[custom_adv] Hectic, narrow Takeshita-Dori at Harajuku station is nothing more than a shopping trap for tourists, but step off the main drag and you'll find Faline, one of city's most iconic boutiques. It's micro-closet size belies the power it has over the street scene in Tokyo, and funky brands like Jeremy Scott have it to thank for their success here. [custom_adv] Clothing that will get you noticed by street photographers is the name of the game, so expect an eclectic high-low mix of neon sweaters from Scott and couture headbands from Maison Michele. The too-cool staff may be deep in chat with local "it" girls and boys, but a nod is all it takes to snap them into happy-to-help mode. [custom_adv] Harcoza serves up fashion quirks with an eclectic selection of accessories like necklaces made from melted rubber balls and bonsai trees fashioned into watches, but the show-stealer is the interior – featuring a floor-to-ceiling bouncy-ball dispenser, a ceramic purple poodle guarding the stairs, and carpet patterned like Lego blocks. Housed in a brand new building with a terrace and glass facade, it may sound crude but it's not. [custom_adv] Downstairs a small stage spans the width of the room, replete with velvet curtains and disco ball – close the curtains and it transforms into a fitting room where you can try on playful womenswear like blouses with hexagon-shaped puff-sleeves and asymmetrical tulip skirts. A perfect example of a zakka-ya, a popular style of shop that sells a discerningly curated selection of trinkets, and odds and ends. [custom_adv] Look for ear-shaped earrings, fork and spoon necklaces and colourful stackable skull rings that can be mixed and matched. Local designer Yoruko Banzai's bags made of leather and rope look like they come from a child's playhouse and are a reasonable price for a unique piece. [custom_adv] And with Banzai stamped on the back you'll always remember what city you picked it up in. The shop is not much larger than a ship's cabin, so keep your elbows in and keep large movements to a minimum. [custom_adv] Once a tenant of the 109 shopping mall, this wildly popular brand has now set up at the entrance to Center-Gai, the narrow shopping street where local kids gather at all hours. [custom_adv] Poised to become a new landmark, it's easily identified by the giant animatronic bear on a swing in the second floor window that tourists and fans of WC designer (and model, and TV presenter, and actress) Chinatsu Wakatsuki giddily photograph from the street. [custom_adv] The clothes are at the forefront of Shibuya fashion, taking cues from the park sandpit, the urban divebar and grandma's wardrobe, and reworking them into a cutesy package for teenagers. [custom_adv] [custom_adv] Bubbles is part of a new wave of young female-run used clothing boutiques that have colourful, cute pieces of nostalgia from the 80s and 90s that are rampantly popular in Tokyo. Shop manager Coi is a local fashion icon and blogger who posts the outfits she puts together online. [custom_adv] Think PVC raincoats, retro jacquard prints and kitschy fascinators. The shop has a new, fancy space in the back streets of Harajuku. It's been lovingly made to look like the home of a modern girl obsessed with the 1970s and 80s, replete with a snakeskin sofa, iMac and a stuffed ET that perches on a mannequin's shoulder.
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