What is ZAKKA style?

Mis lectores en español pueden leer éste mismo artículo en Al Estilo de Asia

Hello. For those who doesn't know yet what ZAKKA style is, today I'll dedicate this post to explain in detail what is it, because I love this style and so far I haven't found (at least not in english or spanish) a detailed post on the Internet that explain this style as detailed as I'm gonna do it here.

First of all I'll tell you what this style is to me, based on what I have observed. It is a style of Japanese origin that covers: home decoration, cafes, shops, fashion and crafts. It is a unique, creative and natural style, and for me even with a touch of magic.

Regarding decor details that make this style are:

♥︎ Light colors on the walls, preferably white to give more light and create more space. 

♥︎ Accents and unique handmade touches, but not anything handmade, it should be very simple and natural stuff, later I will show you what I mean.

♥︎ Forest things decoration, like rabbits, mushrooms, pine nuts, deers, etc, in fact this style is very related to Mori Girl Style.

♥︎ Polka dots or plaid designs. 

♥︎ The predominant material in this type of decor is wood either light or dark. 

♥︎ The color palette is very natural, earth tones, brown, white, beige, gray, light green, etc.. 

♥︎ Other items that go well with this style are: recycled glass jars, which can be used to store buttons or another craft stuff, strawberries, owls, decorative tapes (washi tape), matryoshka dolls, vintage things, such as cameras , plants, baskets, kewpie dolls, eiffel tower, doily, etc.

This style is very popular in Japan of course, but it is popular too in other places in Asia.

Here are some examples of this cute style:

ZAKKA HOME

In this post I shared with you some "Home Come Magazine" scans which is totally zakka style home.

ZAKKA CAFE

A very cozy zakka coffee shop 

ZAKKA SHOP

ZAKKA FASHION

ZAKKA ART AND CRAFTS

This is a popular ZAKKA style book. 

Get it by clicking the link below. 

Zakka Style: 24 Projects Stitched with Ease to Give, Use & Enjoy (Design Collective)

MORE ZAKKA STYLE

For example, I don't know if you have seen "My Neighbor Totoro", if you like anime, for sure you have, and if you haven't yet I recommend you to watch it, as it is a very cute and full of magic film.

Oh well, the house where Mei and Zatzuki live would be a zakka style, and indeed Totoro is the most zakka film I've seen so far.

Regarding to Fashion Style this style includes:

♥︎ Natural materials like cotton and linen.

♥︎ Loose, comfortable clothing.

♥︎ Polka dots or plaid designs.

♥︎ The color palette is very natural, earth tones, brown, white, beige, gray, light green, etc..

♥︎ Layers

Well, I also tell you how wikipedia defines this word:  Zakka (from the Japanese 'zak-ka'（雑貨）or 'many things') is a fashion and design phenomenon that has spread from Japan throughout Asia. The term refers to everything and anything that improves your home, life and appearance. It is often based on household items from the West that are regarded as kitsch in their countries of origin, but it can also be Japanese goods, mainly from the fifties, sixties, and seventies. In Japan there are also so-called Asian zakka stores; that usually refers to Southeast Asia. The interest in Nordic design or Scandinavian design, both contemporary and past, is also part of this zakka movement. Zakka can also be contemporary handicraft.

Zakka has also been described as "the art of seeing the savvy in the ordinary and mundane". The zakka boom could be recognized as merely another in a series of consumer fads, but it also touches issues of self-expression and spirituality. "Cute, corny and kitschy is not enough. To qualify as a zakka, a product must be attractive, sensitive, and laden with subtext."

I think the wikipedia definition is very general, so I wanted to make this post, and I hope you liked it and that you have got the idea of what this style is all about.

Do not forget to leave your comments and thank you very much for reading and growing your interest in this beautiful culture. Until next time!