Taro on goth kids, Tokyo fashion, and the need to mix things up

Where are you from?
I'm from Tokyo. Actually, I've only been here in New York for a couple of days. But I'm going to be moving here for grad school soon. Fine art.

How different are the fashion scenes in Tokyo and New York?
Different! Everyone really dresses up in Tokyo. Here it's a bit more laid-back. In Tokyo, there are tons of subcultures. The goth thing is pretty big. Some people wear like, huge baggy stuff. Kids just find a niche, and go for it.

Is it mostly kids?
Mostly, it's a phase high school kids go through, yeah. Lots of people stop doing it when they get to be twenty or so. Of course, you get people dressing up into their thirties too. It's fun to see.

What kind of trends are you digging these days?
I really like messing up the balance, like wearing a long coat with shorts. Or maybe very baggy tops with really skinny jeans. Just throwing off the balance.

What were you thinking when you put this outfit together this morning?
I was looking for something high-key. You know, high values, lighter colors, whites and pastels. I got these shoes in Spain and I made most of these accessories. I don't know where these shorts came from.

Where do you shop?
Around here, I go for consignment stores, and I'll go to Barney's sometimes.

If you were going to dress up for a one night stand type of deal, what would you go for?
[Laughs] Well, you know, you've got to show some skin. Maybe get a tank top going, a blazer.

Would you say that guys can get away with dressing a little more feminine, a little more "metro" in Japan?
Oh yeah, for sure. I mean the difference between New York and Tokyo isn't huge, but I'd say that dressing super femme is definitely bigger there. But, you know, fashion in general is getting more and more androgynous. Girls really like it in Tokyo. They don't go for the Western standards of masculinity as much as girls do over here.