[J-Fashion] We Visited the Pooh-Chan Store in Laforet Harajuku!

FASHION
Oct. 15, 2015 03:13 PDT

Welcome back to our Japanese fashion blog! A lot of fashion brands are starting to show off their latest collections, and we have several new articles lined up for you in the near future! But first up, we'd like to take you around the new Osumashi Pooh-chan store in Laforet Harajuku.

It seriously is a slice of heaven for cat lovers--or anyone who appreciates kawaii design!

The store has an entire wall devoted solely to these decoratively arranged white Pooh-chan plushies. They look almost life-like, frolicking in various poses over the backdrop of a green meadow. It's very eye-catching, especially since it's displayed vertically, making it look as if a huge mass of Pooh-chan plushies are collectively defying gravity.

This quirky, artistic touch extends to other aspects of the shop decor as well. There's even a huge chandelier composed of black Pooh-chan plushies!

But in all seriousness, we were thrilled to learn about Pooh-chan's debut in Laforet Harajuku, a department store which is best known for housing a wide variety of top-notch Japanese clothing brands. In many ways, Laforet represents the pinnacle of established Harajuku fashion. In fact, the Pooh-chan shop is right across from a store devoted to ALGONQUINS (a cool, dark, punk-influenced clothing brand that you can also find on the TOM Premium Shop!).

This table display contains a variety of items with a cat paw (nikukyu) motif. Want to see them close up? Try browsing our product pages for these popular wallets, pouches, and key cases! We also hope to add more Pooh-chan plushies soon... stay tuned!

We loved seeing these Toko Toko Pooh-chan backpacks all lined up! Although it isn't shown in the pic above, the backpack also comes in black, and it's the best-selling color by a long shot. Another key point you might not be able to see in the store photo--the backpack straps are covered in a trail of tiny paw prints. It's subtle, but totally adorable! You can see the same design concept (ears and paw prints included!) translated into bag format with the Toko Toko Pooh-chan boston bag.

If you're in the mood for a cute umbrella, it's hard to go wrong with Pooh-chan. The makers of the Pooh-chan brand released several new designs in late spring, before the rainy season hit Japan in June. They proved so popular that they have almost completely sold out for us. We're hoping to add more umbrellas--perhaps including the one seen in this photograph--as soon as they become available again!

Many countries are trying to popularize reusable grocery bags. Cute and sturdy ones like these could make everyday shopping a lot more fun! Most eco-friendly Pooh-chan shopping bags are designed to fold up very small, so you can tuck them away in a tiny pouch when you don't need them. The pink and white bags in the photo above come with their carrying pouches attached--naturally, they're shaped like Pooh-chan's face!

The Gyu Gyu Pooh-chan print was a smash hit as soon as it came out, and has since been adapted into everything from backpacks, to reusable grocery bags (as shown previously), to wallets, to iPhone cases.

In Japanese, "gyu gyu" is an onomatopoeia for something being pressed together or squeezed in a small space. You can probably tell where the name comes from--this print is composed of a bunch of Pooh-chan faces squeezed so tightly together that they actually overlap in places. Look closely--a few of the faces are different from the rest. Can you spot their special features?

Last, we wanted to show you these super-cute hair ties, which are exclusive to the Pooh-chan store in Laforet Harajuku. Tokyo Otaku Mode has a pretty gigantic Pooh-chan line-up, and it keeps growing every month! But to get your hands on one of these special hair ties, you'll have to come visit Laforet Harajuku in person. If you happen to be in Tokyo, it's definitely worth a trip!

We can't reveal the details yet, but we're incredibly excited about some of the new Pooh-chan designs we'll be bringing to you later this year, just in time for Christmas. Hope you're looking forward to it!

Thanks for reading, and see you again soon!

By Dreamy MIDORI & Sarappe