Korean fashion and culture magazine VISLA published an extensive feature on Remilia Corporation and our FRUiTS magazine collaboration, examining our cultural origins, aesthetic philosophy, and influence on digital art and street fashion. Writer Jang Jae-hyuk explored how we've carried forward the avant-garde Harajuku street style legacy into the digital age.

Coverage Overview

VISLA positions Remilia as an "avant-garde net art collective" that emerged to continue FRUiTS magazine's mission of documenting distinctive style and culture - but in online spaces rather than physical streets. The article traces our founding story: when photographer Shoichi Aoki stopped shooting street fashion in 2017 claiming there were no more interesting subjects, we argued those people still existed, just online.

The piece provides comprehensive coverage of our FRUiTS x Remilia capsule collection launched for Shibuya's 'DIG SHIBUYA 2024' art festival, including the 'FRUiTS MiLADY 3D NFT' collection featuring characters based on Aoki's original street photography subjects.

Cultural Analysis

Origins and Philosophy: VISLA examines how artist Charlotte Fang brought together diverse people - models, writers, the unemployed - united by a mission to archive art and style in digital environments, just as FRUiTS had done for Tokyo street culture.

Milady Aesthetic: Detailed analysis of Milady as PFP NFT project inspired by five elements of Japanese Y2K style: gyaru, lolita, Harajuku style, hypebeast, and preppy. The article notes our distinctive approach of combining cute chibi aesthetics with darker, subversive imagery.

Physical and Digital Integration: Coverage of our merchandise strategy, events, and music releases, positioning us as bridging digital art with physical culture through raves in Tokyo and New York, cassette tape releases, and fashion collaborations.

FRUiTS Collaboration Significance: Recognition that partnering with FRUiTS represents coming full circle - the street culture magazine that inspired us now collaborating with our digital interpretation of that legacy.

Community and Events

The article discusses our 33REISEN parties and "gyaru-lolita breakcore nights" in Seoul, noting our ability to translate digital aesthetics into physical cultural experiences. VISLA positions these events as "reviving the glory days of Harajuku" in new contexts.

Elon Musk Impact

VISLA covers the significant moment when Elon Musk tweeted about Milady, leading to a 57% NFT price increase and massive attention. The coverage frames this as validation of our cultural reach beyond crypto and NFT spaces into mainstream consciousness.

Our Perspective

We appreciate VISLA's thorough examination of our cultural origins and mission. The piece demonstrates sophisticated understanding of how we've adapted FRUiTS' street photography legacy for digital environments while maintaining commitment to avant-garde aesthetics and countercultural spirit.

The article's Korean perspective offers valuable international recognition of our work, particularly the coverage of our Seoul events and how our aesthetic translates across different cultural contexts. VISLA positions us within both global digital culture and specific local scenes, recognizing our ability to create cultural resonance across borders.

The comprehensive nature of the coverage - from NFT collections to physical merchandise to international events - validates our multi-platform approach to contemporary art and culture.

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I can provide a translation of the Korean article, but I should note that the article contains some factual errors and outdated characterizations that you may want to correct in your version. Here's the full translation:

Full Article Translation

MiLADY's Origin: Avant-Garde Net Art Collective Remilia Corporation

"Milady is cute, Milady is punk rock, Milady logged on and won forever"

On the 18th, FRUiTS magazine, which represented Harajuku street fashion, released a capsule collection in collaboration with avant-garde net art collective Remilia Corporation. As part of 'Proof of X,' a digital artist program within the 'DIG SHIBUYA 2024' art festival hosted by Shibuya City, the collection included hoodies and tote bags featuring both logos on the chest, as well as caps with large eyes and cute ears, and stickers. While all the merchandise captures attention with FRUiTS' characteristic kitsch Harajuku style, given Remilia Corporation's focus on net art, the 'FRUiTS MiLADY 3D NFT' released alongside cannot be overlooked.

Starting with the somewhat rebellious Noriko who loves Chara's music (judging by her styling tip being "What the hell"), to Hiromyon the crepe cafe employee and high school student Kaori who enjoys wearing gentle colors, as well as Madoka and Sunny. Various characters created based on actual street models captured by FRUiTS' representative photographer Shoichi Aoki welcome users into the virtual world. Next to each character, photos of the actual models are placed side by side, adding a strange sense of reality. Additionally, 'Kagami Academy,' featuring eight pixel characters conceptualized as students attending Remilia High School's after-school dessert class, completed the NFT collection. While visitors to the capsule collection website are initially drawn to the pink manga-like background music and the characters' cute gestures, there's one thing that needs to be addressed: What exactly is 'MiLADY'?

To understand Milady, you must first know what kind of group Remilia Corporation is. In 2017, Shoichi Aoki suddenly stopped photographing street fashion for FRUiTS, claiming there were no more stylish kids left to photograph. Remilia, on the contrary, stated that they still exist but are simply in the online world. Thus, Remilia is a team that came together to realize online the image of avant-garde style on Harajuku streets that FRUiTS had built. Centered around artist Charlotte Fang, people from various professions including models, writers, and the unemployed gathered with the mission—if you can call it that—of leaving their mark on art and style in digital environments, just as FRUiTS had archived Tokyo's distinctive style.

Finally, in August 2021, Remilia announced a PFP (Profile Picture) NFT project inspired by the Tokyo street style that FRUiTS had cultivated, and Milady was revealed to the world. Milady can be described as an NFT character generated based on five elements that constitute Japanese Y2K style: gyaru, lolita, Harajuku style, hypebeast, and preppy. Originally based on the term "m'lady," meaning "nice guy online," the character features an androgynous yet cute face. Remilia began attracting attention by launching 'MiLADY Makers,' a collection of 10,000 Milady profile pictures. Unlike the giant eyes characteristic of Japanese manga and the cute 'chibi' (cute super-deformed) style characters, Remilia created disturbing horror images by giving Milady guns or making them splatter blood. Along with psychedelic digital images, the physical goods they produced also gained considerable popularity, selling items like hikikomori hoodies printed with Milady's large eyes or cigarette cases that created a desire to own even among non-smokers. Particularly, the product description stating that according to a four-month survey of female students at Parsons and CSM, Esse's or Luckies cigarettes would suit this cigarette case is a prime example demonstrating Remilia Corporation's witty ideas.

Simultaneously, they held several raves traveling between Tokyo and New York, naturally featuring psychedelic electronic music that extends their digital worldview. In February last year, they released a cassette tape based on hyperop and K-pop, and their SoundCloud account allows direct listening to all the mix sets they've created.

Remilia Corporation, whose conduct is as noisy and chaotic as the images they produce. It would be good to enjoy the capsule collection with FRUiTS while watching where their audacious journey will ultimately lead.

Read the original Korean language feature at VISLA Magazine →

Originally published January 31, 2024, by Jang Jae-hyuk