Month Archive for January 2008
GOTHIC LOLITA CLOTHES AND AVATARS ON SECOND LIFE.
In real life, it’s unlikely that any of us has a closet full of intricate Gothic Lolita dresses like the ones above. But on Second Life, even the most destitute Loli can build up a wardrobe that rivals Mana’s. For those who don’t know, Second Life is a net-based 3D virtual world, which allows users to customize their avatars with clothes and characteristics (skin, facial features). Residents can interact with each other, explore various worlds, and create/trade items.
Of course, I was curious: are there Gothic Lolita-styled avatars on Second Life? Can you buy GL items, or engage in GL-oriented activities? (Basically, can the experience be like my “first” life, but turned up a few notches? ) Bob, who sent me these screen captures of his Second Life characters, replied:
Gothic Lolita and cosplay fashions are relatively popular in Second Life, although not as popular as goth, punk, neo-rockabilly and more mainstream fashions. There are definitely designers who specialize in Gothic Lolita. I bought ALL of those clothes from Second Life shops, instead of making them myself. The Gothic Lolita shops also overlap sometimes with the Lolita and dolly shops (some people role play enchanted dolls with big wind-up keys in their backs, ha)!
In terms of Gothic Lolita or cosplay hangouts, I’m sure there are some, but they are harder to find than the shops. Either you get Gothic Lolita themed events or more commonly you get dance clubs with a mix of fashions. I used to hang out at a couple of really cool Tokyo-themed “sims” (i.e., parcels of land run on a single server), but unfortunately they never achieved a critical mass of regulars. So I was by myself most of the time.
But things are changing all the time in Second Life. I would not be surprised if a popular cosplay sim springs up any time.
Wicked, right? For a few dollars, you can wear a Gothic Lolita gown that cost thousands in the real world. You can even be Mana, if you want, wandering around the streets of Shanghai (above left).
I did some digging and learned that several Second Life retailers sell Gothic Lolita items. In this metaverse, the leading brands aren’t BTSSB and MMM – but Draconic Kiss, Ohlala!!, Tekelili, and Bare Rose. Bob bought the cute crucifix dress from Japanese Lolita designer Lico Nyanda (shown above). Her brand, LicoLico, also offers dolls that you can dress in matching outfits.
Sounds like a wonderland – so why isn’t there a larger Gothic Lolita presence? A major explanation is that Linden Labs (Second Life’s developer)… put a ban on the word “Lolita”! Residents cannot input this word into certain types of listings, meaning that a search for “Lolita fashion” will turn up nothing. Second Life has been criticized for enabling virtual child pornography, and “Lolita” is a word associated with this offense. Of course, the Japanese fashion has no link to this meaning – but Linden’s search engine fails to tell the difference. Since residents are unable to use the word to advertise meet-ups and clothing stores, the growth of a Loli community has been hindered.
I’ve explored Second Life, but it never hooked me. The virtual fashions, however, can be as stunning as anything in the Gothic & Lolita Bible. And thank goodness that Linden’s word ban doesn’t extend to our real lives… or we’d all be in trouble!
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GOTHIC LOLITA MANGA ARTIST KAORI YUKI.
Roku requested a post on Kaori Yuki, a Tokyo-born manga artist whose work is associated with Gothic Lolita, both in style and substance. I’m not much of a manga reader, but I love how Gothic Lolita is represented in this medium. Artistic renderings of the fashion (and the girls that wear it) may not always be true to life – but they can express subtexts that are impossible to capture in a photograph. Without a doubt, Yuki’s work falls in this special category.
One reason I find Gothic Lolita so compelling is that it brings what we hide or deny – mortality, morbidity – right to the surface. And Yuki does that to the furthest extent. Her tortured protagonists have closets full of skeletons; Cain Hargreaves (Count Cain, Godchild) is the son of incest, Ian (Fairy Cube) can see fairies and ends up trapped in their world, Setsuna (Angel Sanctuary) commits incest with his sister.
It’s easy to write off her shocking storylines – along with the graphic sadism and heresy – as gratuitous. In fact, Yuki has great empathy and humanity for her characters. She probes our darkest impulses, inviting us to question our prejudices and contradictions.
And in her Gothic art, Kaori Yuki turns this frightening psychological journey into something beautiful. Many of her female characters wear Victorian-era dresses, hats, and bonnets; she has a knack for capturing the intricate details of their clothing. I love the expression in the couple’s eyes above. So much meaning can be read into that single frame – the chains, the black roses, the way they grasp at each other (is she struggling or swooning? )
Gothic Lolita can be thought of as nothing more than a black and white fashion. But I think underneath the petticoat layers, it is full of tensions, fears, nuances. Kaori Yuki’s art resonates with me because of what it exposes. If all you see are pretty Goth Lolis… it’s time to take a deeper look!
LA CARMINA
