Over here in Tokyo, we’re rapidly approaching the hottest, most humid season of the entire year. The ever-increasing temperature makes even the most mundane outside activities difficult, and I’m certainly feeling pretty worn out by the end of the day. Now, if only I had something to wear that represents exactly how I’ve been feeling this past month… oh wait! That’s where PARK Harajuku’s latest Tokyo EMOtee comes into play. Teaming up with Korean illustrator billies, half of the artist duo Uchuu Summer, PARK Harajuku is bringing us a unique piece that accurately represents the emotion of “sleepiness”.
This piece sees artist billies contribute their fresh, clean style under the motif, “I wish I was fast asleep…”. The imagery brings forth the nostalgia of getting a good night’s sleep after a long busy day in Tokyo, or the feeling of wanting to fall deep asleep after an exciting day in the city. The design itself reminds me of my favorite children’s books about falling into sweet dreams. I can totally connect with the imagery of the girl falling fast asleep while seemingly in the middle of something.
PARK Harajuku’s EMOtee series was created with the goal of expressing the true nature of Tokyo through souvenir t-shirts ahead of the 2020 Olympics. As time flows in Tokyo, so do people’s feelings and stories. Glad, sad, fun, painful… There are so many different emotions that are born daily in Tokyo. PARK Harajuku recruits a new artist every month to express their emotions through art and present it to us on something we can wear thoughtfully. New shirts are released monthly and are available to buy on their website as well as in-store.
The billies-designed shirt is now in-store at PARK Harajuku and online. Previous looks from the Tokyo EMOtee collection can be found via our full archives, here.