"Gothic & Lolita" charts the current trend of Gothic street fashion that has swept Japan over the last decade. Influenced by Western fashion trends from the mid 1980s, young teenagers, predominately adolescent girls, congregate in the urban centres of Harajuku, Akihabara and a number of underground clubs in and around Tokyo, dressed head-to-toe in gothic costumes and late-Victorian dress. The psychological characteristics of the average Japanese Goth is one of introversion and exclusivity. The majority of girls in the scene are teenagers and most usually stop by the age of eighteen. The origin of the movement was in Osaka in the mid 1990s when young teenagers adopted Gothic fashion in response to the clothes worn and promoted by Japanese Gothic rock bands. In the ten years since the trend began it has expanded to a number of cities including Tokyo and now boasts many thousands of devotees who dedicate their lives to creating ever more flamboyant and bizarre variations on the Gothic theme. From handmade black lace dresses based on designs from the 1860s to 'Lolita' outfits, lacy Gothic designs that have a pre-pubescent 'rococo' edge to them, to dresses with an occult flavour, the Gothic and Lolita scene is one of the more bizarre hybrids within Japanese street fashion. "Gothic & Lolita" is specially commissioned by Phaidon Press. Based on the creative design of the best selling "Fruits and Fresh Fruits", it will feature portraits and group portraits of Japanese Goths and Lolitas both at home and in the urban centres of Tokyo and Osaka. In addition to the visual content of the book each subject will also be asked a number of questions about their handmade designs and why the fashion is so important to them. This text will run in a similar 'question and answer' format as in the original Fruits publications. The coupling of portraits and insightful first-person commentary will together make "Gothic & Lolita" the definitive book on the scene in both the West and in Japan, presenting an ideal opportunity to view one of the more surreal aspects of Japanese popular youth culture in an informative yet entertaining manner.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
'Lovers of the flamboyant Japanese harajuku style will eat up this sumptuous, colourful, coffee-table offering - For the Vivienne Westwood cyber-junkie in us all.' Diva, June 2007 'more than a pretty coffee table book - it's a history book ... Fans, designers and anyone with the slightest interest in fashion and pop culture will certainly be amused, entertained and inspired.' i-D, June 2007
About the Author
Masayuki Yoshinaga is one of the leading fashion and reportage photographers of his generation, his images have appeared in such magazines as Dazed & Confused and The Face. His work was recently shown in the Barbican Art Centre's Jam exhibition and at the Dazed & Confused Gallery in London. He lives in, and continues to investigate, the subcultures of Tokyo.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
]this book doesn't have the creative variety that the 2 other books in the Phaidon Fruits series have. I am a follower of the Gothic Lolita style, and i was very disappointed in the mediocrity of the fashion shown.
it is less "gothic lolita" and more "club goth" styles, with a large percentage of rather lackluster gothic ensembles: mostly just a black skirt, black shirt and over the top (frequently smeared) make-up without the individual flair and creativity i was hoping to see. there are also many photos of girls wearing what appears to be nothing more than their underwear, which might appeal to some, but i feel is out of place when paired with Gothic Lolita, which values modesty, and it takes the book in a more voyeristic direction. a lot of the photos seem very random, like they just grabbed the next kid who walked in the club, regardless if he/she was dressed in a unique style or not.
there were a few notable exceptions: there is a stunning 2-page photo of a girl wearing a sweet lolita alice dress in her room, with striped stockings, and a pair of girls wearing handmade outfits and crinoline cage skirts (amazing! why wasn't there more like this?) . but for the lolita component it's mostly just a few Baby the Stars Shine Bright and Metamorphose dresses worn by the book.
there was also not very much representation of the various sub-genres of the Lolita style (of which there are MANY) which is what disappointed me the most.
i would recommend purchasing instead of this book: the japanese fashion magazine Kera, or one of the Gothic Lolita Bibles, which are published several times a year.
