Lolitas

Lolita fashion, which references Victorian styles of dress, is a fashion subculture that rose to popularity in Japan in the 90s. Those who dress in the style reject the binaries of acceptable female appearance by taking it to an extreme - the outfits are hyper feminine, modest, and often infantile. These photographs were created during a high tea meet up at the Old Mill, an Inn that since 1793 has repeatedly been destroyed, rebuilt, and amended. Referencing historical paintings of royalty, the portraits combine memory and contemporaneity, echoing how these women have reclaimed segments of history for themselves.