Gyaru to Couture Begins Its Costume Production Arc After Momo and Ujo Clear the Preliminaries

Gyaru to Couture: Ariake Momo wa Fuku o Tsukutte Yuushou suru Koto ni Shita has entered the second stage of its Fashion Koshien story.

The new Costume Production Arc began in Sho-Comi issue 17, released in Japan on August 5, 2026. Having passed the preliminary design screening, Momo and Ujo must now transform their concept into a finished outfit.

Quick Summary

• Japanese title: ギャルとクチュール ～有明モモは服を作って優勝することにした～
• Romanized title: Gyaru to Couture: Ariake Momo wa Fuku o Tsukutte Yuushou suru Koto ni Shita
• Official English/global title: not announced
• Short title: Gyaru to Couture
• Format: manga
• Genres: fashion, school life, youth, friendship, romance, and success story
• Creator: Nako Amane
• Japanese creator name: 雨音奈子
• Publisher: Shogakukan
• Magazine: Sho-Comi
• Digital label: Flower Comics
• Status: ongoing
• Current arc: Costume Production Arc
• Japanese arc title: 衣装制作編
• Position: second story arc
• Arc launch date: August 5, 2026
• Magazine issue: Sho-Comi issue 17
• Magazine price: 550 yen including tax
• Protagonist: Ariake Momo
• Momo’s partner: Ujo
• Momo’s background: a gyaru living in a snowy region
• Ujo’s background: a Tokyo-born student who dreams of becoming a fashion designer
• Main objective: winning Fashion Koshien
• Latest development: their design passed the preliminary screening
• Next challenge: producing the physical garment
• Original serialization launch: Sho-Comi issue 7
• Original launch date: March 5, 2026
• Digital edition: available in micro-volume format
• Micro Volume 1 free period: August 5–September 1, 2026
• Anime adaptation: not announced
• Official English edition: not announced
• Official Indonesian edition: not announced

Announcement and Costume Production Arc Visual

Momo and Ujo Pass the Preliminary Screening

The opening arc brings together Ariake Momo, a gyaru from Japan’s snowy north, and Ujo, a student from Tokyo who wants to become a fashion designer.

Momo is deeply affected after seeing clothing created by Ujo. Their meeting eventually leads them to form a team and enter Fashion Koshien, a nationwide competition for high-school fashion designers.

Their task requires more than producing an attractive sketch. The pair must create a concept expressing their experiences, tastes, and individual understanding of what makes something “kawaii.”

The first stage concludes with their design passing the preliminary screening. The Costume Production Arc begins at the moment their idea must leave the page and become a wearable garment.

Turning a Design into a Finished Outfit

Garment production introduces challenges that do not exist during the illustration stage.

Momo and Ujo must consider fabric, patterns, structure, color, movement, construction, and whether the final result still communicates the original idea.

A design that works on paper may behave very differently once it is cut, sewn, worn, and presented on a runway.

The opening visual shows Momo operating a sewing machine while Ujo works beside a dress form. It establishes that both characters will participate directly in the technical process.

The work may also test their partnership. Momo brings confidence and a willingness to express herself, while Ujo contributes his ambition and growing knowledge of fashion design.

The Story Draws from the Real Fashion Koshien

Fashion Koshien, formally known as the National High School Fashion Design Championship, is a real competition held in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture.

Participants enter as teams of two students from the same school. They initially submit original fashion illustrations for preliminary judging.

Selected teams then create the clothing shown in their designs before attending the final judging event in Hirosaki. One member of each team models the finished work during the stage presentation.

That structure provides the framework for Momo and Ujo’s story. Passing the preliminary round is not the conclusion—it is where technical ability, time management, and teamwork become essential.

According to the Fashion Koshien Executive Committee, Gyaru to Couture is the first manga to use the competition directly as its central subject.

A Summer Devoted to One Creation

Nako Amane describes the second arc as a summer devoted to creating a work for the national competition.

Time becomes one of the pair’s greatest pressures. Pattern errors and sewing problems can force them to undo hours of work while the deadline continues approaching.

Momo must also preserve her personal sense of style within a formal competition. Their outfit needs more than visual appeal; it requires a clear concept capable of standing apart from other entries.

For Ujo, the production stage is an opportunity to prove that his designer ambitions extend beyond drawing. He must apply his ideas to an object that can actually be worn and presented.

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The manga retains its youthful relationship drama, but the practical process of making clothing now moves to the center of the story.

The Opening Arc Is Now Available Digitally

Shogakukan began distributing the first arc in micro-volume format alongside the launch of the Costume Production Arc.

Micro Volume 1 is available to read for free from August 5 through September 1, 2026, as part of the digital-release campaign.

New readers can follow Momo and Ujo’s first meeting, the formation of their team, and their journey toward the preliminary result before continuing into the second arc.

The series is also available through the official Flower Comics platform, where its digital chapters are being released separately.

Why This Matters

1) The story moves into the technical side of fashion

The opening chapters establish the characters and their design concept. The second arc explores how that concept is physically constructed.

2) Its competition is based on a real event

Fashion Koshien provides concrete rules governing team size, selection, garment creation, and the final runway presentation.

3) Momo and Ujo approach fashion differently

Momo’s confidence and self-expression meet Ujo’s design ambitions and technical interests.

4) Talent alone will not be enough

The pair must also manage time, mistakes, divided responsibilities, and the pressure of creating a functional outfit.

Manga Information

The important details currently known are:

• Gyaru to Couture is a manga by Nako Amane
• its complete title is Gyaru to Couture: Ariake Momo wa Fuku o Tsukutte Yuushou suru Koto ni Shita
• serialization began in Sho-Comi issue 7 on March 5, 2026
• the story follows a snow-country gyaru named Ariake Momo
• Ujo is a Tokyo-born student who dreams of designing fashion
• they form a team to enter Fashion Koshien
• their design passes the preliminary screening
• the second story arc is titled the Costume Production Arc
• it began in Sho-Comi issue 17 on August 5, 2026
• the new storyline focuses on producing their competition outfit
• Sho-Comi issue 17 costs 550 yen including tax
• the opening arc is also being distributed as digital micro volumes
• Micro Volume 1 remains free through September 1, 2026
• the manga is ongoing
• no anime adaptation has been announced
• official English and Indonesian editions have not been announced
• series information is available through the official Sho-Comi page
• digital chapters are available through the official Flower Comics page
• competition details are available through the official Fashion Koshien website

Closing

Gyaru to Couture now takes Momo and Ujo beyond the design stage. After clearing the preliminary screening, they must demonstrate that their concept can become a finished garment worthy of Fashion Koshien.

The Costume Production Arc began in Sho-Comi issue 17 on August 5, 2026. Their finished outfit, the obstacles surrounding its creation, and their route toward the final event will unfold in future chapters.