KERA Maniacs Special Mook: Gothic and Lolita Bible (KERA Maniacs Nuuberuguu Mook) (in Japanese)]
[[ASIN:4860480392 Gothic & Lolita Bible Vol. 4 (Gothic & Lolita Bible) (in Japanese)
i hope this does foretell the end of this series of books; because the Fruits books were so well executed, and this one was such a let down.
it is less "gothic lolita" and more "club goth" styles, with a large percentage of rather lackluster gothic ensembles: mostly just a black skirt, black shirt and over the top (frequently smeared) make-up without the individual flair and creativity i was hoping to see. there are also many photos of girls wearing what appears to be nothing more than their underwear, which might appeal to some, but i feel is out of place when paired with Gothic Lolita, which values modesty, and it takes the book in a more voyeristic direction. a lot of the photos seem very random, like they just grabbed the next kid who walked in the club, regardless if he/she was dressed in a unique style or not.
there were a few notable exceptions: there is a stunning 2-page photo of a girl wearing a sweet lolita alice dress in her room, with striped stockings, and a pair of girls wearing handmade outfits and crinoline cage skirts (amazing! why wasn't there more like this?) . but for the lolita component it's mostly just a few Baby the Stars Shine Bright and Metamorphose dresses worn by the book.
there was also not very much representation of the various sub-genres of the Lolita style (of which there are MANY) which is what disappointed me the most.
i would recommend purchasing instead of this book: the japanese fashion magazine Kera, or one of the Gothic Lolita Bibles, which are published several times a year.
KERA Maniacs Special Mook: Gothic and Lolita Bible (KERA Maniacs Nuuberuguu Mook) (in Japanese)]
[[ASIN:4860480392 Gothic & Lolita Bible Vol. 4 (Gothic & Lolita Bible) (in Japanese)
i hope this does foretell the end of this series of books; because the Fruits books were so well executed, and this one was such a let down.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a book on both fashion cultures NOT just on Gothic Lolita. I did notice on one of the pages that the information about two of the girls had been switched - but that seems to be the only mistake I could find. I am not sure why there are so many bad reviews. These are not models but people found off the street. Many have great skill with sewing and tons of money. Most have to do with what they can find second hand. So you're going to get a mixture. There is a big mixture, from the very serious Gothic to the just starting, or seems to be just starting, Lolita.
16 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By CY
Format:Paperback
Many of us in the West were introduced to Harajuku street fashion through a) Gwen Stefani and b) Fruits and Fresh Fruits by Shoichi Aoki. These photo collections, published by Phaidon Press, document the over-the-rainbow style of Japanese teens. Last May, Phaidon released a new lookbook, titled Gothic & Lolita. Each page has a full-color portrait of one or more youths on the streets of Osaka and Tokyo. Included are their names, ages, and replies to questions about their outfits.
Gothic & Lolita is a prime example of never judging a book by its cover. The term "Gothic Lolita" refers to a distinct category of fashion, along with its subgenres and social culture. The title and cover image (of two Sweet Lolitas) imply that the book focuses on Gothic Lolita and its complementary styles. But the "&" proves to be crucial: the introduction differentiates Lolita from Goth, and the portraits include a number of Punk, Cyber, and Club Goth looks with no Lolita elements whatsoever.
At least half of the photos have little to do with Gothic Lolita; in other words, we're got a lot of pancake-powdered extras from Dawn of the Dead. All this is fine - but if someone picks up the book looking for an overview of Gothic Lolita fashion, then she will be disappointed, or even worse, utterly misled.
Phaidon's lookbook DOES contain unequivocally Goth Loli outfits, such as dresses and coats from Baby, Metamorphose, and Black Peace Now. But the wide and exhilarating spectrum of Lolita subgenres is under-represented (see next post). And the outfits portrayed are rather bland.
