I fell in love with Gyaru fashion specifically for the different styles that a single piece of brand could provide; That was always the exciting bit to me, actually. I constantly kept an eye out for new brands appearing in Shibuya 109’s shop roster as well as whatever director made their debut in TGC and other fashion shows. It was as simple as seeing the GALMO outfit rundowns to see whether a new brand had come into play and how.

There’s a lot that I think came with having been involved with the subculture during the Gyaru booms that sometimes I wonder if the newer generation knows about it––not that the newer foreign gyaru wouldn’t know or care, whatever, but more as in whether or not they’ve known about the brand and maybe discovered that they’d want to try it out and apply it to their own style or to help them achieve a certain style.

So here’s a list of all of the brands I consider relevant to Gyaru, majority of them discontinued. I’ve listed out their katakana because the next blog post will be about finding these brands online:

 

ALBAROSA(アルバローザ)

The mother of all Gyaru brand and pretty much a staple back in the 90’s when EGG first came out. It’s mainly recognizable for its hibiscus print. You can read an interesting article about ALBAROSA through Fashion Snap (in Japanese) here. Used for oldschool gyaru styles such from manba all the way to kurogyaru.

ANAP GIRL (アナップガール)

Primarily used in amekaji styles.

AVIRA PINK (アビラピンク)

Technically before D.I.A and BABY SHOOP, there was Avira Pink.

ANK ROUGE (アンクルージュ)

Popular within himekaji styles.

BABY SHOOP (ベイビーシュープ)

Known as THE B-gal brand. Its predecessor was SHOOP.

BACKS (バックス)

Grown-up version of Garula. A lot of the outerwear pieces work well with kurogyaru.

BUFFALO BOBS (バッファローボブス)

Another gyaru-o/host brand. Buffalo Bobs is well known for its accessories, jewelry, and bags.

BLUE MOON BLUE (ブルームーンブルー)

Another amekaji brand.

COCOLULU (ココルル)

The staple amekaji brand.

DaTuRa (ダチュラ)

Another onee/ane agejo brand.

DELYLE (デイライル) and DELYLE NOIR (デイライルノアール)

DELYLE worked best for ane agejo, while DELYLE NOIR was a more sophisticated style for onee gyaru.

D.I.A (ダイア)

The kurogyaru staple brand.

DIABLO (ディアブロ)

Not many gyaru-o brands or host style brands that are noteworthy, but one of the few is DIABLO, best known for its accessories in belts and jewelry.

EATME (イートミー)

Gyaru business tycoon Tsubasa Masuwaka is the director. While the style works with himekaji a bit, it’s more geared towards Larme style.

EGOIST (エゴイスト)

The best way to explain EGOIST is that GARULA and ENVYM (or similar brands) had a baby and thus, a slightly sexier, sometimes sexy, sometimes very moderate gyaru brand came about. EGOIST works/ed on onee gyaru styles as well as kurogyaru depending on the pieces used.

EMIRIA WIZ (エミリアウィズ)

Another business tycoon, this time kyabajou, created her own brand; perfect for ane agejo!

EMODA (エモダ)

Another onee brand, this time more geared towards blogger style.

ENVYM (アンビー)

Popular within oneegyaru. Brand gained a slightly more urban edge once Neo gyaru came about and is now a bit of a mix of onee with hypebeast style.

GALAXXXY (ギャラクシー)

Another one of the “it” brands when it comes to haady style. Galaxxxy is still going strong as a brand and has done quite a few showcases overseas.

GALSVILLE (ギャルズビル)

Galsville had all of the oldschool vibes that could make kurogyaru, but only a softer version…kind of. Hard to explain. This brand also had more misses than hits, but the hits worked perfectly for kurogyaru and agejo styles for the most part.

GARULA (ガルラ)

D.I.A’s younger sister, basically.

GHOST OF HARLEM (ゴーストオブハーレム)

GHOST OF HARLEM brand was primarily showcased by Sakurina. Everyone loves Sakurina, therefore, everyone loves GHOST OF HARLEM (with very good reason).

GILFY (ギルフィー)

And before tutuHA and Ghost of Harlem? GILFY! Sometimes a softer rokku style than the brands that came after it, but still relevant to the style.

GLAD NEWS (グラッドニュース)

Another rokku brand. This brand could go with almost any style, not just rokku due to it’s cartoon designs at times and very colorful pieces.

GLAVIL by tutuHA (グラビル)

After tutuHA, GLAVIL came out – best known for their beanie hats with ears.

GOLDS INFINITY (ゴールズインフィニティー)

Another favorite for ane gyaru style. Onee is supposed to be the more serious style while ane is sexier. This brand’s pieces can work with both styles.

GYDA (ジェイダ)

Another mixed bag of sorts. Some of the pieces work with kurogyaru, most were primarily onee, others could even work with haady or amekaji. It all really depended on what was released.

JESUS DIAMANTE (ジーザスディアマンテ)

When you think Hime gyaru, usually Jesus Diamante is what’s considered the staple brand for it.

JOYRICH (ジョイリッチ)

This one’s a bit weird. It’s not necessarily an established Gyaru brand as it would be one of the first Japanese brands that was greatly influenced by gyaru fashion while keeping LA as its concept. It works for b-gal and haady the most.

JSG (ジェーエスジー)

The last of the haady gyaru trifecta. JSG was primarily showcased by Kaoru Watanabe back in the day.

JUNGLE CAT (ジャングルキャット)

Almost as rare as MIZELVA. This brand was basically a happy marriage between haady and kurogyaru before D.I.A.

LDS (エルディーエス)

Amongst other brands, LDS was one of the few brands that could be found primarily in haady style.

