Fashion/art and design review: Japanese Street Style: Lolita fashion
Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Victoria & Albert Museum – map
Review by: Alexa Williamson
Rating: ***** (out of 5)
Nutshell review: Britain’s gothic fashion movement has been around since the early 1980s, having evolved out of the punk music scene and since then has also floated across to Japan! For those who love alternative fashion, this tiny installation is well known and has been given a lot of good word of mouth. Small and informative, it is a great few exhibition windows worth checking out as the information is easily digestible and memorable, the different trends in this Japanese fashion movement are explained and there are some great clothing and costume examples on display.
As the V & A puts it, “Lolita fashion emerged during the 1990s as a radical form of street style born out of the Japanese taste for Hello Kitty cuteness. Whether dressed in pink, powder blue, red, white or black, Lolitas are immediately recognisable by their doll-like make-up, frilly skirts, fanciful headgear, ribbons and lace.
Although the term ‘Lolita’ has sexual connotations in Western culture due to the book of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov, in Japanese culture it refers to ‘cuteness’, ‘elegance’ and ‘modesty’ and has little to do with allure. It is more akin to a kind of aggressive femininity, is meant to be confrontational, and is often a reaction to the overtly sexualised representation of women in Japanese culture.
A striking feature of Lolita fashion is the extent to which it is influenced by British culture: Alice in Wonderland, Glam Rock, the New Romantics, Gothic, Punk and Vivienne Westwood. Although the attitude and aggression of Punk and Gothic have no place in the world of the Lolita, the movement represents a similarly powerful rebellion against the conventions of contemporary society.”
Although there is more to be learned than what is mentioned here, this is a good introduction to this Japanese fashion sense and the different types of Lolita on show including gothic, sweet, punk and traditional Japanese. Admittedly, my favourite is the traditional Japanese lolita – and its kimonos on display.
Besides showing a popular, contemporary fashion trend, this is also a good exhibit if you are looking for fashion inspiration as you can actually purchase a lot of this type of fashion either in London’s Camden Markets, or online, quite inexpensively (and no, I am not referring to traditional goth gear which is almost exactly the same in some bits. I am referring to, literally, the Japanese version of gothic clothing).
Impressive – as the V & A has recognised and embraced a growing and alternative culture trend instead passing it over because it is not an established “label”.
Further information:
Japanese Street Style: Lolita fashion (Victoria and Albert – official site)
Victoria and Albert Museum (official site)
The London Reviewer 