By She goes by Coco. To her 432,000 followers and counting, she’s Coco Pink Princess, style icon. She’s also only seven years old. For all the hand-wringing that parents do when it comes to kids and social media, it must be noted just how familiar Coco’s origin story is: Child plays dress-up; adoring mom and dad snap pics; Mom posts the photos on Mom’s Instagram account. What sets this pint-size tastemaker apart, however, is that instead of taking her fashion cues from Disney princesses, she prefers an off-kilter, colorful look that’s more influencer than infantile. This is partially due to the fact that her parents own Funktique, a vintage store in the heart of Tokyo’s vibrant Harajuku district. The couple set up shop in the area—famous for its outré and even cartoonish street style—after fleeing the 2011 earthquake in Fukushima. “We opened the store when she was two years old,” explains Coco’s mother, Misato. “She wasn’t in day care at the time, so she was always with us. Everyone is dressed very fashionably in Harajuku, from top to toe. She has been seeing this since she was a baby, so it was very natural that she’d be interested in fashion.”
But the world’s fascination with Coco was more surprising. Misato started the Coco-dedicated Instagram account (@coco_pinkprincess) only after she was flooded with requests. Part of the appeal is the incongruity—a cute kid in hypebeast’s clothing (Supreme beanies, Helmut Lang tees). Part of it is the current obsession with all things tiny. (See: tiny houses, tiny food, and toddlers in tiny versions of Oscar gowns.)
According to Mom, Coco is very much in charge of her image. She selects from multiple options before a photo is posted and adjusts color balances to her liking. For ELLE’s shoot, she and her father laid out choices for each look, complete with accessories. “Some people think [she’s] too young,” Misato allows, referring to Coco’s exposure, “but we don’t force her or anything. It is a way of educating her to face the world.” She recalls fondly a floral vintage dress that excited Coco when she was still in diapers. Now she (like pretty much everyone) is obsessed with one label: Gucci. “Her favorite right now is the backless Princetown slippers,” Misato says. The kid’s got great taste. And come whatever version of #tbt exists in 2030, she’ll have the choicest throwback shots to share.
Top image: Sunglasses, Louis Vuitton, louisvuitton.com. Sport belt bag, Marc Jacobs, $295. Her own vintage jacket, top, and shorts, Supreme hat, and Tommy Hilfiger sneakers.
This article originally appears in the March 2018 issue of ELLE.
Véronique Hyland is ELLE’s Fashion Features Director and the author of the book Dress Code, which was selected as one of The New Yorker's Best Books of the Year. Her writing has previously appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, W, New York magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Condé Nast Traveler.
