I’m jealous of those of you who live near Washington, DC — because there is currently an enticing exhibit of avantgarde Japanese fashion at the Textile Museum. Seminal pieces by Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto are on display. The show ends on April 11 — has anyone seen it yet?

Last Sunday, the museum had a special Harajuku Japanese Street Chic Demonstration & Fashion Show in conjunction with the current exhibit. I was kindly offered passes to the event; since I’m currently filming for the NHK documentary in NYC, my friend Chi attended and took copious notes.

The blue-wigged keynote speaker was Nick Ferris of the Alexandria, VA anime and gaming convention T-Mode. He spoke about the history of Harajuku and the significance of the Jingu Bridge. Notably, he said this subculture was an “escape from the structured and rigid culture” of Japan. The bridge is a meeting place; “[Harajuku] is really in the social context today…. People are really trying to express their individuality.”

Ferris continued: “Fashion has a way of bringing together people at Harajuku that doesn’t really happen anywhere else.” He cited the ‘free hugs’ and how youths become instant friends become when they see a costume they like.

He spoke about the different styles: Cosplay, Visual Kei, Aristocrat/boystyle, and Kawaii. Ferris talked in depth about the different spins on Lolita fashion — Classic, Punk, Wa, Qi, Hime, Sailor — and said, “the most popular subgenre of Lolita is Gothic Lolita.”

Next, three American girls took the mike and spoke about how they make Harajuku street style their own. Amelia Hyman (center, 15 yrs old) wore a Gothic Lolita dress inspired by Alice in Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts. Her outfit was mostly from Hot Topic, and she put the rest of the costume together herself. She is saving up for another one after her birthday in August.

According to Savant Thomas (right), “Harajuku is like walking into a wonderland of creative culture and artists.” Her dress and bag are from Harajuku, the bows in her hair she did herself, and her rings are from Hot Topic.

Amy Elizabeth cosplayed as Visual Kei singer Kaya. Her outfit is inspired by the Chocolat music video. She made 85% of the costume herself, and the rest she put together.

After, there was a fashion show of various street styles you’d see in Harajuku, such as Sweet Lolita.

Ferris made an intriguing comment about the future of Harajuku fashion. He speculates that the Great Recession will result in the simplification of outfits; he noted that Versace closed all its stores in Japan, and that the community has welcomed cheaper American stores such as the H&M, Zara, and Forever 21. “Ultimately though, Harajuku trends will continue be dictated by the whims of Harajuku youths, referring to the power of one individual to change fashion.”

I also thought it was interesting that many of the girls buy pieces from Hot Topic and other American retailers to create their outfits. I personally find it refreshing to hear from voices that aren’t brand or coordination elitists; these girls find DIY/creative ways to bring Harajuku style into their lives, even if they don’t have a large budget or brands.

Your thoughts on the Japanese fashion demonstration at the DC Textile Museum? I hope you are enjoying the guest reports; I have several fabulous ones of Tokyo and Kansai events coming up. And I’ll of course take you behind the scenes at my NHK TV shoot… you can keep track of the filming on my Twitter.