March 2023
ISSUE
01
Lolita Fashion
By: Claire Gaines
04
Welcome Sexualized in Pop Culture
06
My name is Claire Gaines. I am Overview, Substyle Survey
a Graphic Designer studying at
Savannah College of Art & Design. I
am working towards a bachelor's of 08
fine arts in Graphic Design as well as Substyle Survey
a master's of arts in Service Design.
As a freshman in college I have lots to 10
Content
learn. I am on a learning curve. I am Substyle Survey
constantly improving my methods &
work.
12
Thank you for your time & I hope you
Ensemble Breakdown, Quote Collage
enjoy this zine on lolita fashion! Learn about aspects of
You can contact me below if you have
lolita fashion through
any further questions. photo galleries, 14
explanations, Misako Aoki Biography
biography's & item
descriptions. Some 16
thought provoking Toshiba Gallery
quotes are included.
18
cgaine20@student.scad.edu Sources
Sexualized in Pop Culture
T
he term Lolita originated from Vladmir People who participate in the subculture choose to instead of pleasing the male gaze with sexiness.
Nabokov's 1955 novel Lolita. The protagonist express themselves in form-fitting garnments that It is not intended to look necessarily appealing
& author, a middle-aged literature professor are not revealing. They tend not to show off their to society or anyone. Men's approval is removed
under the name Humbert Humbert, is obsessed bodies in order to maintain their modesty. from the equation. This is different compared to
with a twelve year old girl, Dolores Haze, whom the concept of lolita fashion fetishizing young
he kidnaps & sexually abuses after becoming her A woman who engaged in lolita fashion got girls since the initial intent of the subculture is not
"You'll never get bored looking at
stepfather. "Lolita" is the Spanish nickname for interviewed by Vice. She said, "We've actually meant to be sexual at all. Lolita fashion does have
the streets of Tokyo. It's a perfect
Dolores. had people come up to us and be like, 'You're the the resemblance of child-like traits because of the
city for people watching." - Naho
reason we have pedophiles.'" There is a significant playfulness & girliness in it.
Okamoto, founder and designer,
The novel still has much influence today, specifically amount of people who still frown upon lolita
SIRI SIRI
for the current lolita fashion trend. Nabokov's novel fashion because they think it is "inappropriate" or The style is often confused with cosplay. Underage
is to blame for today's sexualization of younger "perverted." female characters are often portrayed in hentai &
girls. Lolita clothing would typically be seen in a cosplay which fetishizes children or teens. This
kid's closet. It is supposed to come off as innocent Humbert Humbert lusts after Lolita because she provokes pedophilic fantasies & could possibly
& childlike. is a child. Nabokov did not create the mainstream encourage pedophiliac crime. Although the
"When I was a student, I loved to
Lolita that is around today. We, the people, distorted fashion contains child-like traits, its style does not
read the manga series Honey and
Lolita fashion has two distinctions: cultural & her actual character to normalize our fetishization hyper-sexualize. Lolita fashion is considered as:
Clover... I was very fond of the
novel. Both represent a different idea & usage. In of feminine youth. encouraging men to pursue young girls.
female character, Hagumi, and
the novel, Lolita, Humbert invites readers to engage
I used to dress like her, always
with these imaginations while simultaneously A person who represents the lolita fashion
wearing cute dresses with soft
repels pedophillic nature. It instead persuades its subculture is Melanie Martinez, who is twenty two
silhouettes." - Yumiko Arimoto
readers to believe that pedophillia is a great past but poses with pacifiers & baby bottles in photo
time. Nabokov's novel never once describes Lolita shoots. She comes off as hyper-sexualized due to
as some sexy, thirteen year old girl. Humbert made the type of outfits she wears & how she acts in front
it very clear that he is attracted to her childishness of others.
& even rejects adult women's bodies. Nabokov's
true intentions of writing Lolita were to encourage Due to hyper-sexualization in the community, any
"Long before the 1990s, Tokyo
repressed fantasies in hopes that they would play culture could be sexualized & reinterpreted in a
was a city that showed tolerance
out in unchecked media. sexual aspect & unfortunately, lolita fashion is a
towards genderless fashion. I hope
pushover of the sexualization which leads to the
fashion can spread an attitude
Lolita is sometimes sexualized by pop culture. The misinterpretation that lolita fashion is a perverted
of being proud of the way you
lolita subculture & way of dressing is under public & problematic subculture with pedophilia
are, without hesitation or any
disapproval for fetishizing children by wearing tendencies.
disguise." - Rei Shito, street-fashion
child-like garnments. The hyper-girly aspect of the garnments & the frilly-
photographer
ness of the skirt in lolita fashion are associated with
In Japanese culture, 'lolita' normally refers to young girls culturally. The subculture often rejects
"cuteness, elegancy, or modesty." It has nothing the mature women's sexuality & adopt to valuing
to do with sexuality. It is a term for a kind of child-like properties. The portrayal of women in
aggressive femininity as well as a reaction to the the popular media over the last several decades has
overtly sexualized representation of women. Social become increasingly sexualized, even "pornified."
media has amplified age-old pressures for young Yet, they deny any intentions of sexual appeal.
girls to conform to a certain sexualized narrative. The style originally strived to express themselves,
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Substyle Survey
Lolita fashion is a style of clothing.
