Metamophose temp de filles

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Metamorphose temp de filles is a Japanese clothing chain started in 1997. Founded by designer, Kuniko Kato, the chain focuses on Lolita brand fashion with a special emphasis on Sweet Lolita clothing such as Baby, The Stars Shine Bright.

History

The brand was started in 1993 by Kuniko Kato when she split off from the major labels she had been working on. The official company was later established legally in 1997 in Kyoto, moving to Osaka in 1998 and opening its first retail location.

In 1999, new stores opened in Nagoya and Harajuku, Tokyo. More stores would open in the following years in Fukuoka, Shinjuku, Hiroshima, and Sapporo. The name has changed multiple times taking on its full form in 2000 legally and later changing legally to be just “Metamorphose”.

Origins and Concept

The name of the company, which in full is Manifesteange Metamorphose temps de fille is shortened to its standard form for easy of advertising. The phrase itself is directly translated from the French to mean “Advent of an angel in the time of transformation into a little girl.” The actual order of the words is slightly grammatically incorrect in the French – a problem that stems from the translation in the Japanese.

The core of Metamorphose’s concept though fits around the idea of transformation of one’s self to become more elegant, to turn one’s self into that image of a young girl. The clothing sold by Metamorphose is often noted for its willingness to stretch beyond the boundaries of normal Lolita style clothing and as a result has become the most easily and readily accessible Lolita fashion from Japan for western audiences.

Western Promotion

In addition to hosting an English language website with PayPal payment options, international shipping and a FAQ for users interested in buying from abroad, Metamorphose also hosts a news section known as “Go! Go! Lolita-chan” a series of news, pictures, and characters from the clothing. News is often filled with useful information about new products and sales while pictures is a worldwide gallery of people interested in showing off the clothing they’ve bought. Characters included on the Lovely Characters page include the likes fo Punky Bear and Rabbie-chan.