Hi I’m Kamilah Jones aka Hard Decora and I am an illustrator and jfashion known person. If you’ve been following my work for a long time you know that I used to make apparel on the regular basis, participate in fashion shows, and post my outfits often on social media. And if you’re still following my work you know that I no longer do so. This is for a host of reasons I will go into in another blog post but one big reason is because I want to focus on my comic work and building a different relationship with the jfashion community. This new website is a fruit of that journey. In this post I’d like to share with you what I’m enthusiastic to explore in this new venture!
A Dedicated Home For Hard Decora: The Comic
One of my new goals is to make the HD comic the core of my brand which is going to take some work. To start, I have all the comic episodes uploaded here in a format that is very similar to webtoon! Having a dedicated comic site is a common occurrence in the webcomic artist community. I feel so proud to have it finally!
I think this would be the best place to post fun character prompts and story inspiration. I imagine things like character outfit swaps, character pov shopping lists, and in character Q&A s!
Personal J-fashion and Kawaii Lifestyle Insights
I don’t know why but I just can’t be a very open book on social media. I know that what is written in this category would also work on Instagram/TikTok as videos but I just can’t think creatively there.
You know where I can have more freedom? In my notes app lol I’m typing away snuggled in bed with only the light of my phone in front of me. Not a very hygienic sleep habit but this is when my thoughts keep me up anyway. I plan to discuss…
– Jfashion insights from my perspective as a black asexual queer woman – More detailed event recaps than what I give in my newsletter – Perhaps some outfit rundowns or refreshes – Indie brands that I’ve bought from or want to buy from – And more 😱
Comic and Zine Reviews
Sometimes I read comics or zines that I think the alt fashion community should know about. I have a sneaky goal of wanting more handmade zine culture in kawaii fashion and jfashion indie comics! I love supporting the indie magazines that we have! They are full color, well designed, and have beautiful submissions. If you have time or ability to put together a team please do it!
On the other hand, zines (not magazines) or comics can be more accessible to folks without a team to tell their stories! Like what if trading personal zines were like a common occurrence at jfashion meet ups to introduce yourself, update peeps on what your community is up to, or talk about a rabbit hole you went down? I want to show examples of what you could make with these art forms! I plan to make zine versions of some of my blog posts :3
Another idea is a kawaii fashion comic web-ring but let me do this blog first XD
Games???
Kind of similar to the comic/zine reviews except I don’t have a grand vision XD I just play and watch cozy games that I make me think of different jfashion styles which leads to me blurting this out in blog form sometimes haha
So that’s what I have planned! I’m aiming for a monthly post on the 15th. My first topical blog post is already up! It covers what comics inspired me to make the HD Comic 😀 Is there anything you’d like to hear from me about specifically? I am accepting topic ideas in the comments! I’ll see what I resonate with. Please comment here as I won’t be as active on sms. Thanks!
Join my newsletter for monthly reminders for this blog :3
Kawaii Holiday Market promo art for 2025 by artist itoyo69
Kawaii Holiday Market is a weekend long event sometimes held in spring or winter featuring kawaii or kawaii adjacent artists organized by Ten Ten Non-profit in collaboration with artist, Sebastian Masuda. It has been held two other times besides their 3.5 day expansion of the event this past December. You can check out their Eventbrite here for more lore. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kawaii-holiday-market-iii-tickets-1752199900069?viewDetails=true
2025’s winter event, started Thursday evening with a VIP night, then went through Friday Saturday Sunday with daytime and evening activities.
MY PERCEPTION: I had been following this event for minute seeing that Sebastian held some workshops last time and I was so jelly lol When I was invited as a guest, I was surprised to hear it was expanding to 3.5 days giving it the convention treatment so quickly since the last event. I was excited about the guests and organizers all being decora oriented too! I was concerned though about it being only a few months away when I was reached out to. Usually events spanning multiple days that include out of town guest reach out much earlier.
