Shoulder Bag thumbnail 1
On loan
  • On short term loan out for exhibition

Shoulder Bag

21st century (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
Synthetic textiles
Brief description
Shoulder bag, by Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, Japan, 21st century
Physical description
Shoulder bag, black, in the form of a rabbit teddy [usakumya].
Dimensions
  • Height of rabbit, including ears, excluding strap height: 440mm (Maximum) (Note: Measured by conservation)
  • Width: 250mm (Maximum) (Note: Measured by conservation)
  • Depth: 100mm (Maximum) (Note: Measured by conservation)
  • Overall length including strap length: 650mm (Note: Measured by conservation)
Object history
This item is part of one of the "Sweet 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.
Subjects 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.12-2012

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Record createdMarch 23, 2012
Record URL
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