their tea in. Nothing is off limits, and mash-ups are encouraged. Harry Potter meets Frida Kahlo anyone? Bring it.
Then there are the models. No need to roll your eyes at yet another bored 13 year-old weighed down by designer duds intended for women decades her senior, FUDGE employs young women who actually look like they’d wear what they’ve been styled in. Aside from being multicultural (how many magazines can boast that these days?), it seems the models are encouraged to let loose and animate the way they feel in what they’re wearing. They’re almost always photographed engaged in solo activity—be it snacking, daydreaming, or calmly contemplating life—and they almost always look like they’re having fun.
A blunt-cut redhead in a Misfits t-shirt and floral skirt balances a straw hat while pulling a wonky guffaw. A longhaired brunette reads lazily in the sun, her argyle legs drawn up underneath her, a gingham dress flapping gingerly in the breeze. Accessories often play a major role, too—from plastic tiaras at a Victorian birthday party to a shrunken fedora worn on a lonely train.
The Japanese consider how you dress to be an all-encompassing lifestyle, and FUDGE wants to give readers an extension of its stylish world beyond fashion. You’ll often find inserts featuring interior design—real-life homes that match the various themes of that month’s issue—complete with artwork you can recreate or furniture to hunt down at your local thrift shop. They feature food, too, and a new pair of tights might inspire you to pick up a dainty pastry in a matching hue.
Sadly, picking up a magazine like FUDGE isn’t always as easy. If you don’t live near a Japanese bookstore such as Kinokuniya, simply call the location nearest to you and ask if you can order a few issues over the phone (they almost always carry back issues in addition to the latest one). Then, do as I do: pick up some sushi, pour a hot cup of jasmine tea, and savor the sweetness that is FUDGE.
–By Andi Teran
Post from: Crushable
Bad news, ladies. Ryan Gosling has been spotted out with his new girlfriend, an actress named Casey LaBow. Related: Text was just found in our email outbox that says, “Dear Casey LaBow, Step off. Love, Crushable.” We dibsed Ryan so long ago you don’t even know (when he was on Breaker High, which followed Sweet Valley High on UPN’s after school lineup in the late ’90s, in case you were wondering). Naturally, we are heartbroken. That’s why it made our Controversy of the Day: Who, exactly, IS this woman?
