![]() ![]() Seeing the growth of the lolita community has been one of the many Jfashion pleasures I am blessed to witness. Honestly, they are a community to contend with I’ve met some fantastic members of the community. The moment I saw lolita in person I too thought of them as “doll-like princesses” but quickly grew to recognize the strength and ambition that lolitas have in the world. As an avid but recovering addict of historical romances, I thought the rococo dresses would just be on the pages. I had never seen such beautiful dresses adorned in pure elegance before I had only imagined it. The first time I encountered lolita, I was in awe. "I think it's fine to wear it as long as it makes you happy," she said.Getting the chance to work with Iris was absolutely a dream. I would say 25 is a close call," she said. "It depends on who wears it, but maybe 30 is too old. Kanami Naoi, an 18-year-old design school student, who wore a bright red, fluffy skirt with a white beret, said the style was very doll-like and could be difficult for older women to pull off. Designer Fujii, who wore a simple short skirt and T-shirt, said at 25 she already felt too old to wear the costumes she designs. "They seem to rebel against the styles of certain age groups imposed by society." Maybe for that reason, the Lolita style seems to be confined to a fairly small demographic. "They live in the inner world of cuteness and immaturity, as if they are refusing to grow into an adult," he said. "The Lolita style in general represents the world of childhood, the time before girls achieve their womanly sexuality," Tanaka said. Satomi Tsuchiya, 20, a school friend of Fujii, said: "I think we want to show somehow that we are not just cute." Norinao Tanaka, associate professor of fashion sociology at Bunka Gakuen University, sees the Lolita style as a manifestation of a psychological state unique to Japanese youngsters. Fujii said she found Snow White a perfect subject for her slightly disturbing Lolita image after "discovering in the fairy tale that she was supposed to be only 12 or so when she married the prince". ![]() ![]() Fujii, who studies the Lolita style at Tokyo-based Vantan design school, dressed her Snow White in a camisole with dark red chiffon and black knee-high stockings. "I think girls sometimes get enthralled by something forbidden, something ghastly," she said. "Japanese girls love cute things, but they also love things that are slightly disturbing," said designer Maiko Fujii, standing next to a girl modelling her interpretation of Snow White, decked out in Gothic Lolita lingerie. One thing all Lolita styles have in common is the distinct hint of sexuality and burlesque. "There is also Classical Lolita, which is more mature looking," she said. Mina, in her late teens, said Black Lolita is a mix of Sweet Lolita - a style that makes heavy use of furs, including stuffed animals and fake rabbit ears - and Gothic Lolita, which employs black ribbons, lace, pearls and satin, while maintaining the Lolita basic of large skirts. ![]() One young woman in Tokyo's Lolita heartland of Harajuku, who gave her name only as Mina, introduced herself as wearing "Black Lolita, which is a little different from the orthodox Lolita". Over the last 20 years, it has developed and splintered into a broad range of subdivisions, taking on elements of the Gothic - from black roses and coffin jewellery - to the pseudo-holy, with some girls sporting crucifixes. "I think it will survive as one distinct category in Japan." Lolita style embodies the childhood world of fairytales and comic-book fantasy. "This is definitely one of the latest trends in Japan's fashion world," said Akiko Shinoda, a director for the Japan Fashion Week Organisation, adding Lolitas appeared for the first time last year at the twice-a-year show. Popular Lolita models such as Misako Aoki were big hits at this autumn's Japan Fashion Week, showing off white parasols and pastel pink puff sleeves with high-laced boots, tiny top hats and huge ribbons. What began as a street fashion two decades ago as youngsters aped the doll-like European styles of baroque and rococo has morphed into a near mainstream movement, with dozens of offshoots. Outlandish pannier skirts with layers of frilly lace teenage girls with larger-than-life make-up a dash of sexuality and lashings of Victoriana are the order of the day for Japan's Lolita girls. ![]()
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