Venue/Atmosphere
The stage where most programming happened at KHM
Kawaii Holiday Market was held, as it has always been, in the middle of NYC at the Ideal Glass Studio. I would describe it as a medium sized gallery space featuring exposed brick and ceiling windows. There was a main floor where most activities took place, a basement where the rave was held (among other things) and a 2nd floor where we dressed for the fashion show.
When you entered the first main floor there was a Ten Ten table on your left to greet you then 3 rows of vendors filing the space until you got to the stage area. I was situated in between 6% doki doki, Kurebayashi, and Ghost Girl Goods across from the stage. The small stage had a large hand painted TEN TEN sign. Star and heart shaped balloons decorated the floor in front of the stage. Kawaii music filled the space as events took place.
The downstairs rave space was like house party sized and was next to the only bathroom of KHM from what I could tell.
The Kawaii Rave that happened in the basement of Ideal Glass Studios
MY PERCEPTION: The Ideal Glass Studio set up very much reminded me of zine fests I attend in the midwest because of the open plan space, a vendor’s hall with a variety of display styles and products, and the expressed commitment to highlighting small independent artists. However, they had programming more similar to a convention like a fashion show, rave, workshops, and panels etc. I admired their ambition and taste in vendors!
With the open plan layout of the space I think it was a little small for all these things to take place comfortably for both attendees and vendors. The aisles between vendors were too small for customers to get through without being in single file at some points. We could not rehearse the fashion show without being seen by the attendees which gave away our outfits before the show. There wasn’t a calm space to decompress if you were overstimulated. I also saw some attendees using wheelchairs and wondered how they would access the restroom or was dealing with the crowds.
Programming
Group photo from my Define Your Style Zine Making Workshop
Like I was saying earlier, KHM featured panels, workshops, a rave and a fashion show similar to what conventions offer for the j-fashion audience. Some workshops offered were kandi making with Kurebayashi, decoden hair clips with cyber.grl, kawaii candle making, and navigating taobao! I held the Define Your Style Zine Making workshop where I taught attendees how to make a mini zine and use it to talk about their style. I wish I was able to attend more of these workshops but I did see that they were well attended. Even mine, that had a not as well known of a subject matter, had about 7-10 people. Thankfully, I participated in the Broken Doll workshop with Sebastian and that was a blast!
What I think really stood out from the programming lineup were the mixing of activities not related to j-fashion necessarily. They had an idol showcase featuring PAiDA, Eru, and other groups. Talented drag performances during one evening. A karaoke segment. Para Para dancing in the rave room. An ariel hoop performance. There was even some stand up worked in!
The bunny I made at Sebastian’s Broken Doll Workshop
MY PERCEPTION: I think this was the aspect they excelled in the most next to maybe vendors. I could go on and on listing more things there were to participate in. I love pulling other artistic perspectives and niche into the j-fashion world. It’s not just what we wear it’s what we do! This creates depth in our celebration of alternative style outside of the consumption of it.
With that being said…maybe they could do less??? Like as an event that maybe sees itself as growing into a j-fashion convention I understand trying to have a LOT to do. Yet, I feel with the space and the amount of staff etc they could build on things a little slower so each point of programming could have their full attention. Also, this is an opportunity to not become a convention but become something more intentional diverging away from constant entertainment and consumption. At least…that reflects my personal values haha
Vendors/Attendee Vibe
A collage of photos I took with or of attendees that visited my table at KHM
41 vendors (at least from what I counted) tabled at the winter KHM. There were well established creators like Egglien Creations, Ghost Girl Goods, and Dyke Mint just to name a few. Not sure if there was anyone completely new to vending in general. Most of the vendors featured colorful apparel or accessories that would work well within the decora, fairy kei, or sweet lolita styles. Some vendors sold secondhand items straight from their closet while a few others sold tattoo or candy making commissions. Since the items were mostly quality handmade kawaii goods the price point of things were matching that expectation though I think anyone could get something if they were willing to stick to small accessories, prints, or stickers. Vendors’ tables were $450 for the 3.5 days that was to be paid at the point of application. Some vendors shared the 4ft tables by switching off days of vending. There didn’t seem to be a curated application process where you wait for an acceptance and pay on a deadline afterwards.
