is a Japanese apparel brand created in 1988 by Akinori and Fumiyo Isobe. The brand specializes in lolita fashion and has been widely known for its "sweet" aesthetic. In 2004, Baby, the Stars Shine Bright launched Alice and the Pirates, a sub-brand centered on gothic and punk lolita apparel.

Brand concept

'' Gothic & Lolita Bible'' describes Baby, the Stars Shine Bright's designs as being "dominated by ribbons, lace, and flowers" that emphasize the wearer's youthfulness and sweetness. The brand is one of the widely known brands in lolita fashion for its "sweet lolita" aesthetic, which features "pastels" and "cupcake" silhouettes. The brand is named after the 1986 album of the same name by British duo

Everything but the Girl Everything but the Girl are an English musical duo formed in Kingston upon Hull in 1982, consisting of lead singer, songwriter, composer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, composer, producer and sing ...

History

Baby, the Stars Shine Bright was founded in Japan by Akinori and Fumiyo Isobe, a married couple. They first opened a store in Shibuya in 1988. The company's flagship store, opened in 1999 in Daikanyamachō, Shibuya, was relocated to

Omotesandō is a Zelkova serrata, zelkova tree-lined avenue located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Shibuya and Minato, Tokyo, Minato, Tokyo, stretching from the Meiji Shrine entrance to Aoyama-dōri (Aoyama Street), where Omotesandō Station can be found. History Omot ...

in 2012. Baby, the Stars Shine Bright became more widely known after the release of the 2004 live-action film adaptation of

Novala Takemoto is the professional name of , a Japanese author, and fashion designer. Biography Takemoto was born in Uji, south of Kyoto. As a child, he was shy and preferred drawing and reading (two of his favorite authors were Osamu Dazai and Yasunari K ...

's 2002 novel ''

Kamikaze Girls , is a 2002 Japanese novel written by Novala Takemoto. The story centers on the unlikely friendship between Momoko Ryugasaki, a "Rococophile" and lolita, and Ichigo "Ichiko" Shirayuri, a (juvenile delinquent). A live-action film adaptation ...

'', of which they were featured in the film and produced the wardrobe for one of the main characters. By February 2008, Baby, the Stars Shine Bright had an English version of their website and allowed people outside of Japan to purchase their clothing. In August 2009, Baby, the Stars Shine Bright opened its first store in the United States in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, California. In July 2014, Baby, the Stars Shine Bright opened a store in New York City, New York, as part of a combination store with Japanese alternative fashion retailer Tokyo Rebel. The New York store closed on February 28, 2018. A location was also opened in Paris, France, but it closed on April 13, 2017.

Products

Baby, the Stars Shine Bright sells apparel that is handstitched in Japan and cut from custom fabrics. In May 2023, Baby, the Stars Shine Bright released their first fragrance, Baby Princess.

Alice and the Pirates

In 2004, Baby, the Stars Shine Bright launched Alice and the Pirates, a sub-brand dedicated to gothic and punk styles. The name is inspired by ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...

'' and

Vivienne Westwood Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood (; 8 April 1941 – 29 December 2022) was an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream. In 2022, ''Sky Arts'' ranked her the ...

's 1981 Pirate Collection. Mai Takita was hired as the brand's designer in 2006. The first Alice and the Pirates store launched in Harajuku, Japan, on August 25, 2007.

References

External links

* {{Lolita fashion Clothing retailers of Japan Lolita fashion Retail companies established in 1988 1988 establishments in Japan ja:ゴスロリブランド一覧#Baby, The Stars Shine Bright