By: T’Neil Gooden
The Brooklyn College Japanese Fashion Club introduced BC students to their first-ever Decoden DIY event on Sept. 25. Students were able to decorate various items, including phone cases and compact mirrors, with rhinestones, cabochons, and beads to create designs that would last a lifetime.
“Decoden has always been a very important part of J-Fashion communities. From my knowledge, maximalism is especially prominent in Gyaru and Decora communities. However, as a landmine, decoden is a vital part of oshikatsu* culture,” Elias Lac, treasurer for the JFashion club, said.
Students were able to choose the items they wanted to decorate their products with free will, allowing them to make designs that are unique to them.
“I would say my favorite part of the event would have to be picking out the charms that they were able to present us with. I thought they were very cute and just what I wanted to put on my mini mirror and hair clip,” Tiffany Samaroo, sophomore at BC, told The Vanguard.
Creating art is something that is not new to Brooklyn College; students have been expressing themselves through art for many years.
“Being a nerd since I was 8, I’ve always loved dedicating my time to creating for the characters I really like, and it brings me at ease to create. Making crafts is a way of expressing love and dedication, whether as a gift for other people or for yourself,” Lac told The Vanguard.
The event had over 60 individuals attending, with all of them being able to leave with a craft made by their own design and creativity.
“I wanted to take part in this event because I have heard of decoden before. I always wanted to do this activity, but didn’t have the supplies. Therefore, I was really excited to see that there was an event like this on campus,” Anuskha Aktar, sophomore at BC, told The Vanguard.
Decoden comes from two words: Deco, meaning decorations, and the Japanese word denwa, meaning phone. Students were able to use the meaning of decoden to provide a new meaning to their arts and crafts.
“I know personally that classes and exams can be so stressful, so taking part in activities and events can be a form of recharging. The diversity of clubs in Brooklyn colleges is one of the reasons why I enjoy attending the college,” Diana Ese, a sophomore at BC, told The Vanguard.
Students filled baskets with colored adhesive, charms, pompoms, gems, beads, compact mirrors, and hairpins to decorate. Students not only decorated but also met other students who enjoy crafting as much as they do.
“It’s a fun way to try new things and get crafty. Also, you never know who you will meet at these events, so it is fun to just go to these club events and try to make friends or just socialize,” Samaroo said.
Students learned about new designs and styles of art that they had not been introduced to previously, allowing them to create individualized crafts and get introduced to what the J-fashion club has to offer BC students.
“I organized it [the event] because it seemed like a great way to reintroduce our club since it’s a very fun, popular, and cute craft that gave us a chance to make people aware of our club and educate them a little bit about J-fashion,” Em Katz, Founding President of the J-Fashion Club, told The Vanguard.
This event caused many students to participate. Students continued to express their interest in the activity by creating more than one design for different items.
“I was really nervous for this event, not because I was concerned that it wouldn’t go well, but because of the sheer size of the people attending,” Lac said. “This is our second event after all, and I believe it’s important to create a good impression, especially for the first few events! Now, I’ve figured out how to let it flow naturally. It’s much less intimidating than I thought it would be.”
This event brought students to explore new fashion styles, express these styles in their crafts, and build a community at BC.
“I think BC students would be interested in events like this because it’s an opportunity to make a very customizable and cute craft that is often somewhat pricey to make and not super accessible! Events like this do not happen often,” Katz said.
Students left this event with a new understanding of arts and crafts, along with products that they call their own.
“My favorite part of the event was honestly being able to hang out with my friends, since we don’t get too many opportunities to do so. I also liked being able to decorate the portable mirror that was given to us. I plan on using it every day,” Ese told The Vanguard.
Students interested in the J-Fashion Club at BC can visit their Instagram @bcjfashionclub.