Attendees I saw either wore the j-fashions listed above (there were some darker styles too) or were creative individuals outside of the alternative fashion community stopping in to get a taste of the unique artistic perspective. Kids and teens were also drawn in (probably by cybr.grl fandom :3 ). Saturday and Sunday were especially crowded but Thursdays’ VIP night already had more people than the organizers expected. The daytime vending and panels were free to attend so anyone could join.
List of all the vendors at KHM 2025
MY PERCEPTION: I literally wanted to buy something from everyone’s table! I was so sad I couldn’t but I tried getting most artists to sign my Kawaii Icon Autograph Book (TM) to make up for it haha. Really just great stuff from all the vendors. I hadn’t seen some people in years. It was great to catch up with folks in person since I dipped out from being as active online etc. Some people asked about that but that’s a whole other post. The vendors were truly their strength.
I didn’t have a ton of sales/make a lot of money due to my table being more suited for a zine/indie comics fest where pricing is expected to be lower and I’m not even in a place of having a large body of work in that area yet. What I got from this event was connection with fellow artists and long time fans of my style. It was very touching to hear how my personal fashion journey had inspired other black femmes to follow their decora fashion goals.
Staff/Organization
KHM Staff and some of the vendor guests cutting the REALLY AWESOME and DELICIOUS KHM cake! The fondant was actually good somehow!
TENTEN non-profit is ran by 4 board of directors and a handful of volunteers it seems like from their website and my communication with them. Sebastian had some involvement with planning KHM but I’m not sure how involved he was besides adding some programming, suggesting some guests, and volunteering the Tokyo Delic restaurant space for the after party on Sunday. KHM dates were announced Oct 3rd on instagram. Guest began being announced Nov 18th. Blessed Pudding was heavily coordinating things during the day. I wasn’t able to find his official title but he seems to put together a bulk of the j-fashion events by TEN TEN. There were others like Midori helping with sound/video presentations. Marina helped with some photography and promo through her channels.
The two VIP night hosts ( Aria Jay on the left) interview TENTEN founder Ayakamay (inner left) and 6% doki doki creator Sebastian Masuda (inner right)
MY PERCEPTION: This is where I think they struggled the most. Everyone was working quite hard so effort wasn’t an issue. However, some of the guest relations were a little rocky and the common response was to reiterate that they are a non-profit organization which at some points felt dismissive. For example, there was an oft comment made to a handful of KHM guests and vendors that implied the event may be cancelled due to unsold tickets already before we even saw a single guest or workshop announcement by TEN TEN. They might not have meant it, but that put pressure on these guests (including me) to promote the event as much as possible. Then the status of the event was never brought up again to reassure us that things were ok. Meanwhile some guests had to push TEN TEN to be formally announced by the official account. There was confusion on if we would be announced or we needed to do it ourselves. I think more time for promotion 8-12 months would have given time to get more volunteers, guest travel preparation, tickets sales, etc. Everything felt so rushed on my end. I still have not been paid for my workshop contribution and some other guests were not paid in a timely manner.
At the event there was a bit of confusion on who to go to about aspects of the event or who to message if you’re running late. The schedule for the event days was not put in a clear static info graphic you could access easily. Going through Eventbrite to find a link to a video schedule on Canvas was clunky. Accessing it through a an insta post wasn’t efficient either. There was not a pamphlet day of to confirm schedules or the venue map for where certain programming were being held. Water bottles for vendors and models would have been nice throughout the days of KHM.
UPDATE 1/30/26: I was paid for my workshop contribution on 1/28. After sending two emails checking in on this starting Dec 28th with no reply, I decided to instagram message the TENTEN account and I got a separate response from one of the lead organizers on the matter. My suggestion for the future is for the event to collect payment information before the event then payment with a printable invoice is provided to the artists within a communicated timeline. There was a lot of communication through instagram dm for quickness and convenience but for certain business matters email or another channel of communication might be considered more professional.
