FEATURE: Lolita in Wonderland – The RinRin Doll Interview!

A few words about post-pandemic Harajuku, Vtubers, and music with a fashion icon

Full interview at TokyoScope Blog

TokyoScope: We’ve talked a lot about how the pandemic changed things and how technology is changing things, but what about Lolita fashion? Has it evolved at all recently?

RinRinDoll: I think the whole subculture fashion genre went down in Japan, especially during the pandemic. We saw that same phenomenon after the earthquake too. It felt, in general, inappropriate to dress up in such sad times and it was the same unconsciously too for me, too. I dyed my hair black after almost always having colored hair. I stopped wearing makeup for a while, too. I forgot how to put it on because I hadn’t worn it in so long. I didn’t buy new clothes and pretty much stayed monotone.

You can still see it on my Instagram where I am pretty much black most of the time. But I mean, it’s coming back. The color is coming back.

During the pandemic, more people also started to take photos at rental studios, instead of going to events like tea parties, and you can see wearing lolita fashion became a form of fantasy or escapism art as well.

TokyoScope: Lolita fashion has been around for a long time now. Why do you think it has such durability whereas other Japanese fashion styles, like Gyaru or Decora for example, have come and gone outside of a few holdouts?

RinRInDoll: Those styles come with a high level of makeup artistry and dedication. You can’t work a regular job in Japan if you dye your hair a certain color. Actually, there’s been a renewal in Gyaru fashion and Decora fashion in Japan, but you’ll see more people who are not tanned or who have black hair dressing in those styles now. With the previous versions of Gyaru and Decora, the styles were so extreme that they put limits on people being able to work an office job. People needed to choose either the fashion or a full-time office job, but with Lolita fashion, it’s more about the styling.

Lolita fashion can be an item in your closet that allows you to transform into another side of yourself. Maybe you can’t wear Lolita to work, of course, but you can still enjoy that side of yourself in your free time.