Review Detail

Nala is a HUGE fan of everything kawaii and Harajuku fashion, even buying fabric for an outfit from Tokyo. When she finds out that there is a summer fashion camp near her home in New York City, her mother manages to secure the last open spot for her. Julia, one of her friends’ sisters, is going to be working there, and famous designers will be instructors. When the camp starts, she meets Izzy, Luke, Riley, Kris, Rose, and Kat, who all have different favorite styles. The director, Clair, is the owner of a fashion boutique. While Nala is excited about the fashion show at the end of the program, she doesn’t feel confident in her skills at all, and worries that everyone else is so much better than she is. She does befriend the shy Rose, who is also obsessed with Harajuku style. She’s impressed with Riley’s 1970s style fashions and Kris’ streetwear, and intimidated by Kat’s elaborate, wedding gown style clothing. When Kat accuses her of copying from her, Nala’s insecurity grows, but luckily she is visited by a guardian spirit in the form of Timothy, a squirrel. Her friends Lilico and Emma also had these animals, so Nala hopes this will help. Timothy tries, but his designs aren’t great, and he is much more interested in snacking. Nala doesn’t want to ask for help, even when an upcycling project she attempts proves to be too challenging for her, and she even skips a day of camp. In the end, she manages to get some help, and is okay with the fact that she only has two designs in the fashion show instead of the three that others do, because she knows that she has learned a lot.