When I read Fruits, my eyes were popping out as I turned each page. I didn't have nearly the same experience with Gothic & Lolita; the inclusion of strictly Goth looks is confusing, and the originality and whimsy of Lolita fashion is not conveyed. The book is worth a flip-through, but I would turn to the Gothic and Lolita Bibles, Japanese style magazines such as Kera, and websites to get a more coherent understanding of the style. Definitely check out the Gothic Lolita fashion website, http://www.lacarmina.com
Gothic & Lolita is a prime example of never judging a book by its cover. The term "Gothic Lolita" refers to a distinct category of fashion, along with its subgenres and social culture. The title and cover image (of two Sweet Lolitas) imply that the book focuses on Gothic Lolita and its complementary styles. But the "&" proves to be crucial: the introduction differentiates Lolita from Goth, and the portraits include a number of Punk, Cyber, and Club Goth looks with no Lolita elements whatsoever.
At least half of the photos have little to do with Gothic Lolita; in other words, we're got a lot of pancake-powdered extras from Dawn of the Dead. All this is fine - but if someone picks up the book looking for an overview of Gothic Lolita fashion, then she will be disappointed, or even worse, utterly misled.
Phaidon's lookbook DOES contain unequivocally Goth Loli outfits, such as dresses and coats from Baby, Metamorphose, and Black Peace Now. But the wide and exhilarating spectrum of Lolita subgenres is under-represented (see next post). And the outfits portrayed are rather bland.
When I read Fruits, my eyes were popping out as I turned each page. I didn't have nearly the same experience with Gothic & Lolita; the inclusion of strictly Goth looks is confusing, and the originality and whimsy of Lolita fashion is not conveyed. The book is worth a flip-through, but I would turn to the Gothic and Lolita Bibles, Japanese style magazines such as Kera, and websites to get a more coherent understanding of the style. Definitely check out the Gothic Lolita fashion website, http://www.lacarmina.com
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lots of ideas
Wanted a book to show some highly creative ideas for Lolita styling. Fashions pictured very well and it was interesting to learn little tidbits about the models.
Published 2 months ago by Lynn
3.0 out of 5 stars
its good though!
it is pretty good, i have lots of those Tokyo fashion picture books. fruits is better, i think. this book is good also, but the only thing is that there are too many pictures of... Read more
Published 3 months ago by studioyoshida
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love it
Although it does not consist primarily of Gothic lolita (such as the cover which has ame lolita and shiro lolita) it is just as worth the money. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Suzanne E. Landreth
5.0 out of 5 stars
wow wowwwww
This book is so out there. Just like the magazines it has great style tips types and pics just can't put it down I love it wish there was more what more can i say if you are into... Read more
Published 18 months ago by SirGreg
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not much lolita....
I checked this book out from the library, and was not as impressed. The picture on the cover was what drawn me in thinking that it was mostly lolita fashion, but sadly only about... Read more
Published 24 months ago by aly jenkins
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great!
This book is great if you are into Japanese street fashion or curious about it (mostly Gothic Lolitas). Read more
Published on October 14, 2010 by Hysteria
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gift was a Hit
I sent this item for a friend of mine as a birthday gift, She seemed very pleased with it and happy to have it so i am basing my review on that. Read more
Published on April 2, 2010 by Pandorafayh
3.0 out of 5 stars
Gothic and Lolita NOT Gothic Lolita
I am a huge fan of the FRUITS bible on Japanese street fashion by Masayuki Yoshinaga so needless to say I was very excited when I heard of Gothic & Lolita. Read more
Published on March 26, 2010 by Kaila Yu
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ka-koiii, ne?
When I lived in Japan (in a suburb of Yokohama), my friends and I sometimes flirted with the girls who wore these kind of fashions and hung around Harajuku station. Read more
Published on February 6, 2010 by Brian
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love this book
I'm pretty surprised at the negative reviews for this - it's an excellent book. I wasn't crazy about the Fruits and Fresh Fruits books that Phaidon released (I own all three), but... Read more
Published on January 25, 2010 by Adrienne Dinnall
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Listmania!
|
|
