Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Laforet (2nd nomination)

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was keep. – filelakeshoe (t / c) 🐱 09:44, 24 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Laforet

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This has been tagged for refimprove for 10+ years, so a review is in order, following the even older AfD from 2005. As it is written now it fails WP:NORG and I am not seeing any better sources. I am hard pressed finding any in-depth coverage. There are a few mentions ([1], [2]) but I am not seeing any in-depth coverage, and a lot of it seems like a rewritten press release. Can anyone find something more substantial? I'd be happy to withdraw this nom if better sources can be shown to exist (there also may be Japanese coverage that I cannot find). _{Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| reply here} 10:33, 10 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Japan-related deletion discussions. CAPTAIN RAJU^(T) 10:50, 10 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Fashion-related deletion discussions. CAPTAIN RAJU^(T) 10:50, 10 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Companies-related deletion discussions. CAPTAIN RAJU^(T) 10:50, 10 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Business-related deletion discussions. CAPTAIN RAJU^(T) 10:50, 10 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Museums and libraries-related deletion discussions. CAPTAIN RAJU^(T) 10:51, 10 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

~~Delete~~.Keep. ~~I didn't find anything google search. if anyone want to keep this article, so improve this article and add more source~~.

Piotrus-The content of this article is based on its Japanese equivalent on Japanese Wikipedia. - Nahal (talk) 15:00, 12 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

- - Comment Note that the Delete !vote was changed to a Keep !vote by an anonymous IP user. No evidence it was the same editor. HighKing⁺⁺ 16:01, 18 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]
    - NahalAhmed (talk · contribs) changed from "delete" to "keep" here. Cunard (talk) 07:57, 24 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Comment. There are several references in the corresponding Japanese article at ja:ラフォーレ原宿 and a Google News search for the Japanese name "ラフォーレ原宿" generates several more possible references. Eastmain (talk • contribs) 15:33, 10 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion and clearer consensus.
Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, North America¹⁰⁰⁰ 02:28, 17 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Keep per the significant coverage in multiple independent reliable sources.

Godoy, Tiffany (2007). Style Deficit Disorder: Harajuku Street Fashion - Tokyo. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. pp. 77–78. ISBN 978-0-8118-5796-3. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
Young, Davey (2018-03-04). "Laforet Harajuku". Condé Nast Traveler. Archived from the original on 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
Insight Guides Experience Tokyo. London: Insight Guides. 2017. ISBN 978-1-78671-837-2. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
Stone, Terry Lee (2010). Managing the Design Process-Concept Development: An Essential Manual for the Working Designer. Beverly, Massachusetts: Rockport Pub. p. 103. ISBN 978-1-61058-066-3. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
Simone, Gianni (2017). Tokyo Geek's Guide: Manga, Anime, Gaming, Cosplay, Toys, Idols & More - The Ultimate Guide to Japan's Otaku Culture. North Clarendon, Vermont: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-1970-3. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
Morton, Don; Tsunoi, Naoko (1993) [1990]. Best of Tokyo: Revised and Updated. Rutland, Vermont: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-0225-5. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
Webb, Martin (2006-09-12). "Style wise: Heart of Harajuku renewed". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
Tanaka, Nobuko (2007-12-21). "The art of youth". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-06-24.

