''Egg'' was a style magazine for ''
gyaru
( ja, ギャル) , is a Japanese fashion subculture. The term ''gyaru'' is a Japanese transliteration of the English slang word .
The term for was introduced in Japan by the American jeans company ''Lee'', who introduced a new line of je ...
'' fashion, distributed in Japan. It featured photos of ''
ganguro
is a fashion trend among young Japanese women that started in the mid-1990s, distinguished by a dark tan and contrasting make-up liberally applied by fashionistas.
The Shibuya and Ikebukuro districts of Tokyo were the centres of ''ganguro'' fash ...
'' girls and synopses of their tastes and popular trends. The magazine also usually had photos of the newest fashions, where to buy them, latest hairstyles, cell phones, and make up tips. It also had candid photos of ''ganguro'' girls on the streets of Japan, similar to ''
Fruits
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particula ...
'' magazine. ''Egg'' had its own models which starred in every magazine. Due to the decline of Gyaru popularity, the magazine shut down with the last issue on 31 May 2014.
''Egg'' made its return as an online magazine in March 2018.
Special editions
Along with the main monthly issues, ''Egg'' also released special magazine issues. One was a seasonal beauty magazine called "egg's Beauty" which used to be released each year, but later was typically released twice a year in spring and autumn & winter editions. Other special releases included "Manba" which was an issue published in 2004 when Manba was still a big boom in Japan, "Romi & Kana 120%" which was released in 2010 and was dedicated to popular and longstanding Egg models Hiromi Hosoi (referred to as Romihi in the magazine) and Kanako Kawabata's trip to Guam, and the most recent "Flowers" which was released in March 2011, and is described as "Girl's history of egg" which recapitulates ten years of the magazine.
Models
''Egg'' typically used the same models for each issue of the magazine, some of whom have been involved with the magazine for a very long time. Every so often, these "older generation" of models left the magazine, and newer girls came in. Girls who left the magazine usually went to model for another fashion magazine, or would delve into something different, such as acting, singing or even setting up a clothing line, all of which were popular options. Some girls who left the magazine returned to a normal life outside of the media world and were very rarely seen in the public eye again. Notable Egg models Rumi Itabashi (formally Ringo) and Kaoru Watanabe who were part of the magazine for a long time have since left the magazine and have had children.
Egg usually recruited new models for the magazine while finding girls for "Street Snaps", usually in the famous Center Gai (センター街 Sentā-gai) in
Shibuya
Shibuya ( 渋谷 区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern half) and Shibuya Station.
As of April 1 ...
,
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
. This appeared in the "Street Groove" section of the magazine which is a mix of random girls and Egg models. After a while of appearing in Street Snaps and small features and sections, girls could debut as more regular and full-time models for the magazine. Models for the magazine had public blogs which were followed by fans and usually contained aspects of their personal lives as well as things related to the magazine or other career projects.
Other publications
''Egg'' had a few other counterpart magazines, including one for men called ''
MensEGG
''MensEGG'' was a style magazine distributed in Japan aimed at young men published between 1999 and 2013. It was a counterpart of ''Egg magazine'', which focused on Gyaru-oh (male Gyaru) fashions – it was the gyaru-oh bible. There is also ''Men' ...
'', and also one for teenage boys called "Men's Egg Youth". These magazines again had their own models who feature in every issue. ''MensEGG'' had a more grown-up and "rockier" style compared to ''Egg'' which mixed both cute and sexy styles, and ''Men's Egg Youth'' had a more colourful and extreme style. A sideline from ''Egg'' magazine was "EggMgg TV" (pronounced "eggmegg") which was an internet programme hosted by some of the models from ''MensEGG''. Each episode featured different events that may have been happening in and around Shibuya, such as magazine parties or brand promotions, and also different topics related to young people such as relationships and dating.
References
External links
Egg's official websiteEggMggTV
{{Japanese fashion magazines
1995 establishments in Japan
2014 disestablishments in Japan
Defunct women's magazines published in Japan
Fashion magazines published in Japan
Gyaru
Magazines established in 1995
Magazines disestablished in 2014
Monthly magazines published in Japan
Online magazines with defunct print editions
Women's fashion magazines