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LARME magazine is a Japanese magazine founded in 2012 and described as a "sweet and cute girl's fashion picture book." by Haruna Nakagoori. The target audience was cultured young women from the ages of 18-25, who would read and go to museums. A unique feature of the magazine is its editing style, with multiple props and illustrations being used to decorate the pages.[1] The fashion magazine has a distinctly feminine style that balances kawaii and sexy elements, with multiple vintage-inspired pieces and interesting textures. In the West, the style is referred as "larme kei," but that name is not recognized in Japan, and is instead referred to as "girly fashion" or by simply "LARME fashion." [2]


Visual

The scrapbook-style editing of the magazine, along with its stylized backgrounds, allows the fashion magazine to enhance its aesthetic beyond fashion. Multiple brands also do photo shoots and decorate their stores to express its girly concepts.

  • Bed imagery such as pillows and blankets
  • Chandeliers
  • Halloween issues set in dark mansions
  • Glitter
  • Makeup vials and palettes
  • Roses, peonies, and other flowers with romantic appearances
  • Simple sketches such as hearts, stars, and phrases in cursive
  • Sweets such as lollipops and patisseries in Japan. Ties into its "cultural" section which may feature cafe openings
  • Victorian and Rococo inspired furniture


Fashion

The outfits in the magazine have fabrics, details, and styling guidelines that remain the same throughout the magazine's run, yet also utilize brand new and trendy items, which creates a strong brand identity that shows its currentness with its audience.

Colors

The magazine's colors depended upon the theme the photospread was, with both monochrome pink or black, and maximalist multicolored bling. However, brands that follow the same style tend to use pink, black, offwhite, red, and pastel colors; the more unusual spreads were based on more experimental vintage pieces.

Fabric

  • Chiffon
  • Denim
  • Gingham
  • Faux Fur
  • Lace
  • Organza
  • Prints in floral, cherries, hearts, swiss dots, and animal print
  • Satin
  • Marabou feathers

Tops

  • Camisoles or tube tops layered over simpler pieces
  • Kawaii, almost Lolita-like blouses with ruffles, peter pan collars, and puffed sleeves
  • Off-the-shoulder tops
  • Sheer fabric or lace tops used for layering
  • Sweaters

Bottoms

  • A-line skirts, typically used as a statement piece
  • Bell-bottomed pants
  • Pants designed to look like maxi skirts
  • Pencil skirts, sometimes designed to look like a garter belt was layered over it
  • Pleated skirts
  • Shorts in a high-waisted style
  • Tiered ruffle skirts

Dresses

  • Slip dresses used in lingerie as a layering piece
  • Vintage-inspired dresses, such as 70s Prairie Revival and Victorian children's dresses

Shoes

  • Ankle boots
  • Mary-Janes
  • Pumps

Accessories

  • Berets
  • BDSM-inspired harnesses
  • Chokers
  • Earrings
  • Hair clips
  • Socks paired with heels
  • Vintage-inspired fascinators


Hair and Makeup

Larme magazine almost always features hair and makeup tutorials after the fashion sections, and maintains a similar look throughout the magazine.

The makeup is designed to look like one has finished crying, with heavy use of red, pink, and brown on the eyelids and under-eyes. Lips are pink and red, and there is a heavy use of blush. Unlike Western makeup trends, Larme magazine does not utilize contouring, eyeliner, or highlight, and instead gives a softer look. However, the eyes are often emphasized through specialized cosmetic contact lenses and false lashes to create a doe-like appearance.

The models almost always have bangs with soft waves, which can be put up in braided up-dos, pigtails, ponytails, and space buns. Those are often embellished by elaborate braids, with ribbons and hair clips to further decorate. Some salons have created even more elaborate styles based on this aesthetic, with ribbons forming a corset pattern between braids or locks of hair formed into a heart.


Culture Pages

After the fashion editorials, the magazine has multiple articles, news that would appeal to the LARME audience, and interviews with models of the magazine, fashion designers, or musicians. These pieces of media are not "Larme" media and do not represent the style or ethos, but rather as a source of fashion inspiration or simple news.

Brands


Gallery

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