By: Margot Dragos
On Feb. 26, J-Fashion Club engaged Brooklyn College (BC) students’ creativity and curiosity during their Valentine’s Paint & Snack event in the Student Center’s Glenwood Room. The event not only encouraged students to engage with their creative sides but also taught attendees more about Japanese fashion.
J-fashion, short for Japanese fashion, refers to the many subcultures of Japanese street fashion. Many J-fashion styles include bold colors and maximalist outfits, emphasizing individual expression.
Attendees painted wooden jewelry boxes and coasters while snacking on pizza and sugar cookies. There were also hair claw clips available to decorate with an assortment of lace and charms.
“I’m decorating the hair claws for my mom and I,” Tania Guerrero, a senior psychology major, told The Vanguard.
Although this was the club’s first event of the semester, the J-Fashion club is no stranger to crafting events. They previously hosted a Decoden DIY event where students used colorful charms to decorate phone cases and compact mirrors.
“I love J-fashion events,” Iris Henna, club connector for J-Fashion club, told The Vanguard. “They’re very fun. I love making crafts and just decorating.”
Towards the middle of the event, Em Katz, founder and president of the J-Fashion club, began a Kahoot game, an online quiz for students to join, that tested attendees’ knowledge of J-fashion.
“I always try to relate [the club’s] events back to J-fashion somehow,” Katz told The Vanguard. “But it was hard to do that with this one because it was more so a late Valentine’s Day celebration and a painting event, which is why I did a J-fashion themed Kahoot so people could still learn something from it.”
Among the questions in the Kahoot were, “Which Tokyo area is most famous for J-fashion style?” and “What Japanese word is most heavily associated with J-fashion?” The first, second, and third place winners were BC students Chela, Elias, and Denise, respectively. They each took home a pink stuffed animal as a prize.
Even those who didn’t win learned more about J-fashion from observing the Kahoot.
“Sure,” said Christopher Bonifacio, a business administration major, when asked if he learned anything new about J-fashion from the event. “When they were doing the Kahoot, I was listening in.”
Katz frequently dresses in J-fashion styles and participates in the New York City (NYC) J-fashion community. She continues to bring this knowledge of J-fashion to the BC community through her club’s events.
“I personally love J-fashion and am an active member of the NYC J-fashion community,” said Katz. “So I wanted to educate people about our community and spread love and awareness for J-fashion.”
“I actually learned about [J-fashion] from Em,” Henna told The Vanguard. “[…] It’s just really interesting to learn about it. I love all the colors and all the charms [Em] wears.”
Katz started the J-Fashion Club with the hope of providing a space for students who dress in alternative or J-fashion styles.
“I think it’s important to bring J-fashion to the BC community because I didn’t see any fashion-related spaces on campus, especially one that was a safe place for alternative students,” said Katz.
“Although we are J-Fashion specific, we welcome everyone, whether you’re alternative, like J-fashion specifically, or fall into neither of those categories!”
The club encourages self-expression through fashion and aims to continue providing a safe space for students to participate in J-fashion styles.
“I’ve heard from many people that they want to wear J-fashion but don’t know where to start, or are scared to do it alone,” said Katz.
“This is why having a space to do so can be so important for people, to give them the confidence to start being themselves.”
Students interested in learning more about the J-Fashion Club can follow their Instagram @bcjfashionclub.