Pair of Tights thumbnail 1
Pair of Tights thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Pair of Tights

2005-2011 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

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. 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. The first three sections of the display are devoted to Sweet, Gothic and Punk Lolita. The final section, Japanese Lolita, shows how a fascination with the exotic and alternative has resulted in the reappropriation and sometimes extreme recasting of traditional modes of Japanese dress.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Lining is 95% cotton 5% polyester and tights 100 % nylon
Brief description
Pair of tights, cotton, polyester and nylon, designed by Yasutaka Funakoshi at Alice Auaa, Japan, 2005-2011
Physical description
Pair of tights, black cotton and polyester, with white nylon spider-web design.
Dimensions
  • Length: 112cm
Gallery label
Alice Auaa was established in 1995 by the self-taught Osaka-based designer Yasutaka Funakoshi after he had spent two years importing Punk, Fetish, New Wave and Gothic clothing from London. While Alice Auaa promotes itself through magazines such as the iconic Gothic & Lolita Bible, its concern with S&M, bondage and Gothic horror set it apart from mainstream Gothic Lolita labels.(11/12/2012)
Object history
This item is part of one of the "Gothic Lolita" outfits on display from 23 April 2012 to 27 January 2013 in the "Kitty and the Bulldog Lolita fashion and the influence of Britain" display at the V&A.
Subject depicted
Summary
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. 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. The first three sections of the display are devoted to Sweet, Gothic and Punk Lolita. The final section, Japanese Lolita, shows how a fascination with the exotic and alternative has resulted in the reappropriation and sometimes extreme recasting of traditional modes of Japanese dress.
Collection
Accession number
FE.285-2011

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Record createdNovember 8, 2011
Record URL
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