TOKYO: Meet Lulu Hashimoto, a “living doll” and the latest trend in Tokyo’s fashion modelling scene.
Lulu — a full-body doll suit consisting of a wig, a mask and stockings patterned with doll-like joints — was born from one woman’s desire to become cute.
“I have always really liked dolls and for me, the epitome of cuteness is dolls,” said the 23-year-old fashion designer Hitomi Komaki, who created Lulu.
Dressing up as a mascot, called “kigurumi” in Japanese, is a popular art form in Japan. Komaki has taken it to a new level by creating a body suit that looks like a doll and lets you move like a human.
“Many people call my project a fetish, but for me it’s not a fetish but fashion,” she said. “It’s like wearing nice clothes or putting on false eyelashes to become cuter.”
There is only one Lulu body suit, Komaki said, but dancers, designers and models are among those who have worn the costume.
The identity of exactly who is inside is secret, she added.
The stockings worn by Lulu were created by fellow fashion designer Koh Ueno, who airbrushes doll-like joints onto the material.
“I want to see women wear these stockings and transform,” said 29-year-old Ueno.
“I want them to experience the extraordinary — to become otherworldly, artificial, or like a doll,” he said.
While popular among fans of Japanese subculture, Lulu is now turning heads at the annual Miss iD beauty pageant where she is among the 134 semifinalists chosen from around 4,000 entrants.
The pageant, which includes “non-human” characters generated by artificial intelligence and three-dimensional computer graphics for the first time, will announce a winner in November.
Lulu’s ability to blur the line between reality and fiction has mesmerised fans on social media, where the Lulu Twitter and Instagram accounts have drawn tens of thousands of followers.
“I find it miraculous that dolls and humans — two things that exist in different planes — are standing in the same space,” said Erika Kato, 24, who met Lulu for the first time at a recent fan event.
The possibility of wearing a suit and becoming Lulu also appealed to fans like 22-year-old Miu Shimoda.
“I’d like to be a beautiful girl like Lulu at least once in my life,” she said.
Meet Lulu Hashimoto, the “living doll” fashion model
Meet Lulu Hashimoto, the “living doll” fashion model
Arab models share festive red looks for holiday season
- Bella Hadid and others post images on social media
- Stars promote their labels and fashion collaborations
DUBAI: Several Arab models, including Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid Imaan Hammam and Shania Shaik, have been sharing holiday-themed looks on social media, many featuring red tones.
US Dutch Palestinian supermodel Hadid has been promoting holiday gift sets from her fragrance brand Orebella. In one image shared on Instagram, she wears a red off-the-shoulder top paired with denim jeans, accessorized with red boots and red-tinted glasses.
Her holiday sets include the brand’s skin perfume collection, and a travel-size duo featuring Salted Muse and Nightcap.
Nightcap, launched in August, is reportedly a homage to Hadid’s favorite horse from her childhood. The fragrance has been characterized as warm and spicy, with notes of ginger, cardamom and vanilla.
Salted Muse features top notes of sea salt, pink pepper and carbon dioxide extract, followed by heart notes of olive tree accord, fig and lavender. Its base notes include cedarwood, sandalwood and amber.
Bella’s sister, Gigi Hadid, also released a winter collection for her clothing brand Guest in Residence, featuring sweaters, beanies, scarves and socks in seasonal colors.
Meanwhile, Hammam, a Dutch Moroccan Egyptian model, appeared in red as part of a festive campaign for Estee Lauder, a label she has worked with on multiple occasions.
The model shared images from the campaign on Instagram, showing her posing in a red gown alongside Karlie Kloss and Paulina Porizkova, set against oversized holiday decorations and baubles.
Hammam was announced as a global ambassador for the US cosmetics company in 2023.
She spoke about the appointment in a recent interview with Estee Lauder: “This is the most amazing opportunity to represent and empower girls around the world.
“As a Moroccan-Egyptian woman, I am incredibly honored to take on this role with such a long-standing brand that promotes diversity and women’s empowerment in the beauty space.”
Shaik, an Australia-born model of Saudi, Pakistani and Lithuanian descent, also shared festive content with her followers. In one Instagram post captioned “Holiday party season,” she wears a sparkly maroon halter-neck dress with a plunging neckline.
The post took the form of a “get-ready-with-me” carousel, offering a glimpse of the beauty products she used ahead of a holiday event.
