Lolita Dreams

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project © Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project © Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project View all images ↓
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  • Dates
    2022 - Ongoing
  • Author
  • Topics Portrait
  • Location China, China

Lolita Dreams is about the Lolita fashion subculture community in China. This exploration aims to delve into the influence of Lolita Fashion on their individuality, identity perception, lifestyle choices and consumption habits.

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.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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KillerTiger777 has loved Lolita fashion for over a decade. She enjoys gothic-style Lolita and creatively combines Lolita with other subcultural styles. Reflecting on the current state of the Lolita community, she notes that its expansion has attracted a broader audience but has also diluted its subcultural essence, leading to changes that don’t fully align with Lolita’s original spirit.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Wan Rui is now a Lolita model and an independent photographer. She usually sets up her camera on a tripod, takes self-portrait using a mobile app and then shares her Lolita photos on social media platforms.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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After graduating from university, Jing zhi moved back to a small town near Chengdu, but still maintains close ties with the Chengdu Lolita community. Lolita has made her confident and cheerful, and has gained her a lot of attention.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Luo He is a Lolita handcraftwomen. In the process of commercialization of the Lolita subculture community, a variety of creative industry occupations have arisen, and one of them is the handcraftwomen. They emphasize their subcultural identity by making handmade accessories to enrich their Lolita-style outfit. The hat and the mirror are both of her own design.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Xiao Pa is a university student majoring in directing. She fell in love with Lolita fashion in middle school. She doesn't like drawing attention to herself, so her favorite Lolita style is Classic Lolita, which is more everyday style. Through Lolita fashion, she has met many like-minded friends who, like rays of sunshine, have warmed her heart and given her immense energy.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Tu Zi is a third-year student at a university in Xiamen. She got into Lolita fashion because her first boyfriend was a Brolita. Nowadays, she frequently follows Lolita trends. Lolita has sparked her love for all things cute and made her more attentive to the little details in life. She also enjoys crafting her own accessories to pair with her outfits. She brought out a doll she made herself.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Guo Jiang is just graduated from university in Fuqing. Through Lolita, she overcame her social anxiety, gained confidence, and significantly improved her makeup skills, eventually falling in love with photography. I asked her to try on a traditional flower hairpin headpiece, a local custom of Quanzhou, which has become a popular element in portrait photography nationwide, matching her profession.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Xiao Ding studies in a county town in Chongqing and will graduate next year. She is fond of Gothic style, and nearly all her Lolita dresses are black. Although she has only recently moved to the city, she frequently visits Fangyuan Live in the city center, a gathering spot for the ACG community in Chongqing. While slightly shy and introverted, she confidently wears Gothic outfits when going out.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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I met Tong Tong at a Gothic tea party and she loved this style of Lolita dress. However, due to her busy schedule, she now rarely has the opportunity to wear similar outfits. For her, dressing the way she likes is sometimes a way to relax.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Le Le is a Lolita costume and hanbok enthusiast who is preparing to study art in Japan this year. Before studying abroad, she spends her free time doing make-up for other enthusiasts.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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La Pi works as an original illustrator at a gaming company. Influenced by a female classmate in college, she found Lolita fashion captivating and gradually developed a fondness for it. Nowadays, she occasionally wears Lolita outfits to work.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Xiao Nan is the organiser of the Lolita Tea Party in Chengdu. In 2023, She organised a huge tea party that attracted over 150 Lolita enthusiasts. she took off her wig and I took this photo of her looking a little tired.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Lin Er is a male Lolita participant known as Brolita. Men have always been a niche presence in the Lolita community. They are often seen as an anomaly both inside and outside the community.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Yu Zai and Xiong Xiaomi were high school friends. It appears to be the first time they have been photographed together. They chose a twins Lolita dress with black and white. It is a style from ACG-related maid dress.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Lancy is a student who has loved Lolita for six years. At first she liked Lolita because it looked pretty, then she gradually adopted it as her everyday dressing style. She is independent and has made many friends with the Lolita community.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Xiao Jiu is a longtime Lolita enthusiast. Even before Chinese Lolita brands became popular, she owned many Japanese Lolita dresses. Now, after several years in the workforce, she has integrated Lolita into her everyday life rather than treating it as an occasional, ceremonial style. On the day of the interview, she arrived on her electric scooter, and I captured a portrait of her alongside it.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Xiao Fu began embracing Lolita fashion around 2016 and currently works as a teacher. Lolita has seamlessly integrated into her life, and she enjoys experimenting with various accessories to complement her outfits.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Mo Su developed an interest in Lolita fashion around 2018, enjoying both Gothic and Classic styles. Often on Fridays, she wears Lolita attire to the office. As she closes the office door at the end of the day, she feels liberated.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Jue Ran is from Zhangzhou. Her family doesn't support her wearing Lolita. She often attracts curious looks from passersby when she walks down the street. Despite this, she remains committed to her passion. She believes there are many possibilities in Lolita fashion, so she loves dresses that inspire her creativity and enjoys experimenting with less conventional styles.

© Tianhu Yuan - Image from the Lolita Dreams photography project
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Xiao Sheng finished high school. I met her at a Lolita party. She had bought two new dresses during the summer holidays. She asked me to take some pictures of her wearing her new dress.