This clothing can be child-like &
inocent or elegant & graceful. There
are seven different styles when it
comes to lolita as a hole. These styles
are classic, goth, elegant goth, sweet,
male, punk & guro.
The styles range from dark tones
to light & lots of jewelry to little at
all. Some encompass the spirit of
children in their clothing & others
like to bring in a Victorian feel to
what they wear.
Lolita fashion is widley known that
is has developed into a subculture
over the years. The only rule for Explore the styles
being in this subculture is wearing
of lolita fashion by
the clothing & inspiring others to do
the same. reading about their
differences as well
Being a lolita is not only about
wearing the clothing & accessories; it
as characterisitics &
is also about acting like one. Lolita's viewing photos!
are often sweet & gentle in nature.
They are kind-hearted people who
Overview
are not looking for trouble.
Some people like Misako Aoki have
influenced people around the world.
She has done this through modeling
& through her career to engage
with others through their common From left to right: sweet lolita x2, elegant
interests. She enjoys wearing lolita gothic lolita, sweet lolita x2.
clothing & says she feels confident
when wearing it. She makes it her
mission to inspire others.
.1 Classic .3 Elegant
Wa-Loli & Qi-Loli Kuro-Loli & Shiro-Loli
Origins of Lolita; A-line skirts/dresses, Victorian Sophisticated Victorian & Edwardian looks.
feel with elegant shapes. Corsets play a large role in this fashion type.
Darker tones of black & white with deep browns, Predominantly wear black & white.
reds & smoky shades. Extreme makeup & monochrome fashion palettes
Patterns & motifs (on skirts & dresses) are simple are commonly seen.
yet elegant shapes with a classier style. Well known brands are Sexy Dynamite London &
Moi-meme-Moitie.
.2 Gothic .4 Sweet
Loligoth Frillies & Frilly Friends
Darker version; style from Eastern European Focus on doll-like perfection.
countries. Pastel colors are worn in warmer seasons & darker/
Navy & royal blue, maroon, deep purple & crimson deeper blues, reds & other hues for the winter
are all common colors accompanied by black. season.
Exaggerated makeup; black or red lipstick & Makeup is cute, soft & doll-like.
sometimes religious symbols on clothing or Well known brands are Baby, The Stars Shine
incorporated into jewelry. Bright, Milk, Innocent World & Putumayo.
The hair is worn straight & is typically dyed.
Common motifs seen worn are crosses, roses, bats,
coffins, skulls & castles.
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.5 Male .7 Guro
Kodona & Oji-sama Guro-Loli
Classical influence of a Victorian boy; often Focuses less on sweetness or elegancy & more on
referred to as prince-like. horror.
All colors & styles of clothing can be worn by males. Punk elements; eye patch, mask, fake blood stains,
Outfits consist of trousers, velvet slippers, a arm slings & aprons with fake blood may be worn.
waistcoat, frilly shirts & high-neck collars. A look may include a damaged doll as an accessory
Common brands are OzzOn, Sheglit, Miho Matsuda, with a missing limb or two.
Alice Auaa & Atelier Boz. Common brands are Diamond Honey & Royal
Princess Alice.
.6 Punk
Lolipunk
Inspired by Western Punk fashion.
Deconstructed forms with metal fastenings,
chains & bias cuts as opposed to traditional cuts,
unfinished hemlines & color palettes.
Major brands are Black Peace Now, Stigmata & h.
NAOTO.
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Misako Aoki
M
isako Aoki is the queen of lolita fashion. She was born on June 3rd, 1983, in Chiba, Japan. Not To further promote lolita fashion worldwide, Omula
much is known regarding her childhood & early teens. Misako's parents are unknown. When Beauty Fashion College in Fukuoka established the
Misako was 15 years old, she was a model. Her first modeling opportunity was with KERA Japan Lolita Association with Misako as head of the
magazine in Harajuku, Tokyo. Through modeling with the magazine she was given the opportunity to wear association in 2013. In September of 2012 & 2013
lolita fashion. Misako, initially, was not interested in this fashion style. She chose to model it & learned that Misako walked the 30m runway at FACo in Dalian,
by doing so her confidence grew in the industry. China. All she could hear the audience say was
"Kawaii."
It is unknown whether she started college while working with KERA magazine or if she was unemployed.
Misako was accepted to Tokai University Junior College of Nursing & Technology. It is unknown how old Misako works with Twin Planet agency. She later
she was & what year she entered. She started with the intention of becoming a nurse. published Lolita Fashion in March of 2014 deriving
her experiences of wearing lolita fashion. She is a
Misako divides her time between nursing, modeling & promoting lolita fashion. On March 12th, 2009, the model for BABY, The Stars Shine Bright, Putumayo
Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed her as a Kawaii Ambassador. The main mission of the ambassador & Algonquins.
is to "transmit the new trends of Japanese pop culture in the field of fashion to the rest of the world &
A few fun facts about Misako Aoki is that she is 5'2
& has a net worth of five million dollars as of 2022.
