Today, Harajuku fashion magazine KERA announced that it will publish its final print edition on April 15, after 19 years in operation. In addition, KERA’s spinoff quarterly, Gothic & Lolita Bible, will go on hiatus on May 24, after 16 years of publication.
But not all hope is lost! On May 16, KERA will begin publishing content on a newly revamped website. This content includes a digital magazine and social media posts. KERA will continue to run its KERA SHOP online store. The magazine will also collaborate with stores and fashion brands around Japan.
Even though KERA will continue to live on digitally, it’s a sad blow, given that iconic Harajuku fashion magazine FRUiTS announced last month they they will end publication after 20 years. Even though FRUiTS founder Shoichi Aoki said that the magazine was ending due to the fact that “there are no more cool kids left to photograph”, there is more to the story here. The change in youth culture, the rise of fast fashion, and the gentrification of Harajuku are some of the factors that play a role in the demise of these publications, along with the fact that print media is just a dying industry altogether.
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