Since opening in Singapore late in 2012, the Japanese fashion-focused JRunway store has become the “go to” place for lovers of Japanese streetwear and kawai’i labels. Searching for a Singapore “JStar”, or brand ambassador, the store sifted through more than 300 entries to whittle the list down to 20 contestants who walked the runway on May 15, 2013.
Model DJs: Go and Yukihide, both models from Bark In Style, kept the party going with their DJ skills at the JRunway JStar brand ambassadors competition. Image: Wesley Kow
These 20 were further narrowed down to ten, round two, finalists who were chosen by top Japanese fashionistas including Mr Ken Soda, the CEO of top Japanese model agency Bark In Style, Qiu Qiu, a popular Singaporean fashion blogger, popular Japanese SCawaii model Natsuko Togo and Mr Kenji Chigira, CEO of JRunway’s owner Apparel-web Inc.
Japanese models from top agency Bark In Style showed the finalists how it's done: Taku, Kenji Kureyama, Sofia Wakabayashi, Hiroshi Fuji and Yukihide (left to right). Image: Wesley Kow
Although the finalists may not look like traditional models – some of them were quite short, for example – the Japanese fashion industry also highlights what they call “magazine” or “personality” models; girls who are super cute and appeal to shoppers and readers of the various brands and magazines because they look just like them, only better.
“I believe this will be a great opportunity to find and grow a talented Singaporean to start a modelling career,” said Mr Soda. If she is suitable, I would like to invite her to my agency in Japan where she could flourish as a model. By doing so, Japan and Singapore will have more in common in the fashion industry and more fashion cultural exchange will be made.”
The 20 finalists in the first round were shown just how to do it by five of Bark In Style’s top models – Taku, Kenji Kureyama, Hiroshi Fuji, Yukihide and Sofia Wakabayashi (yes, Sofia from Asia’s Next Top Model is signed to Bark In Style agency in Japan).
The winners: JRunway's new Singapore JStar brand ambassadors with the Bark In Style models. Image: Wesley Kow
After the professionals strutted their stuff at new “Japanese” style venue Club Kyō, the Singapore talent took to the runway wearing, naturally enough, JRunway brands. Ten girls were chosen as the finalists of the first round – Jacquelin, Yi Shiean, Olivia, Pearlin, Lynn, Yiling, Rachel, Iiwen, Syiirin and Yu Shan. You can check them out via the JRunway Facebook page.
The ten who got through to the next round won a year’s modelling with JRunway, chances for paid modelling work and other prizes; they will compete to become the grand winner on the first anniversary of JRunway’s Singapore store in November, 2013, where they’ll get a trip to Japan for five days of modelling experience, a professional fashion shoot, a tour of Harajuku and Shibuya in Tokyo plus other great bits and pieces.
According to Mr Kenji Chigira, CEO of JRunway’s owner Apparel-web Inc, the idea behind the JStar brand ambassador is to help “spread the love” for Japanese streetwear fashion. “I want our JStar to get to know more about Japanese fashion and to be a trendsetter in Singapore. Fashion in Japan has been growing owing to the support of fashion lovers.”
Check out the photos from the first round show, and stay tuned for more info about the grand winner.
JRunway is at Plaza Singapura #01-54; for more information about JRunway go to jrunway.com. Follow JRunway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrunway.aw, on Twitter at @jrunway and on Instagram at @jrunway.aw. For more information about Bark In Style models, go to www.barkinstyle.jp; follow Bark In Style models on Facebook at www.facebook.com/barkinstyle and on Twitter at @barkinstylejp.