Gothic Lolita Style at Lucca Comics 2010 – Part One

As we reported, on October 30th, among the many events of Lucca Comics & Games, it was held a conference (followed by a fashion show) organized by the girls of Gothic Lolita Zone, the first Italian forum dedicated to Japanese Lolita fashion! For those who have not been able to follow the event and for those who want to learn more about Lolita style, here is our report! I wish to thank the girls of GLZ for the evening and the afternoon spent together and for the material provided.

Recently, Lolita style has developed from a phenomenon virtually unknown in Italy to a fashion that is gaining more and more space between younger and older people. Lolita fashion is born and is spreading in Japan since the early seventies, as a fusion of Natural Kei and Otome styles. Despite its name, this style has nothing to do with the protagonist of Nabokov’s novel or sexy atmospheres, but it’s a contemporary reinterpretation of the French Rococo and Victorian fashion of the early twentieth century, using some vintage design elements, such as crinolines, parasols and bonnets. There are also introduced elements from the British Goth (Gothic Lolita), inspired by Victorian fashion (Classic Lolita), the Rococo (Sweet Lolita) or the English punk (Panku Lolita), without any ideological sense.

Gothic Lolita Style: conferenza a Lucca Comics 2010

Only thirty years later, the Lolita style is able to reach the West. However, the difficulty in finding the information (often incorrectly presented in magazines articles and online) and in the interpretation of the aesthetics of this style have originated many misunderstandings. This is how the ITA-Lolita are born, girls that want to wear Lolita style, but … are doing it wrong! Comparing them with a “canonical” Lolita, the difference is striking: clothes of poor quality or mixture of elements that have little to do with Lolita style (like tutus or pigtails) are trademarks of ITA-Lolita.

Gothic Lolita Style: conferenza a Lucca Comics 2010

A girl who wants to dress in Lolita must meet certain very specific canons. First, the silhouette must follow the lines of vintage clothes, with narrow waist or empire cuts, skirt to the knee and supported by a petticoat which provides the typical “bell” shape. In addition, the Lolita style strongly refers to innocence and purity, so no bare shoulders or legs, least of all décolleté: blouse under the dress, knee socks or opaque tights are indispensable! The accessories defining the actual outfit are also very important, such as jewelry, hats, handbags and shoes, all coordinated with the dress. Finally, it should be emphasized the high quality of materials and finishes, which are always very accurate and valuable.

Gothic Lolita Style: conferenza a Lucca Comics 2010
Images from Kera and Gothic Lolita Bible: from the, outfit by Angelic Pretty, Innocent World and Putumayo.

Inside the Lolita style we recognize different “sub-styles.” In the second part of our report of the conference, we will make a short list! See you soon with the next part!