Lolita Dreams

Lolita Dreams is about the Lolita fashion subculture community in China. Lolita fashion is a subculture that originated in Japan and is primarily inspired by the clothing and general aesthetics of the Rococo and Victorian periods. Participants in this subculture have redefined the term ‘Lolita’, shifting its original connotation from Nabokov's sexual metaphor associated with the Lolita complex to a new, de-sexualized meaning that embodies girlishness, cuteness, and elegance. Particularly, Lolita participants pointed out that Nabokovian Lolita’s undertone is sexualised children, but Lolita fashion subculture is in connection with adults who desire to express childish cuteness. Gradually, Lolita fashion subculture has developed into an industry, generating economic benefits and getting a lot of fans on the internet. As a foreign subculture, Lolita fashion has inevitably had its ups and downs with the government-led mainstream culture and public opinion in the course of its development. Through interviews and portraits with various Lolita participants, I investigate the phenomenon of de-Westerncentrism in the localization process of the Lolita subculture and the influence of Lolita fashion on their individuality, identity perception, lifestyle choices and consumption habits.