Low-teen girls have become a hot fashion market in Japan. (Narumiya International) EARLY STARTERS: Low Teens Increasingly Interested in Fashion March 18, 2002 The "low-teen" fashion market for style-conscious elementary- and middle-school girls is flourishing. Department stores host an endless parade of fashion shows for this market, and the girls cheerfully oblige by showing up in droves. Not only cosmetics and clothing companies but even toy makers have thrown themselves into what has become a fierce competition for the hearts and wallets of preteen and early-teen girls. More Freedom, More Money The sudden growth spurt of the low-teen market has been fueled in part by the girls' mothers, who seem to be quite open-minded about the style yearnings of their daughters. According to trend watchers, there has been a shift in mothers' values. Also fueling the growth of the market is the ongoing trend for families to have fewer children; this change in the social structure cannot be overlooked as a contributing factor. An only child is often the sole recipient of pocket money from six adults: two parents plus two sets of grandparents. In other words, an only child sometimes has exclusive access to six wallets. And girls are more likely than boys to spend that money on fashion. Not Just for Grown-Ups Anymore Recently, at one Tokyo department store's fashion show featuring brands for the low-teen market, over 1,000 girls packed the venue. As popular fashion models appeared on the runway and waved, their young audience, eyes all asparkle, cheered them on. Though the ensembles worn by the models retail for ¥30,000 to ¥40,000 (about $231 to $308 at ¥130 to the dollar), all the girls were saying, "I want to wear that too." Dozens of girls and their mothers flocked to this fashion show featuring low-teen brands. (Narumiya International) The transformation of young girls into fashion consumers was driven by the rise of Speed and Morning Musume, two all-girl singing groups that have attained idol status among girls. According to one popular designer of fashions for the low-teen market, "All along, there had been a segment of girls with a latent interest in fashion. The presence of these young female pop idols has imbued those girls with self-confidence, bringing their fashion interest into the conscious realm. When they see the girl bands, they say to themselves, 'That could be me!'" Items currently popular among the low-teen segment include miniskirts and platform sneakers; colorful combinations are favored. In the past, clothing for this age group was referred to within the industry as "school clothes"; the designs were mostly plain, larger-sized versions of young kids' clothing. One company that exemplifies the phenomenal growth of the low-teen fashion industry is Narumiya International (site is Japanese only), which encompasses many popular brands. The company has enjoyed steady business growth since it entered the low-teen fashion market nine years ago. Its annual sales, which were ¥2.8 billion (about $22 million) in fiscal 1999, are expected to reach ¥8.8 billion (over $68 million) for fiscal 2001. The company is confident of even higher sales in the future. According to a spokesperson, "It used to be that kids wore the clothes their parents provided. Now they aren't satisfied with copying adults or wearing imitations. The low-teen business is going to grow even more."   Your Name What did you think of this article? It was interesting. It was boring. Send this article to a friend Trends in Japan Home Competition Intensifies The low-teen cosmetics market is also booming. Kanebo, a major cosmetics manufacturer, ignited this boom in the spring of 1999 when it launched a series based on the concept of "a girl's first fashion item, which can be purchased with pocket money." All of the items are fragrance-free, and all except the nail polish can be washed off with soap and water. Other than that, Kanebo's youth collection is indistinguishable from an adult cosmetic lineup; the selection includes foundation, lipstick, and so on. Annual sales are ¥200 million (about $1.5 million), which is considered good in this sector. Last fall, the toy manufacturer Takara jumped into the low-teen cosmetics market with a similar product lineup. Meanwhile, discount toy retailer Toys"R"Us Japan has set up a special sales area dedicated to cosmetics for the low-teen market. By altering the arrangement of the shelves and color scheme, the retailer has given this sales area the look of a stand-alone shop, thereby differentiating the cosmetics section from its toys. Toys"R"Us Japan initially tried this concept at two locations in 1999, but because its popularity has surpassed expectations, last fall it expanded its low-teen cosmetics retail concept to 118 locations throughout Japan. Now that the fashion consciousness of preteen and early-teen girls has been awakened, adults in the business world will be competing more and more fiercely for their custom. Copyright (c) 2002 Japan Information Network. 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.