Final Thoughts
I think Kawaii Holiday Market is a refreshing “decora” take on a 3 day j-fashion event. I loved its variety of content and the community vibes were immaculate. There wasn’t an anonymous feedback form offered despite being asked for by vendors but they insisted on us sending individual emails with vendor feedback instead. I think events of this size and that intends to grow beyond need certain things to work well (non-profit or not). This is what I will send. The staff/organization of the event behind the scenes needs a bit more work and probably time for more communication with such a small team but I have a lot of hope for this event’s future if those things are remedied!
Thanks for reading my review! Did you go to Kawaii Holiday Market? If so, did you enjoy it? If not, would you want to go? This review took a lot out of me so I probably won’t do one for a while but I hope you enjoyed it!
Disclaimer: No shade to people who have found concrit useful in their fashion journey.
In 2017 I posted a photo of Simon and I freshly out of our court house marriage appointment on Facebook. I captioned it something like “Had to get our marriage license before our out of state wedding!Also, dipping my toe into lolita.” I was wearing my first lolita dress, a white BTSSB jsk (I’ll try to find the photo) and hadn’t gotten all the items yet but hey something white to wear to this occasion in the meantime. WRONG.
The outfit that caused the commotion.
Comments on the original post were nice but I got an anonymous message through Sarahah (an anonymous Q&A app from 2017) that scolded me as if I had ruin the entire lolita community’s reputation by wearing the dress without a blouse. I didn’t do my due diligence and proper research and it had disappointed them from what I can remember them saying. Eventually the perpetrator revealed themselves and tried to apologize but couldn’t help but add that I “should ask for concrit” on my outfits.
PFFFFT YEAH FUCK THAT!
…was my internal response. Since then I have (and probably before then) never sought out a concrit session on one of my outfits. I already knew I “needed” a blouse, I just wanted to wear the dress already anyway.
[concrit is short for constructive criticism. It’s something people can do from beginners to veterans to improve their outfit or get help from their jfashion community]
My maid of honor with the dress I was wearing in the earlier picture. I gave it to her.
My view on concrit is different than maybe how others view it in the jfashion community. To me, most concrit looks like what happens in art school. There’s an assignment you present to the class for critique. The students give mostly unhelpful comments and the professor has their own agenda for what they want you to make. You leave feeling even more confused on what you were trying to do but know you need to incorporate the concrit into your art to get a better review next time. That’s not the experience I want for something I wear on my body and directly affects my self image. I know that’s not everyone’s experience.
“But…but… how will you improve your fashion sense and outfit choices??? You don’t ever ask for any guidance at all?!”
Here’s my answer to that.
My first priority is to develop a personal relationship with my style.
That means I make note of what I feel comfortable in, silhouettes I enjoy, color combos I’m drawn to. I also consider the environments and events I’m often in. I try to notice this off social media with the inspiration and clothing I already have where I can’t be overwhelmed by the constant influx of cute outfit pics.
I look for inspiration or advice after I have a clear style goal in mind.
I come with a specific question about specific details I’m concerned about. Not just “is this outfit good” or “is this outfit -whatever style-enough?” Those questions prompt people to project their personal ideas of what the style is onto my expression rather than investigate what I’m going for. Most importantly, I aim to ask trusted individuals that know and care about me or at least have a similar taste.
I ignore the criticism and the praise.
As you can probably tell, I’m pretty internally motivated for better or worse lol I really do appreciate all the compliments on my style over the years and am of course affected on some level by negative online criticism or neglect. When it comes to online attention and putting together my outfits I try to center myself on what my body wants to wear in this era.
It can be very tempting to let attention I’ve gotten (or not gotten) in the past sway me to make unaligned choices. If the two align then great!
The wedding dress I ended up wearing by Angelic Pretty.
