Idol's Favorite Brand Lucy Pop Goes Global

As part of its aim to spread the message of ‘kawaii’ throughout the world, the Japanese high-school uniform fashion brand Lucy Pop has announced 13-year-old “moya” as its new global model and unveiled pictures of her in 4 different styles of uniform.   

Lucy Pop, founded in 2010, is a fashion brand that sells the kind of idol-style uniforms that are synonymous with Japanese pop culture. Under the banner of the Cool Japan initiative which was commenced in 2012 by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in tandem with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Lucy Pop has exhibited in numerous overseas events. Beginning with the 2014 Japan Expo in France, they have also exhibited their wares in Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China, where they have continued to spread word about Japanese uniform culture and ‘kawaii culture’ throughout the world.  

 
 
In addition, Lucy Pop proactively provides support to idols, voice actors, models or celebrities who wear uniforms when appearing in TV programs, music videos, magazine shoots and photo collections. Lucy Pop does not just cater to top ranked domestic Japanese idols such as AKB48, a mainstay symbol of Japanese idol culture, but through the provision of uniforms to top idol groups internationally such as the Indonesian group JKT48, the company is increasing the exposure of Japanese uniform culture and ‘kawaii’ culture across the globe.

In mainland China, a boom in the popularity of Japanese high-school uniforms was reported on by both domestic and overseas media during the 2020 Lunar New Year period. This interest became a trending topic and lead to surveys about the popularity of Japanese high-school uniform brands in the country. In a survey dated August 30th, 2020, Lucy Pop ranked 2nd place in terms of popularity (published in the Chinese media in ‘Doorzo Daily’) and in another survey dated February 6th, 2023 (published in the Chinese media in ‘8mtime’) the brand also ranked 2nd, showing its high brand recognition even overseas, particularly in China.  

 
Owing to this popularity in China, influencers in Chinese-speaking countries have purchased ribbons and uniforms on cross-border e-commerce websites, with photos and videos posted by them on social media gaining prominence. Off the back of this, Lucy Pop has commenced a number of initiatives, such as using Taiwanese influencers as models as part of a  push to further increase the popularity of uniforms worldwide, along with striving to acquire additional partners and distributors domestically in Japan, but also expanding to America, Europe and Southeast Asia.  
 
At this juncture, in order to increase awareness among Gen Z, with a focus on Asia,  Lucy  Pop has announced 13-year-old  “moya”  as its new global model, their youngest ever. Outside of the fact that she is 13 years old, the company has yet to unveil further information about “moya” so be sure to stay tuned to social networking channels for further updates.

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