Her horoscope is Gemini.
to promote understanding of Japan by their
attending cultural projects carried out by the
Japanese Embassies & the Japan Foundation"
(Asianbeat). She traveled to ten different
countries & participated in sixteen events
while working to promote Japan through
lolita fashion.
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The Invitation Dress
T
he dress was a part of the "Sweet Lolita"
outfits in the "Kitty & the Bulldog Lolita
fashion & the Influence of Britian." The
Invitation dress was made by Kumiko Uehara as
part of Baby, the Stars Shine Bright. BTSSB was
established in Tokyo in 1988 by Akinori & Fumiyo
Isobe. Their clothes are considered the epitome of
the sweet lolita look. The company gained fame in
2004 from a movie, Kamikaze Girls, which featured
the lead actor
The dress consists of four parts: base dress, bow,
front sash & back sash. The dress is made of a
cotton material. It is a "pinafore dress of pale blue
lace trimmed cotton twill with a printed tea party
design, ribbons, a large detachable bow on the
front & detachable sashes at the back" (Victoria
& Albert Museum). The tea party print, clock &
playing cards reference Alice in Wonderland. The
dress is designed to be worn with bloomers, double
petticoats & a lace-trimmed, puff-sleeved blouse.
Toshiba Gallery
L
olita's are immediately recognized by alternative result in the rather extreme rebuilding
their doll-like make-up, frilly skirts, fancy of traditional modes of a Japanese dress.
headgear, ribbons & lace. Lolita fashion is
influenced to an extent by British culture: Alice
in Wonderland, the New Romantics, Gothic, Glam
Rock, Punk, & Vivienne Westwood. The attitude &
vibe associated with punks & goths does not have
a place in lolita fashion. The fashion movement
represents a rebellion against the convention of
contemporary society.
V&A South Kensington had a Toshiba Gallery
display. Three sections of it were devoted to sweet,
gothic & punk lolita. Another section was devoted
to Japanese lolita which shows the exotic &
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If you are interested in learning more about lolita fashion
I would recommend researching brands listed in this zine.
Some include, but are not limited to, Sheglit, Baby, The Stars
Shine Bright, Putumayo, Milk, Twin Planet & Black Peace Now.
Museum, Victoria and Albert. “Invitation Dress: “Kawaii Ambassador Misako Aoki's Lolita Lecture:
Kumiko Uehara: V&A Explore the Collections.” Asianbeat.” Asianbeat FUKUOKA, JAPAN, https://
Victoria and Albert Museum: Explore the Collections, asianbeat.com/en/feature/issue_lolita/lolita_lecture.
25 Nov. 2011, https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/ html.
O1241789/invitation-dress-dress-kumiko-uehara/.
“Punk Lolita.” Lolita Fashion Wiki, https://
Lyttle, Pat. Japanese Street Style. A & C Black, lolitafashion.fandom.com/wiki/Punk_Lolita.
2012.
“Guro Lolita.” Lolita Fashion Wiki, https://
“Gothic Lolita.” Aesthetics Wiki, https://aesthetics. lolitafashion.fandom.com/wiki/Guro_Lolita.
fandom.com/wiki/Gothic_Lolita.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-df47UePIbtM/
“Boystyle.” Lolita Fashion Wiki, https://lolitafashion. T5pAEuFGaoI/AAAAAAAAFLE/QUEkq2ri5QY/s1600/
fandom.com/wiki/Boystyle. STARTER-WARDROBE-SWEET.jpg
Yagi, Yoko, and Tohru Yuasa. Tokyo Street Style. Kbean, et al. Methods of Advanced Literary Studies,
Abrams, 2018. 10 Apr. 2016, https://scanlon295s16.umwblogs.
org/2016/04/10/pop-cultural-analysis-of-lolita/.
“Is Lolita Fashion Fetishizing Children?” ZORINA
WONG DESIGN, https://www.zorinawong.net/is- Young, Charity. “Nabokov's Lolita Doesn't Fetishize
lolita-fashion-fetishizing-children.html. Female Youth in American Culture–We Do.” Villains
and Villainy S17 WRI170, 15 May 2017, https://
Swift, Jaimee, and Hannah Gould. “Not an Object: villainss17wri170.wordpress.com/2017/05/15/in-
Sources
On Sexualization and Exploitation of Women and defense-of-nabokovs-lolita-a-rorschach-test-for-the-
Girls.” UNICEF USA, 11 Jan. 2021, https://www. fetishization-of-female-youth-in-american-culture/.
unicefusa.org/stories/not-object-sexualization-and-
exploitation-women-and-girls-0. “Marked Rise in Intensely Sexualized Images of
Swift, Jaimee, and Hannah Gould. “Not an Object:
Women,
10 Aug.
Not Men.”
2011,
ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily,
https://www.sciencedaily.com/
LOLITA FASHION
On Sexualization and Exploitation of Women and releases/2011/08/110810133015.htm.
Girls.” UNICEF USA, 11 Jan. 2021, https://www. Written & edited by Claire Gaines
unicefusa.org/stories/not-object-sexualization-and-
exploitation-women-and-girls-0.
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