Ultimately, I don’t concrit should be an abolished practice since some people find it helpful for the alt fashion community. I think it’s commonly conducted in a way that’s unhelpful for my needs. My philosophy is that people will find their way eventually and we need to give them the space to do that without being critiqued into shape lol
What is your experience with concrit and fashion? Do you like this practice or is it not for you either?
Can we normalize…? XDDDD Just kidding but really, I have an idea for a comics genre that I don’t think already has a name. When I try to describe my comic to others and mention what comics I’m inspired by I often name comics like Nana, GALS, Peach Girl, etc. These are stories where style was a prominent part of the story or even the main topic. A lot of what I named aren’t current titles but we have more recent titles like “The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All” and “On and Off: Work Life Imbalance” too! Western titles like Jem and the Holograms, Punk Rock Karaoke, the Monster High comic series, etc.
These style focused or highlighting works span across genres from comedy to romance to action and more! It just shows how versatile and impactful fashion culture is! Yeah most characters have to wear clothes and the main characters usually have eye catching outfits that define their personalities but in a style comic this is taken much further I argue. For example, in GALS, Ran wearing gyaru and participating in gyaru culture creates a value divide between her rebellious ways and her always law abiding police family.
Another quality I find are flashy fit checks before or during scene transitions or pivotal character moments. This happened a lot in the Jem and the Holograms comics between all the band members. One could even say that magical girl comics are all technically style comics too but I think you could tell which magical stories have more of a fashion focus versus others. Like the Sailor Moon scouts have iconic style in and out of their magical personas. Or Card Captors Sakura definitely had a fashion focus with _____ literally designing clothes for Sakura and being the inspiration for mahou kei irl. Not every magical girl series is notable for that which to me means that not every magical girl series is a style comic.
Here’s a rundown of the qualities that I think would make a comic/manga a style comic/kei manga:
Main characters participate in a fashion subculture subtly or overtly (not just wearing cute clothes)
The plot is effected by fashion subculture participation
The character development is marked by style expression or vice versa
Characters change clothes for each day or adventure often triggering a fit check panel sequence or full body shot
Acquiring apparel through DIY or other means is a frequent topic of conversation
In later years the comic title becomes iconic for capturing the fashion culture of the time or inspiring a new style culture
I don’t think all of these need to be checked off but those qualities came to mind. Let me know what you think!
I wish this theme or category was recognized enough for there to be sections in a book store or streaming apps. When I come across style comics it motivates me to read stories outside of my comfort zone because I want to learn more.
Do you like to read “style comics” or “kei manga”? Is there a name for this I don’t know about? Am I just crazy?
I love that there has been so many j-fashion/alternative fashion magazines/zines popping up in the western community. The community can feel very intangible and somewhat shallow when I only experience it through “fast social media” inputs like Instagram. This is one way to create more balance for me.
Since I backed Jaded Magazine Vol. 1 on Kickstarter a few years ago I’ve been trying to collect all the books I come across. It’s a little difficult because there are different pre-order windows I may not catch in time due to the only notification being an Instagram post for most of these publications. They are also usually $20 plus which can stack up when I am collecting. Also this is a very new avenue with most books only having 1 or 2 installments out.
So far, I’ve gotten Jaded Magazine, Jelli Zine, TENPLE, and Rococo Zine. Today I will be reviewing TENPLE, a new fashion zine out of NYC by the Ten Ten non-profit. I hope to review more as I get used to writing for my blog.
My Approach: Informed by my years of experience with indie publications within and outside the j-fashion community, I will always be approaching reviews rooting for the creators of such projects. I want to take into consideration their vision, resources, and experience when forming my opinions and use that to summarize opportunities for growth rather than criticism based on it being a “product” that provides a “service” to entertain. Zines from the j-fashion community tend to be very high production to emulate commercial magazines. Compared to the wider zine world this is out of the ordinary. Most zines are lo-fi, handmade, imperfect pieces by design. This is to make the process and price accessible to as many people as possible. I wish to make that known to you as well so that can inform your judgement of these works going forward.