LB-03 (エルビー・ゼロスリー)

Very similar to AVIRA PINK in terms of age. Pieces could be used for b-gal, haady, and more.

La Pafait (ラ パフェ)

Another predominantly hime and himekaji brand, though its pieces primarily worked best for the former.

LIP SERVICE (リップサービス)

Another onee brand, though sexier, very similar to RESEXXY.

LIZ LISA (リズリサ)

Known as THE himekaji brand.

LIZ LISA Doll (リズリサドール)

After LIZ LISA’s success, LL Doll was created. This brand was a funkier and more playful version of the brand which could be used in amekaji among other styles.

LOVE BOAT (ラブボート)

Another weird grab bag. Pieces worked best for kurogyaru.

LOVE JUNKIE (ラブジャンキー)

This was another weird grab bag of sorts. Pieces could work with agejo, kurogyaru, and at times even rokku.

MA*RS (マーズ)

Known as THE agejo brand. MA*RS also had come out with a smaller sister version called REAL MA*RS, whose pieces could be work for a sexier, more rokku or oraora style.

MADSTAR (マッドスター)

Another oraora brand; MADSTAR was largely showcased by Sena in Soul Sister.

MAISON GILFY (メゾンギルフィー)

GILFY also came out with a sister brand catering to more rokku audiences called MAISON GILFY. This brand was around prior to GLAD NEWS establishing.

marpleQ (マープルキュー)

Another amekaji brand that could also be used for haady.

me Jane (ミジェーン)

me Jane was another old school brand that could work with softer kurogyaru looks and general gyaru style. They’d also come out with a GLAMOUROUS Jane counterpart that worked best with agejo.

MIDAS (ミダス)

Another gyaruo fashion brand.

MIZELVA (ミゼルヴァ)

And before MA*RS, MIZELVA existed as the agejo staple. Now, it’s incredibly rare to find MIZELVA pieces (moreso than ALBA ROSA).

MURUA (ムルーア)

This was one of the first brands to come out and strictly cater to the onee gyaru crowd. The brand also first catered to blogger style once it became more popular shortly after 2010.

one spo (ワンスポ)

And then came one spo, who notoriously doesn’t really fit into any category, yet has been mainly seen in himekaji, larme, and sometimes rokku style.

one*way (ワンウェイ)

This brand was a mix of what Garula and Liz Lisa was, while also holding a few kurogyaru staples.

PEACE ON MARS (ピースオンマーズ)

Also almost as rare as MIZELVA, PEACE ON MARS was an amekaji style brand catering to men. This brand made its debut in MEN’S EGG.

RADY (レディ)

Before Emiria Wiz brand, RADY was a hit. Just like MA*RS has a constant My Melody collaboration, RADY’s is Hello Kitty. RADY was largely showcased by Emiri Aizawa herself.

RE DARK (リダーク)

This was a weird blend of amekaji once the style started dying down (so a very subtle way of still dressing it) and the start of Garula.

RESEXXY (リゼクシー)

Before RADY, there was RESEXXY; one of the first onee gyaru brands to cater to having more form-fitting pieces.

rienda (リエンダ)

Another oneegyaru brand.

RODEO CROWNS (ロデオクラウンズ)

If ALBA ROSA is the mother of all gyaru brands, RODEO CROWNS is its little sister. 

ROJITA (ロジータ)

Another brand with a mix of himekaji and oneegyaru.

ROSE FAN FAN (ローズファンファン)

Very similar to GALSVILLE in concept.

SBY (エスビーワイ)

SBY is primarily all accessories, now cosmetics as well. It now carries Diamond Lash among other brands, but their accessories can be used in amekaji and even b-gal styles.

SHAKE SHAKE (シェイクシェイク)

Another grab bag of sorts that I almost didn’t want to include. This one also had pieces that would work with agejo.

SHOOP (シュープ)

There’s Baby Shoop that we know now, and the original which is SHOOP. A bit rare to find nowadays…

SKINNY LIP (スキニーリップ)

The more affordable version of kurogyaru once the style blew up again was Skinny Lip; they even made SNLP belts just like D.I.A. did.

SLANGY (スランジー)

Another oraora brand. This one primarily worked best for oragal with less sexier pieces.

SNEEP DIP (スニープディップ)

Another onee brand that could also work with ane style.

SWANKISS (スワンキス)

Back then, this brand worked pretty well with himekaji styles but then became one of the staple brands for Larme.

SWORDFISH (ソードフィッシュ)

Another weird one… most pieces were misses, but the hits could be worn with agejo or general gyaru styles to give an oldschool vibe.

THIRTEEN JAPAN (サーティーンジャパン)

One of the main oraora brands. Pieces from this could be used for oragal, anegal, kurogyaru, and more. Thirteen Japan was primarily showcased by Mipochi in Soul Sister.

TRALALA (トゥララ)

Another brand that worked well with himekaji. Sometimes, the pieces could work perfectly for other styles as well.

tutuHA (チュチュア)

Forever immortalized by the resin cross necklaces, tutuHA was one of the rokku staple brands.

UNGRID (アングリッド)

Brand that became popular with the increase of shirogyaru and himekaji styles. It lost momentum a few years after once the whole Neo Gyaru thing took over. 

VALENTINE’S HIGH (バレンタインハイ)

Before WC existed, Valentine’s High was around. This brand could be worn with haady and rokku style.

WC (ダブルシー)

Kumatan. That is all.

XOXO (キスキス)

A very weird mix between agejo and kurogyaru style, really. A lot of pieces were most miss than hits, but still some could even go with rokku.