Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Subversive Kawaii

I discovered EGL fashion and lolita subculture my sophomore year and immediately fell in love with the way these girls fashioned their hair with lustrous curls and dainty little bows, sporting elegantly crafted dresses fit for a china doll. There was something just so surreal and enchanting about the way they present themselves to the world. I never actively dressed like them myself, but oh how I would vicariously live through these blogs and websites. It was a secret identity--my alter ego you could say, and nobody at school really knew about it. By day, I would walk through the mundane; but by night, I would learn all the techniques to achieving perfectly coiffed hair complete with Zooey D. bangs or princess perfect nails bedazzled with sparkles and glitter-- all the while, attempting to fulfill my passion for living in a dream world. And just so you know, all this was before tumblr had been around.

Lolita fashion was probably one of the first instances when I really, whole-heartedly embraced fashion and understood that this subculture was not merely a means of self-expression--but more deeply, a way of life. My hunger for porcelain skin and an Angelic Pretty wardrobe died down after a year or so, sadly putting these cake-sweet fantasies to an end. However, I did choose to paint my entire room a shade of bubblegum pink though--which was probably the greatest effort I've made to incorporate an element of the loli subculture into my life outside the online world.

I recently stumbled upon subversive kawaii when I revisited a blog I used to frequent all the time in high school for old times' sake. I think my best attempt to describe this new phenomenon is: ultra badass-ness hidden beneath a generous layer of pink sprinkles and buttercream frosting. However, what intrigued me most was the seemingly all frills and pink facade enshrouding a darker message. At first glance, you might completely miss the strikingly obvious nuances--but that's what I love about it: the subtle juxtaposition between the two contrasting entities is refreshing because it gets you thinking. Subversive kawaii is weird and new and exciting all the the same time--and as a result, far more challenging to immediately understand and label. Has girl power and new-wave feminism reached a new platform? As she presents herself in total deception, she still remains true to self, uncompromising her values for nobody.  

yours truly,
goodwillgrrl

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