RIP Black Peace Now: Harajuku Japanese Goth fashion brand closes, bankrupt. Final collection photos.
Sad face… one of my favorite Harajuku Goth fashion brands, Black Peace Now, is no more. Please read on for a eulogy, and photos of the very last collection.
All the BPN Japan stores have already vanished. USA operations remain open, but I doubt they’ll last for long.
Things haven’t been great for Japanese Goth brands in recent years. h.NAOTO is closing its San Francisco boutique, and both Banana Fish and Sexy Dynamite London are gone for good.
How fitting that I wore this outfit to Hanzono Shinto shrine in Shinjuku, two weeks before the end. My Pirate first mate Naomi Rubin (comic artist and web designer at Naomiyaki) shot these photos.
Ghost top: Peace Now, from Closet Child Shinjuku
White fuzzy coat: got it in London years ago. It reminds me of the one the girl wears in Last Tango In Paris.
Starlet white hat: vintage, from ages ago
Gothic Lolita purse: Spider, Hong Kong
White sunglasses: Dolce and Gabbana (more photos here)
Black heels: Michael Kors
In front of Shinto prayer boards (ema). I should have wished for Peace Now to live on…
Nobody had any clue that the brand was on its last legs, especially since their last collection was strong. Highlights include these epic creeper shoes, which I bought. The pirate bear reminds me of Basil.
I took these photos of the BPN in Vivre (Yokohama department store) a mere fortnight before the brand folded. The last collection had Pastel Goth elements and cute ghosts.
I wasn’t a big fan of their Moi-meme-moitie style Lolita dresses. However, I liked the scalloped jacket collars and cloud prints.
Star-studded platform sneakers, enough said.
Unlike some other Gothic and Lolita labels, Black Peace Now showed evolution over the years, and didn’t stick to the same old formula. It’s a shame that they had to say goodbye (apparently, they went bankrupt).
This is what the Peace Now boutique looked like at Vivre Yokohama, right before the fall.
And then… everything disappeared without a trace. No warnings or clearance sales. Two days after the announcement, there was nothing but empty space in Laforet Harajuku.
Rest in peace, Peace Now. May your ghost guy live on in the secondhand shop, Closet Child.
Let’s hope that the remaining Japanese Goth Punk brands stay strong. (Here are links to the shop websites, along with photos of coordinates.)
Were you a fan of Black Peace Now? Surprised by its death? What do you foresee for other J-Goth clothing lines?
PS: Hope you’ve been enjoying Tokyo Fashion Week! Don’t miss the Jeremy Scott smart forjeremy car, on display until Mar 23 (10am-9pm daily at Hikarie, ２丁目 Shibuya). Love how Berlin-based blogger and illustrator Nancy Zhang visualizes the road show in a fashionable comic.
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LA CARMINA
60 Comments
I was extremely saddened by the news. It was one of my favorite brands.
Yeahhh
Oh my gosh, NO!! Ugh, this sincerely bums me out…..
NOOOOOOOOO
i know! when i heard this i was so sad.
maybe if the brands made more availability in the u.s. they would not die out too much
maybe, the one in California is closing too i didn’t know they were closed in Japan already.
NOMAMES!!!! COMO QUE BLACK PEACE NOW MURIO?! D:! T______T
Yeah… I was a huge fan…
beautiful la carmina
Thank you
I didn’t follow the brand closely so this is kind of shocking. Makes me sad that I didn’t buy the items I wanted when I had the chance.
Really sad to hear about h.NAOTO – I was really hoping to visit their store here in the US.
I’m sad too!! ><
I was really a fan :'(
Such a shame! I loved their style! Alas, it’s very hard to get Japanese brands in the UK, so I was never able to buy anything of theirs, but I could admire the photos in KERA!
I’m sad that Peace Now is gone. I hope the other brands stay strong. It’s sad when a good fashion store closes… :(
So sad.
Simply stunning.
I was SO SAD when I learned this… Still am upset!!! >___<
Oh how sad :(
so sad & shock that BPN wad dead..
That’s so sad :c
Better hurry up to the San Francisco shop before that us gone also.
I can’t believe it!! I had hopes to be able to buy something from that brand! TwT
!!! No way, I thought they were still doing well…
Yeah me too!
I can’t believe it!! I had hopes to be able to buy something from that brand! TwT
Tell me this isn’t real? :(
;o;
NO! That was one of my favourites! I have the most BPN in my limited wardrobe
… I also really want the cream dress with the cage embroidery. Goth damn it
I wish they had those clothes where I live
WOAH! that is so sad!
:(
Aw! D: I never had a chance to shop at any of these stores!
Do they want to come play with my brand? I want ghosts!
Ghost power!
it WAS amazing. it was always my favorite look in the lolita catalogs, though i was never able to see it in person. sad!
One of my favorites too.
oh no. it was such a amazing brand
I know…
I really love the light-blue dress!!
http://www.loveandstuds.it/
Thank you, it’s my new favorite! It’s Liz Lisa, My Melody collection. More pics soon!
noooooo!
That’s sad , hope keep business running..
I know, I hope the businesses stay strong
never even got to buy anything from them… ;-;
Oh noooooo
:(
Yeah, that was shocking, wasn’t it? It was one of those brands you thought would go on forever. But it seems that many of his other brands remain intact – h.Naoto, Sixh, Anarchy, Blood, Hangry & Angry, Gouk, Gramm, Ibi etc, so that’s something ;)
I looooove that white hat!
Very sad to see it go and right before i got back to Japan allot of my favorite brands have died out sadly and more and more are struggling to survive i mean takuya Angel closed his store ,peace now (rip) its just upsetting :((
I know :( I hope things get better!
I was so sad to learn about their closure. Like you said, they didn’t stick to one formula. I have two very different tops from them, and they were pretty affordable compared to other brands. Last I checked, the supplies in the U.S. store are dwindling so I guess I can only find PN/BPN in Closet Child and on-line sales.
There’s still a lot in Closet Child (there is still Banana Fish in CC!) but it’s really too bad.. :(
I just found out about this by total accident and am shocked. I have been to Japan several times as a university student and of all of my Japanese goth/lolita clothing, my Peace Now and BPN pieces are definitely worn the most. They had some really nice things, and they actually weren’t that outrageously priced compared to a lot of other brands. I was looking forward to hitting the store again this coming winter when I visit my friend. :(
I know!! thankfully there are still lots in Closet Child, but so sad…
Oh my goodness. I didn’t even know BPN went bankrupt until now. I bought many of their clothes at the San Francisco store until they closed. I loved the bear and ghost. They were my favorite goth brand. This makes me so sad!
I know, they were amazing! At least World Wide Love is still around, they make cute ghosts too.. http://lacarmina.com/2011/02/cute-ghosts-japanese-mens-punk-clothing-world-wide-love-malko-malka-super-lovers-peace-now-algonquins-japan-streetwear-brands/
I also am thankful you posted this as I had bought something at 0101 Mauri One in Shinjuku last time visited Tokyo, How sad, I wore some the clothes in tv shows and movies. IT seems less and less alternative brands and lip service in north america collection is SO SMALL and boring.
Love to know an updated list of your fav alternative or “goth ” brands, including Japanese (p.s. I don’t like TRIPP).
Even harder to find guys stuff,f which if why I buy guys or girls as long as fits right! ☼ ☀ ☁ ☂ ☃Ariagato!