‘Kitty and the Bulldog’ at the V&A

Between collections of ornate vases and samurai swords sits the display of Lolita outfits – the street fashion that surfaced in Japan in the 1990s. The V&A display showcases the style subculture and the design houses that popularised the look, and explores the striking influence of British fashion to supplement the V&A British Design exhibition.

Victorian-inspired corsets, ‘cupcake’ dresses, parasols, petticoats, doll-like designs, ribbons and exaggerated hair accessories are all prevalent features of the Lolita style. Significantly, the term ‘Lolita’ does not have the same meaning in Japan as it does in the West, where it is more closely associated with the Vladimir Nabokov novel. The Lolita subculture is not focused on suggestiveness, but rather it is characterised by cuteness (or kawaii), femininity and elegance. As the display at the V&A shows, it also takes a lot of influence from British fashion, notably Victoriana, Goth and Punk.

The display focuses on four main categories of Lolita style: Sweet, Gothic, Punk and Japanese Lolita. Although these types are different in colour and citation, they all share the sweet, cutesy innocence that defines the look. The outfits centre on petticoat skirts, frills and girlish hair accessories, but have thematic differences.

Sweet Lolita is the girlish look, inspired by Alice in Wonderland and Shirley Temple. Candyfloss colours, lace and bows make this style overwhelmingly innocent and naive. There is a sense of trying to cling on to a simple, childhood past, removed from modern day complexities, as the Osaka-based design house Innocent World observes in its concept statement which talks of building ‘a simple world without dirt or blemish’.

Gothic Lolita takes its lead from the British Goth and Glam Rock looks of the 1980s and was influenced by the exaggerated theatrical style of Japan’s Visual Kei rock bands. Despite similarity in aesthetic, Gothic Lolita lacks the aggressive edge that the Goth look symbolised in Britain. Similarly, Punk Lolita (characterised by safety pins, studs, bondage gear and Vivienne Westwood-inspired tartan) is at odds with the defiance and antagonism of British punk-associated social statements of the 1970s and ’80s.

Punk and Goth Lolita fashion combine cuddly toy accessories and Hello Kitty cuteness with the abrasive fashions of ’70s and ’80s Britain and at first I found the results to be somewhat empty and lacking in impact. However, there is an argument that the Lolita dress code is equally as rebellious against the conventions of society as the Punk and Goth trends were in Britain; the de-sexualising of young women’s fashion acts as a protest against the overt eroticisation of women in Japanese culture.

The last style is Japanese Lolita, which is a big step away from the previous three versions. This take on the fashion is not grounded in British design, but in Japanese culture and heritage; kimonos, samurai references and traditional geta sandals define this version. The Takuya Angel patent leather facemask on one of the mannequins is an example of the edgy side to Japanese Lolita, which also has a more reserved, demure aspect.

What I found most striking about the display was not just the British influence in aesthetics, but the sentiments behind the Lolita take on Britain’s most iconic fashion movements from the late 20th century. Despite the apparent lack of shock statement as we know it, there lies a deeper meaning in the conservative, girlish, cute innocence of Lolita fashion; a sense of clinging to a feminine image removed from brash sexuality and modern world corruption.

The V&A Museum
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