In Kirin Brewery's latest ad, popular young actress Miho Nakayama is obviously enjoying herself because she's sporting a thick foam mustache on her upper lip. Brand names still work wonders. Hermes and Gucci sell boatloads of luxury goods despite Japan's doldrums. But value is hot as well. Cute is good but condescending is not Ms. Matsunobu sniffs at floral prints men seem to slap on any goods aimed at women.
Functionality combined with a little pizzazz is very hot.
One of the spiciest trends today is zakka . It literally means sundry goods but has come to signify daily necessities with a twist, like plastic ashtrays with a French mineral-water logo. Really, there are no hard and fast rules. The trend now is for women to cultivate their individual passions, even if it means individually jumping on a trend. They are investing in themselves and in their daily, private lives.