[Review Criteria]
The Facts
Title/Issue: TENPLE #001
Team: TEN TEN NYC, “a non-profit organization that supports artists, fosters mental wellness, and builds joyful, inclusive communities through contemporary healing and emotional engagement.” Editor and point of contact is Blessed Pudding on Instagram who is a j-fashion community leader in NYC.
Summary: TENPLE is a zine who’s main goal is to celebrate the j-fashion community in New York and beyond through location specific photography and asking questions on how our fashion can positively impact our mental health.
Country/Region: NYC, USA
Print Quality: My guess from printing comics myself is a 100# glossy cover and an uncoated text paper for the interior pages. It’s a full color book with around 36pages and 9in x 6in.
Content Variety: street photos of alt fashion community members
Price: $25 sold through Barnes and Noble
My Opinions On…
Diversity: Since this issue featured 32 participants I was able to take the time to count out the style, color scheme, skin tone representation (from what I can judge) gender, and size rep (again in my humble opinion).There were at least 10 mid-dark skin tone participants and overall most participants seemed to be POC which was enough for me to feel represented and welcomed in the TENPLE publication. They span across styles and color schemes.
Styles Covered: As far as j-fashion styles represented I saw gyaru, fairy kei, decora, lolita, ishokuhada, shiro/goth, etc as well as some undefined styles. I loved the variety of color schemes, and representations of styles outside of lolita which tends to have more media focused on it. This gave me the impression that the NYC community has a lot of variety and expertise. Participants outside of NYC seemed well placed to fill in the gaps in style and representation where NYC couldn’t.
In addition to amount of styles covered, I saw an effort to include more masc presenting outfits and models who weren’t women. J-fashion media often focuses on its female participants. Personally, I got a lot of ideas from the masculine coords to incorporate in my rotation. I know many in the community will be inspired and heartened by this effort.
Artistic Direction and Theming: The format of TENPLE seems to be heavily inspired by Fruits Magazine with some creative differences. Differences include a location focus (especially for photos shot by Blessed Pudding) where the background is thematically matched to the outfit/style and highlighting an aesthetic landmark in their area. Most backgrounds look to be outside. TENPLE reminds us that, though we connect a lot online, we wear these fashions outside in the open and we reflect our environment just as much as any mainstream fashion style. We out here lol Like Fruits, TENPLE features a plain white text outfit description next to the model. I enjoyed reading the additional quotes provided by models about their outfit or lifestyle. I resonated with Mika’s quote, “Fashion helps me navigate adulthood as it has arrived to me.” and Jay’s quote “ I think dressing different helps me understand different cultures and styles of dressing. I’m much more likely to appreciate most aesthetics too.”
I appreciate these qualities that make TENPLE unique while keeping the simplicity of their inspiration.
Opportunities For Growth: I love TENPLE’s focus on the diversity of our community! I would like to see more size diversity if possible for future issues. They did have some though. I enjoyed the plain text descriptions but sometimes they were hard to read on certain background which may have to do with the paper quality as well. I almost would ask for a change on the paper to support sharper photos but I’m conflicted because I like the texture and lo-fi vibes the uncoated paper gives. A text box might be too much, however, maybe a more creative shape with a very light opacity text are may work for those few instances.
In the summer, I found out about TENPLE’s release from a post in the Empty Your Clips discord server I host which is awesome! My wish for all indie pubs and repeating art fests is for there to be an email newsletter for big updates like submission periods, pre-orders, and full release. Like 3 emails a year depending on how often a new issue or event occurs. I’m biased as person who is actively taking steps back from fast social channels like Instagram and Tik-Tok but I do hear that others miss the sale dates and submission periods for publications they follow. The TEN TEN organization does have a newsletter sign up on their site but I haven’t gotten anything as of yet. They seem to be most active on Instagram regarding their news.
