That was my Japanese influence and that was a culture that was so rich with tradition, yet so futuristic [with] so much attention to art and detail and discipline and it was fascinating to me," she said, explaining how her father (who is Italian American) would return with stories of street performers cosplaying as Elvis and stylish women with colorful hair. Then, as an adult, she was able to travel to Harajuku to see them herself. "I said, 'My God, I'm Japanese and I didn't know it.'" As those words seemed to hang in the air between us, she continued, "I am, you know." She then explained that there is "innocence" to her relationship with Japanese culture, referring to herself as a "super fan." From here onwards the scent only becomes sweeter with the jasmine, freesia and magnolia blending with the coconut to create a scent that is soft, feminine and pretty.

Asian-American entertainer and comedian Margaret Cho criticized Stefani and the group for reinforcing negative ethnic stereotypes of Asian women. [9] Nakasone responded that Stefani was inspired by Japanese fashion culture and that she felt honored to have been in the group. [10] In an interview in the January/February 2006 edition of Blender magazine, Cho called Stefani's Harajuku Girls a minstrel show that reinforces ethnic stereotypes of Asian women. [11]Her team did not immediately respond to TODAY.com's request for comment on Jan. 10 either. Gwen Stefani is seen at "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on July 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, Calif. RB / Bauer-Griffin via GC Images

Posed with a question by the beauty mag about what she learned from her award-winning Harajuku Lovers perfume, specifically the controversy it sparked, “The Voice” alum recited an oft-repeated yarn about her Italian American father who traveled to and from Japan for 18 years when he worked for Yamaha Motorcycles. Wallis, Adam (November 20, 2019). "Gwen Stefani defends 'Harajuku Girls' era, denies cultural appropriation". Global News. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023 . Retrieved December 31, 2020. Luu, Christopher (November 19, 2019). "Gwen Stefani Says Her Harajuku Girls Phase Wasn't Cultural Appropriation". InStyle . Retrieved December 31, 2020.Fruity scents can have an uplifting effect on your mood. Just one spray, and you will feel happy and joyful again. This is a heavy fragrance for me. So I won’t be using it again because I don’t like the smell full of astringent citrus fruits. Who is this Perfume For? Nguyen also brings up one very critical aspect of being Asian American: We’ve had to fight for every aspect of our identity. "We’ve had to fight to speak our languages at home and outside and say that our foods are good," she says. "And then to see people paint us simplistically, that feels really painful."

Stefani told me she identifies not just with Japan’s culture, but also with the Hispanic and Latinx communities of Anaheim, California, where she grew up. "The music, the way the girls wore their makeup, the clothes they wore, that was my identity," she said. "Even though I'm an Italian American — Irish or whatever mutt that I am — that's who I became because those were my people, right?" I asked Fariha I. Khan, Ph.D., codirector of the Asian American Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania, to help clarify the line between inspiration or appreciation and appropriation. "Simply put, cultural appropriation is the use of one group’s customs, material culture, or oral traditions by another group," she said, and raises two important factors to consider: commodification and an unequal power relationship.

Since its debut, “Isle of Dogs” has been met with controversy over the question of the film’s cultural appropriation and seemingly inexplicable setting in a future Japan. You are left with a beautiful transparent bottle when you remove the lid with “Harajuku Lovers Baby” detailing on top of it. I think the overall design of the perfume is very cute! What Does the Perfume Smell Like? Later in the interview, Stefani also shared that she identifies with the Hispanic and Latino communities of Anaheim, California, where she grew up. I don’t think the intent to be harmful is there, but if AAPI ppl have taken offence to her cultural appropriation, then harm has been done. She can take responsibility for the consequences of her actions, even if they didn’t align with her intent,” added another. It’s a sentiment similar to one Stefani shared with Paper magazine in May 2021, when asked for her current perspective on her "Harajuku Girls": "If we didn't buy and sell and trade our cultures in, we wouldn't have so much beauty, you know? We learn from each other, we share from each other, we grow from each other. And all these rules are just dividing us more and more."