It's this altruism that draws shoppers to their boutiques, altruism balanced with the special narcissistic arrogance of stardom. Take, for instance, the enormously successful boutique Egoist, run by Reiko Nakane. We can't talk to anyone right off the bat. Thus are the men in suits dismissed. To their customers, the girls adopt a different attitude.
Salesgirls get more coverage in a month than the prime minister.
The latest teen survey shows that salesgirls are on a par with rock stars as far as the grand ambitions of young Japanese women are concerned. But strangely, while the salesgirls are larger than life, the clothes they endorse are often rather disappointing. Nothing Grace Kelly nor Courtney Love is happening with brands like Love Boat, Me Jane, not to mention Egoist. Two pairs of false eyelashes voluptuously fringe each eye, while layers of white eyeliner frame the effect. But their clients are not really there for the clothes - although they walk out with armloads of purchases.