Sources with quotes

Godoy, Tiffany (2007). Style Deficit Disorder: Harajuku Street Fashion - Tokyo. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. pp. 77–78. ISBN 978-0-8118-5796-3. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
The book notes:
Harajuku's evolution from fashionable village to fashion capital is epitomized by the arrival of Laforet. In 1978, a part of the Tokyo Center Church was razed and replaced with a shopping mall. One might almost hear the angels singing when walking through the doors, were it not for the din blasting from the competing sound systems pumping music from every shop. At the time, Laforet was one of the tallest buildings in the area, dominating the landscape. The exterior gives scant evidence of the experience lying in wait. The sales, storewide and seasonal, are extraordinary—but shoppers must brace themselves for one of life's most intense shopping experiences. Everything—the music, the clothes, the riot of storefronts packed into its six floors (split into twelve half-floors), the shop girls screaming inasshaimase ("welcome!")—competes for attention. It is still a very Japanese experience. Shoppers swarm, but not aggressively. ...
Laforet was built by real estate developer Mori Building, responsible for countless properties across Tokyo, including the Roppongi Hills shopping, residence, and museum complex. ... Laforet was the first that would become solely devoted to youth culture.
Brands like Hysteric Glamour and Ba-tsu opened their first shops in Laforet, and even now, after nearly thirty years, it remains the place for emerging fashion brands to break into the market, and the best reflection of what is happening on the streets.
Surprisingly, this wasn't always the case. Laforet was originally intended to cater more conventionally to shoppers drawn to established brands. But its first year in business was a flop. The original standard shop layout and staid design weren't drawing customers. Rethinking their approach, the management brought on Ryuki Matsumoto, the designer of the fashion brand Ba-tsu, to help attract customers and improve sales. His suggestions along with those of the participating shops culminated in a reworking of the interior. Long, deep stores were traded for a central stairwell and shallow shop space, giving shoppers a panoptical view. Young, emerging brands were encouraged to move in, reflecting Harajuku's new creative spirit. These changes became the foundation of Laforet of today.
Beyond the layout, there were also early stumbles with image and branding. Laforet's first advertising campaign, designed by U.S.-based fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez—whose work was typically chic with European flair—didn't seem to click. Laforet continued to struggle to find its public image until art director Takuya Onuki was hired to create a series of ad campaigns in the mid-1990s. He had a preference for the use of nonliteral, quirky imagery. Rather than casting pretty women to present a precious sensibility in his ads, Onuki's graphics were more frequently humorous and a little trashy, with toy dogs modeling designer denim, or scens of regular Americans going about daily life in their underwear. Along with Onuki's designs, another art director, Nagi Noda, helped give Laforet its playful and distinct image. The advertising campaigns she designed for Laforet blend a dreamlike fantasy with a playful stance.
The book contains at least two more paragraphs about Laforet.
Young, Davey (2018-03-04). "Laforet Harajuku". Condé Nast Traveler. Archived from the original on 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
The article notes:
Long venerated as a standard-bearer for Harajuku fashion, Laforet Harajuku is a dynamic department store with roughly 140 clothing and accessory boutiques across its six floors. Twice a year, the complex and its shops undergo a complete renewal, creating a sink or swim environment whereby old vendors must constantly reinvent themselves to keep up with the latest trends or risk being replaced by new blood.
...
Laforet Harajuku is most popular among the teenage set, and has a lot more to offer the girls than boys. With so many shops, however, there's something for everyone here. The fashion-conscious of every generation are known to stop by, if only to keep up with the latest trends.
Insight Guides Experience Tokyo. London: Insight Guides. 2017. ISBN 978-1-78671-837-2. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
The book notes:
Discover what Japan's trend-defining gyaru (girls) are buying at Laforet Harajuku

Tokyo has been overwhelmed by department stores trying to one up each other. And yet, for those in search of kawaii ('cute') culture and Japanese fashions you won't find anywhere else, Laforet remains the ultimate pilgrimage.
Opened in 1978, Laforet is a six-storey slab of geometric forms that looks increasingly distinctive amid Tokyo's multiplying ranks of steel-and-glass towers. If you don't wish to be overcome by waves of teenage girls, try visiting on a weekday.
The top three floors target young professionals, and as such tend to have more conventional brands like Olive des Olive, As Know As Pink and Pageboy. Further down is where the looks get really interesting. Laichi integrates Western designs into Japan-made clothing for one-of-a-kind pieces. You can also choose from wonderfully imaginative silk-screened stockings and patterned ties.
The Goth-Lolita look is integral to Harajuku style, and you'll find a number of shops devoted to it on the B1.5 to B1 floors. ...
Laforet Harajuku also contains two floors of Store by Nigo, with the iconic t-shirts and streetwear by the eponymous Japanese designer known for his collaborations with Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and other hip-hop luminaries.
Stone, Terry Lee (2010). Managing the Design Process-Concept Development: An Essential Manual for the Working Designer. Beverly, Massachusetts: Rockport Pub. p. 103. ISBN 978-1-61058-066-3. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
The book notes:
Laforet Harajuku, the department store and museum where cutting-edge original fashion has been dispatched for over thirty years, is a landmark of the Harajuku area of Tokyo. It is a place known as a hub for youth culture and radical street fashion.
Simone, Gianni (2017). Tokyo Geek's Guide: Manga, Anime, Gaming, Cosplay, Toys, Idols & More - The Ultimate Guide to Japan's Otaku Culture. North Clarendon, Vermont: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-1970-3. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
The book notes:
On a sunny warm June afternoon, Chocomoo takes me on a tour of her favorite spots in the neighborhood. Our first destination is Laforet Harajuku. Opened in 1978, this historical place has contributed more than any other store to shift the center of Japanese youth fashion from Shinjuku to Harajuku. Our visit is perfectly timed as on the third floor we can admire Chocomoo's latest and biggest collaboration yet: a new collection for influential LA-based brand Joyrich.
Morton, Don; Tsunoi, Naoko (1993) [1990]. Best of Tokyo: Revised and Updated. Rutland, Vermont: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-0225-5. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
The book notes:
Best Haraju-cutie Store

