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Japanese Ganguro Girls
Ganguro appeared as
a new fashion style in Japan in the early 1990s and is
prevalent mostly among young women and women in their
early 20s to this date. In ganguro fashion, a deep tan
is combined with hair dyed in shades of orange to
blonde, or a silver grey known as "high bleached". Black
ink is used as eye-liner and white concealer is used as
lipstick and eyeshadow. False eyelashes, plastic facial
gems, and pearl powder are often added to this. Platform
shoes and brightly-coloured outfits complete the ganguro
look. Also typical of ganguro fashion are tie-dyed
sarongs, miniskirts, stickers on the face, and lots of
bracelets, rings, and necklaces.
Ganguro falls into the larger subculture of gyaru (from
English "gal"), a slang term used for various groups of
young women, usually referring to overly childish or
rebellious girls. Researchers in the field of Japanese
studies believe that ganguro is a form of revenge
against traditional Japanese society due to resentment
of neglect, isolation, and constraint of Japanese
society. This is their attempt at individuality,
self-expression, and freedom, in open defiance of school
standards and regulations. The deep ganguro tan is in
direct conflict with traditional Japanese ideas of
feminine beauty. Due to this, as well as their use of
slang, unconventional fashion sense, and perceived lack
of hygiene, ganguro gals are almost always portrayed
negatively by the Japanese media.[citation needed]
Fashion magazines like Egg and Kawaii magazine have had
a direct influence on the ganguro. Other popular ganguro
magazines include Popteen and Ego System. The ganguro
culture is often linked with Para Para, a Japanese dance
style. However, most para para dancers are not ganguro,
and most ganguro are not para para dancers, though there
are many who are ganguro or gal and dance para para.
One of the most famous early ganguro girls was known as
Buriteri, nicknamed after the black soy sauce used to
flavour yellowtail fish in teriyaki cooking. Egg made
her a star by frequently featuring her in its pages
during the height of the ganguro craze. After modelling
and advertising for the Shibuya tanning salon "Blacky",
social pressure and negative press convinced Buriteri to
retire from the ganguro lifestyle.
SOURCE - wikipedia.org
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