A SUMMER OF JUICY COLORS
Bright Fruity Colors and Ice-Cream Shades Are In (June 6, 2005)
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| Fruity-colored clothes are popular with young women. |
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In the spring and summer, makers of clothing and other goods invariably offer their wares in bright, pretty colors, which consumers weary of winter's darkness eagerly snap up. But this year's spring/summer palette is even brighter than usual, because it features a particularly eye-catching array of vivid fruity colors. From the orange hues of mango and apricot to the yellow-green of kiwi fruit, this year the watchword dominating summer fashion and consumer items is "juicy."
Fruity Phones and Cars
A whole host of consumer goods are appearing in bright, fruity colors. For example, third-generation mobile-phone handsets released by provider KDDI in late March come in colors like Blackcurrant Mousse and Mango Pudding. The new range of handsets, called Sweets, was marketed to young teenage girls but has found favor among a much wider range of users, including female office workers. The handsets' rounded form and fruity colors seem to urge the user to go ahead and take a bite.
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| A new Sweets phone (KDDI) |
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Automakers are also cashing in on the trend for fruit-inspired designs. Move Latte, a Daihatsu subcompact popular among female consumers, is now being offered in soft milky colors with names like Banana Shake Metallic, Blackcurrant Fizz Spectrashine, and Apricot Candy Metallic. Meanwhile, as part of a series of minor design changes to its March subcompact in April 2004, Nissan added three juicy colors to the lineup: Mango Orange Pearl, Citron Yellow, and Kiwi Green.
Summer Colors Brighten the Mood
The boutique- and cafe-lined Tokyo boulevard known as Omotesando, where young trendsetters flock to see and be seen, has recently burst into bloom as many women don spring and summer clothes dominated by pinks and oranges. One of the current hotspots is Eugenie Drive, a boutique that sells a casual brand known as Juicy Couture. True to its name, the brand is characterized by bold, fruity colors. Juicy Couture has been popular among celebrities in Los Angeles for quite some time, and is now flying off the shelves in Japan too.
As one might expect, the trend for juicy colors has extended to the realm of cosmetics as well. One popular item in this vein is Juicy Tube lip gloss, which has not only a color and shine but also a scent suggestive of ripe fruit. Another favorite is I Love Juicy Shampoo, offered in fruity scents such as papaya and pineapple.
Is there more to this juicy trend than just spring fever? Some analysts think so. One argument is that people subconsciously gravitate toward mood-boosting bright cheerful colors as a means of easing their tension and fatigue. Also, in recent years people have increasingly been turning to nature in search of comfort and relaxation. Viewed as a combination of these two trends, the vogue for all things fruity seems only natural.
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Copyright (c) 2005 Web Japan. Edited by Japan Echo Inc. based on domestic Japanese news sources. Articles presented here are offered for reference purposes and do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.
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