Charm Points:
<3 A notable amount of style, racial, and gender variety
<3 A cool look at the current fashion community in NYC
<3 A great zine for if you want to see the fits and get inspiration
<3 Short but insightful sometimes playful quotes from the models
<3 Maybe find some new people to follow
Final Thoughts: Overall, I would absolutely recommend TENPLE zine. They are looking to expand the variety of content to tutorials, interviews, and activity pages. I am genuinely interested in seeing how this publication grows over time!
How To Support/Submit: I don’t know the projected release frequency for TENPLE but you can email info@tenten.nyc about collaborations and suggestions. You can submit even if you’re not NYC based.
Thanks for reading you all! This is my first fashion zine review and I hope to do more. Did you like this level of detail? What do you think about TENPLE? I was thinking next time I could try to streamline it more like the charm points area I had. I’m still trying to figure out my voice with this blog. I forget that there is a learning curve when you do new projects even if it’s “just” writing your thoughts on something.
I read kind of a good amount of comics??? I wouldn’t call myself an otaku or anything but I try to keep up with a variety of comics from manga, to indie, to things my art friends make. When I think about Hard Decora though most of my inspirations come from comics I read in high school or college. I take in inspiration constantly but for the concept of Hard Decora the comic, I’d say the following 4 comics influenced me heavily.
GALS
GALS (or Super GALS if you watched the anime) was a series about gyaru school girl Ran and her friends making their way through school and family life with style and rebelliousness. Ran was a troublemaker growing up in a police family but she also wasn’t the coolest girl in school even with her style and ability to go against the grain. She had a pair of tan gyaru bullies that claimed they were superior because Ran couldn’t tan in the sun lol Then society wouldn’t take Ran and her friends seriously because of their gyaru aesthetic and lifestyle. There was also a lot of comedic violence as Ran was an aggressively cute girl haha
In Hard Decora there’s similar obstacles for the HD crew as they have to deal with stylish gatekeepers and the issues of going against societal norms. I can’t be as silly artistically as GALS was but I think exaggerating the woes of fashion is where we connect comedically.
The Work of Sophie Campbell: Wet Moon, Shadow Eyes, Jem and the Holograms
Sophie Campbell is straight up goals as far as my art style goes. She’s just so good at incorporating fashion into her character designs and she was always diverse in her depictions of women. When I came across Wet Moon tucked away in a comic shop I was obsessed.
Wet Moon, which she wrote and illustrated, followed college girls in a small town full of mystery and college drama. Most of the characters wore alt fashion and were gay. Some characters had disabilities, chronic illnesses, or mental health issues. Shadow Eyes (writer/illustrator) was a strong metaphor for the trans journey and maybe elements of Sophie’s personal journey. Jem and the holograms comic reboot (illustrated) featured two battling girl bands that had new outfits throughout each adventure reflecting their personalities.
For Hard Decora, my line work and coloring style I think are similar to Sophie’s except she’s way better ofc. Also the high school to young adult drama is going to be so there with HD. Love triangles, friendship breakups, and identity crises galore! I want to focus on diversity as well as I can. I know I have a ways to go on that in different areas but a lot of characters to be introduced that I can make up for it on!
Boys Over Flowers
This manga and the Korean drama had me in a chokehold throughout high school! So it’s about this working class girl who transfers to a super upper class school that has a huge bullying problem. The main character stands up to all her bullies while maintaining her values and attracting the two richest boys from the Flower 4!
Seeing the main character’s persistence got me through hard times in my own life. When I hear “Almost Par-ra-diiiise!” I could shed a freaking tear. It’s definitely a “how is she gonna make it out of this one?!” type of story.
Moxie is like obviously based off of the main character and her struggles in a rich school with exaggerated bullying. I really said Boys Over Flowers but make it J-Fashion XD!
That’s my list! I hope you thought these books were interesting or even found something new to look into. Have you read these books before? Do you have any recommendations for me based on this list? Leave them down in the comments!
I want to make another post with other media that inspires Hard Decora too. However, the next post will be a review of all the new western kawaii fashion zines/magazines I’ve gotten my hands on! I wanna collect them all >:D
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