A lover of all things Japanese subculture, Katie Castles’ style is best described as Decora (the overloading of accessories) and Cyber pop (pastel colours with an e girl edge). Describing their look as “almost performance art” , Katie is so used to dressing up it’s easy to forget they are at the grocery store rocking a pair of bunny ears until other shoppers start taking pictures. The non-binary influencer isn’t afraid to occasionally go wig or makeup free on their IG page but what about transforming into a completely different look? Drawn to wearing cutesy dresses and pink wigs, how will they find a pared back monochrome look with minimal accessories? Katie’s look has also evolved from girlier to more androdgynous. They say: “My wardrobe has diversified quite a bit with me.” While Kawai and Harajuku styles are now pretty mainstream and easy to find online, back when Katie was first shopping for the look it wasn’t nearly so easy: a lot of the Japanese shops didn’t ship overseas and so Katie had to find individuals who’d been to Japan and were selling their clothes in the US.
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00:00 I would describe my style as a mix of decora, kawaii, fairy kate.
00:05 Today I'm transforming from decora influencer to monochrome insta baddie.
00:10 Oh, I'm gonna be a footer.
00:12 It's gonna be really weird seeing how I look.
00:15 What?
00:19 Boo is my close friend and colleague,
00:21 and I don't think he's even ever seen me without makeup.
00:24 Hi!
00:28 Right now we're at Kawaii Gifts where I work.
00:31 I would describe my look as a mix of several different Japanese aesthetics.
00:38 Mainly decora fashion and kawaii fashion.
00:42 Anything that's involving excessive decoration,
00:45 lots of accessories, lots of colors,
00:49 anything very over the top.
00:51 I think the most accessories I've ever been able to fit on my head was around 50 or 50.
00:57 Today I'm transforming from decora influencer to monochrome insta baddie.
01:03 I feel like because I dress so hyper feminine
01:05 that people often don't respect the fact that I'm non-binary.
01:11 I go by they/them as opposed to she/her.
01:14 I love the Instagram baddie look when it's like really over the top and like very glam.
01:21 I really hope that they don't put me in black.
01:23 What is this?
01:25 Oh just something boring and basic.
01:29 You're going to look amazing.
01:32 I hope that they give me accessories.
01:34 Look at these nails.
01:36 Oh my god they're like so spiky.
01:39 I think this is a dress you guys.
01:41 Is it pants too?
01:43 Where are the accessories?
01:45 Don't I get like a purse?
01:46 Hello!
01:52 Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Katie.
01:53 Nice to meet you too. I'm Leah.
01:55 Tell me what are you going to do to me?
01:57 So we're going to start with a blank canvas.
01:59 Oh my beautiful earrings.
02:01 By my friends.
02:02 And get kind of a natural glam, bronzed look.
02:08 I'm really excited to see the finished look.
02:27 I'm getting really close to being done.
02:30 I'm so excited to see.
02:33 I have no idea what it's going to look like.
02:35 Oh my god.
02:43 What?
02:45 I actually, I love it.
02:57 I think it looks really good.
02:59 The makeup is so pretty.
03:01 Oh my gosh.
03:02 Oh, the dress is cute too.
03:04 Ooh, okay.
03:05 When I think of Katie, I think of like a swan going through a rainbow
03:09 and picking up everything.
03:10 Who has only ever seen me blonde and with a ton of makeup?
03:15 Seeing a new side of her is like what has my heart puttering.
03:28 No way.
03:29 You can do all the normal things now.
03:31 I know.
03:32 I can go anywhere without being hassled.
03:36 This isn't the new you, right?
03:37 You go back.
03:37 I'd much rather look like a cartoon character.
03:40 I feel like I just opened up a like 1990s mall catalog
03:45 looking at all the things.
03:46 I don't think that I'm going to be keeping this as my regular look,
03:50 but it's nice that I can transform into such a like cool insta baddie.
03:57 I mean, you realize that I can be sexy too,
03:59 as opposed to feeling just cute and fun.
04:02 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:05 (bubbles popping)