Happy Sugar Mix
My Role: Branding, Technical Design, Social media, Art directionHappy Sugar Mix is a personal creative project that blends original artwork with early 2000s Harajuku and kawaii fashion aesthetics. Rooted in Japanese street fashion movements like decora, fairy kei, and sweet lolita, the project explores the intersection of wearable design and visual storytelling.
Through Happy Sugar Mix, I design playful, art-forward fashion pieces that reflect a nostalgic yet fresh take on J-fashion. Each piece incorporates my illustration work—featuring vibrant characters, whimsical motifs, and bold color palettes—integrated into garments, accessories, or surface patterns. The result is a playful, and joyful mix of style and self-expression.
MUSIC MAKES ME HAPPY CAMPAIGN: This section draws from the nostalgic charm of early 2000s stationery—specifically the sticker and memo sheets I used to collect from Morning Glory as a child. These playful, sparkle-filled designs formed the visual backbone of this piece, blending seamlessly with the kawaii fashion influences of Happy Sugar Mix.
To bring the shirt design to life, I began by 3D modeling the character in Blender. From there, I moved into Photoshop to complete the layout—adding hand-drawn details, graphic elements, and composition inspired by retro sticker sheets.
I created a detailed tech pack for production, guiding the manufacturer through fabric selection, print placement, and construction specs to bring the sample to life exactly as envisioned.
The supporting social media visuals continue the nostalgic thread—drawing from the sugary, pastel-heavy aesthetic of vintage stationery. I incorporated sparkle effects, bubbly type, and sticker-inspired frames to create a scroll-stopping post that ties the physical product back to the project’s emotional roots.
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Measurements and Patterning Tech Pack (XS for example, created the same for all sizing)
Design Before the Current Design
Another Concept from Initial Planning Stages
Social Media Campaign Assets
Pins and scarves CAMPAIGN: This accessory set—featuring a hand-made scarf and custom-designed enamel pins—draws inspiration from the “old school” Gyaru substyle, reimagined through a soft, kawaii lens. The project merges bold, rebellious energy with sweet, hyper-feminine flair, channeling the vibrant attitude seen in early 2000s Gyaru fashion.
The scarf was crafted entirely by hand, paying special attention to texture, color, and wearability. For the pins, I translated my character designs into enamel-ready illustrations and oversaw the production process by preparing clean vector files and working directly with a manufacturer to ensure quality and detail were preserved in the final pieces.
For the campaign’s social media rollout, I leaned heavily into the aesthetic of purikura photo booth edits—an iconic part of Gyaru and broader J-fashion culture. I also referenced layouts, type treatments, and sticker-like overlays found in magazines like egg and ageha. The result is a graphic language that feels loud, cute, and unfiltered—just like the era that inspired it.
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Tech Pack for Button Design
Social Media Campaign Assets
Website design: The Happy Sugar Mix website is a hand-coded e-commerce experience that captures the playful, nostalgic spirit of early internet design. Inspired by the charm of 2000s personal websites, the site embraces a simplified layout full of quirky animations, pixel details, and interactive moments that invite users to explore with curiosity and joy.
More than just a shop, the website serves as a digital home for the Happy Sugar Mix universe—a space to sell limited-run pieces, connect with the community, and share the inspiration behind the work. From sparkly accessories to illustrated apparel, every item is showcased with care, echoing the DIY and character-driven aesthetic at the heart of the brand.
Beyond the shop, the site includes a portfolio section that highlights the artist’s broader creative practice, as well as an “About” page that dives into the brand’s roots in J-fashion, nostalgic stationery, and art-fueled storytelling. Every click is designed to feel fun, personal, and a little bit magical—just like Happy Sugar Mix itself.
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