Laforet, Harajuku. A "Haraju-cutie" is one of those black-clad children (M or F) that make up a goodly percentage of Japan's fashion-buying public. The initiator of the trend toward boutique-filled buildings, LaForet could be considered the cultural center of Harajuku. That's a little scary. It houses 150 shops on six floor and two basements divided into half levels. Some Japanese designers are represented, but basically it's reasonably priced young fashion. The LaForet Museum on the 5th floor is host to numerous avant-garde events. LaForet Part II, with 50 more shops for the younger-yet generation, is a few blocks north on Meiji-Dori. Look for the lifelike pair of women's legs sticking out of the building.
Webb, Martin (2006-09-12). "Style wise: Heart of Harajuku renewed". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
The article notes:
Teeming teen shopping haven LaForet Harajuku opened in 1978 and has been a pivotal part of Japan’s youth culture ever since. The complex has had a few subdued periods over the years but is currently experiencing a happier chapter in its history. Earlier this month it underwent a major overhaul that saw existing outlets refurbished and a dozen or so new ones added, including U.K. chain stores Topshop and Topman.
Tanaka, Nobuko (2007-12-21). "The art of youth". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
The article notes:
An Aladdin’s Cave of small, distinctive retail spaces, the Laforet building at a main crossroads in trendy Harajuku has been a shopping magnet for young people since it opened in 1978. This year, for instance, more than 3,000 lined up outside awaiting the start of its New Year sale. And whereas its Shibuya retail rival Parco also boasts a theater and a cinema, Laforet Harajku has the acclaimed multipurpose art space called Laforet Museum on the sixth floor.

There is sufficient coverage in reliable sources to allow Laforet to pass Wikipedia:Notability#General notability guideline, which requires "significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject".

Cunard (talk) 07:57, 24 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Chronicle Books provides extensive coverage about Laforet Harajuku. It provides critical material about the subject, noting that "its first year in business was a flop" and "Beyond the layout, there were also early stumbles with image and branding. Laforet's first advertising campaign, designed by U.S.-based fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez—whose work was typically chic with European flair—didn't seem to click."
Condé Nast Traveler says Laforet Harajuku is "[l]ong venerated as a standard-bearer for Harajuku fashion".
Insight Guides says about Laforet Harajuku, "for those in search of kawaii ('cute') culture and Japanese fashions you won't find anywhere else, Laforet remains the ultimate pilgrimage".
Rockport Pub. says Laforet Harajuku is "the department store and museum where cutting-edge original fashion has been dispatched for over thirty years" and calls it "a landmark of the Harajuku area of Tokyo".
A Tuttle Publishing book says about Laforet Harajuku, "this historical place has contributed more than any other store to shift the center of Japanese youth fashion from Shinjuku to Harajuku".
A second Tuttle Publishing book says "LaForet could be considered the cultural center of Harajuku".
The Japan Times says "Teeming teen shopping haven LaForet Harajuku opened in 1978 and has been a pivotal part of Japan's youth culture ever since."
Cunard (talk) 07:57, 24 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.