BonBon
BonBon is a Japanese fashion magazine for lovers of kawaii and admirers of cute culture in the West. It’s a love letter to minorities who find solace and sanctuary in the realm of all things cute - BonBon aims to make kawaii more accessible for admirers in the West. The magazine features incredible contributors from all over the Western world including illustrators, kawaii fashion baddies, independent jewelry brands, and talented fashion designers ranging from Texas, Paris, New York, Montreal, and London of course. It also features distinct kawaii fashion editorials exclusively creatively directed and mainly photographed by Ebony Louise Barrett, a.k.a BonBon - myself!
BonBon began as a second-year university project in 2019 for a magazine brief on my fashion promotion degree - previous issues have focused on themes such as seeing more black/brown individuals in hyper-feminine fashion, the incredible contribution queer culture has had upon alternative fashion, incorporating J fashion style into your work wardrobe, and also body positivity in Harajuku fashion and finding ways to dress and feel cute for all shapes and sizes. Issue V, which launched back in 2022, addressed the loneliness one can encounter dressing differently and how empowering that can feel but also how isolating it can be. The Sweet Escape was based upon the escapism and freedom alternative fashion can allow, and how brave it is to step into your most unapologetic self in a world that doesn’t necessarily understand you.
If you’re interested in purchasing Issue V, feel free to message me on IG or via email!
