Board thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Board

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
Cardboard, lined with synthetic fabric
Brief description
Board (obi-ita), Japan, 2005-2011
Physical description
Board (obi-ita), thin and stiff, with elastic to fasten in the back of the obi.
Dimensions
  • Length: 43cm
  • Height: 14cm
  • Strap length: 22cm
Gallery label
Mamechiyo of Mamechiyo Modern spent several years dealing in vintage kimono before establishing her own label in 2003. She has set out to reinvent the kimono as an affordable, everyday form of clothing, and to experiment with the incorporation of non- Japanese elements such as the headdress, choker and decorative lace collar that can be seen on the outfit displayed here.
Object history
This item is part of the "Wa Lolita" or "Japanese Lolita" outfits on display from 23 April 2012 to January 2013 in the "Kitty and the Bulldog Lolita fashion and the influence of Britain" exhibition at the V&A. Part of the V&A British Design Season.
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.323-2011

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Record createdDecember 7, 2011
Record URL
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