Street fashion in ura-harajuku, factorsin retail agglomeration, and effects on apparel production

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Abstract

The street fashion of Tokyo has garnered widespread global attention. Particularly, Ura-Harajuku, where specialty store retailers of private-label apparel (SPAs) are clustered, is famous for its original designs. This paper has two objectives. The first is to examine the factors contributing to the agglomeration of SPAs in Ura-Harajuku. The second is to investigate the effects of this agglomeration on the reorganization of apparel production. K-function analysis and an interview with a developer were conducted to examine the factors contributing to the agglomeration. The effects of the agglomeration were determined through interviews with representatives of retail stores and trading companies. The shift of store locations to the residential area of Ura-Harajuku began in the late 1980s. This new location reduced the value of Ura-Harajuku as a residential area and, through the 1990s, more retail stores continued to locate in this area Since the 1990s, many young designers have opened stores. A prominent apparel manager in Harajuku has supported these stores. Their success resulted in the participation of other entrepreneurs in Ura-Harajuku. The agglomeration has had a two-fold effect on the apparel production process. First, SPAs began to use consumers as a source of inspiration for their designs. The agglomeration of retail stores attracts many consumers to Ura-Harajuku. These fashion-conscious consumers observe each other on the street to refine their own styles. This interaction produces sophisticated street fashion in the area SPAs in Ura-Harajuku take advantage of this sophisticated street fashion, that is, they use street fashion as a source of inspiration for their designs. Second, through trading companies, the agglomerated retail stores started to outsource the manufacturing process of their goods to overseas sewing companies, which were mainly in China Although SPAs place these small-lot orders, trading companies also outsource large-lot jobs to sewing companies in China. Sewing companies find it difficult to earn profits from small-lot production, and the acquisition of large-lot jobs helps sewing companies to remain profitable. Trading companies that collect contracts of different sizes can therefore open retail stores that incur low-cost overseas outsourcing. In conclusion, SPAs in Ura-Harajuku use street fashion to produce unique apparel designs. As people visiting Ura-Hrajuku are very fashion conscious, their tastes as consumers are highly differentiated. The different needs of such consumers can potentially create the demand for unique niche fashion. This potential demand will be supported by the availability of unique clothing in Ura-Harajuku. The number of fashion-conscious consumers in Ura-Harajuku is expected to decrease owing to Japan's low birth rate. Numerous consumers who visit this area are important for the production of unique designs. An increase in the number of overseas consumers who visit Ura-Harajuku will help Tokyo maintain its position as a global fashion mecca.

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APA

Naoto, Y. (2012). Street fashion in ura-harajuku, factorsin retail agglomeration, and effects on apparel production. Geographical Review of Japan Series B, 85(4), 301–323. https://doi.org/10.4157/grj.85.301

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