Crimson Reflections

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Lolita Fashion History

New Japanese Brand : Lieblich & Elegant

New Japanese Brand Lieblich & Elegant.

Lieblich & Elegant has burst on to the Japanese lolita scene seemingly overnight. Their Insta dates back to December 2018 and their Twitter was started in January this year, but their work looks like it’s been years in development. Though I poked around on twitter and searched google a bit, I couldn’t find any information about the designer; it’s really mysterious! I wonder if the designer may have worked for another brand before this?

The brand is described as 「懐古的な儚美しい少女世界」which seems to roughly translate to something like a nostalgic and fleeting beautiful girl’s world? And they say that they use olden motifs for their fabric prints to suggest an antique girly style. Overall, the brand seems like it would appeal to fans of brands like Juliette et Justine, Jane Marple, 3F and Excentrique.

Their first series online was a Sherlock Holmes themed one: 221B Baker Street, which they took order for back in January / February. While the series was MTO and is mostly sold out now, there are still a couple pieces left in the shop.

Speaking of taking orders, their FAQ states that all of their pieces are MTO, which means that it’s highly unlikely that we will see much on clearance sale from this brand, so if you like a design, it’s best to hop in when the reservations are up!

In May they took orders for their second print series, Ildefonso Altar. This print features baroque detailing and Peter Paul Rubens’s masterpiece the Ildefonso Altarpiece triptych. Unfortunately, this is now closed for orders, however, it’s set to be delivered in June/July, so it’s possible extra pieces may pop up for sale then.

The painting this is based off of was painted around 1630. As I mentioned above, it was a triptych, which just means it was split into multiple (usually 3) panels. The panels would have likely been connected in a frame together, which was a fairly common design for alterpieces at the time. That said, an alterpiece is basically a religious painting that is put behind the alter in a church or chapel. Usually they have religious themes, but it’s not uncommon for religious paintings of the time to also include whoever paid for the painting worked in to it as well.

This piece was commissioned by the Ildefonso Brotherhood after the death of their founder, Albert VII. So, the side panels show Albert VII and Isabella Clara Eugenia who had been the rulers of the Spanish Netherlands with their patron saints behind each of them as a tribute.

In the main center panel it depicts the catholic Saint Ildefonsus, the namesake of the brotherhood, being given a chasuble (a religious garment that looks sort of like a poncho) by the virgin Mary, which the saint saw in a vision.

Upcoming Work

They recently attended Comicup24 and it seems like they took early reservations for their 2019 Classic Collection there, and then posted it all to twitter.

Antique Bouquet

Hybrid Tearose Hat

This print features an oil painting called Still Life with Roses and Straw Hat by the female Dutch painter Francina Louise Martin-Schot. A daughter of a pharmacist, she showed promise at painting at a young age and become an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Visual Arts in Amsterdam when she was just 30 years old. I was unable to find a date for this painting, but it would have been painted during her life, and it has her hyphened surname (Martin is her husband’s surname), so it must have been after her marriage in 1851, but before her death in 1894.

Raoul Bouquet

This print features Pink Roses And Lilac by french floral painter Raoul Maucherat de Longpré and dates sometime between 1855 and 1911. The vast majority of this painter’s works depict floral bouquets either laying on this same stone wall / table or free-floating in space. His relative, Paul de Longpré was also a floral painter around the same time and apparently exhibited both of their works in the united states.


Quick Facts

Where to buy

Do you need a shopping service?

They ship overseas for online orders without a shopping service using EMS. If you want something sold out online though, there might be stock at Kera Shop Shinjuku and you will need a shopping service then. If you want someone to check at an event, you will need a shopping service.

Do they do custom sizing / alterations?

Yes. Per their FAQ, they will adjust the bust/waist up to 5cm larger or smaller than the stock measurements. You can also ask for the length to be shortened by up to 10cm or lengthened by up to 20cm. They charge ¥ 5,000 for alterations.

Do they offer more than one size?

Yes. They appear to have two standard sizes, Medium and Tall for many of their items. The Tall size is basically a Large; it’s bigger in the bust, waist, shoulders and length.

What is their social media?

So, what do you think of this new brand? I’m personally really excited to see their upcoming work and follow along. I’m also really curious about the designer and the brand history. Here is hoping they do an interview somewhere soon!

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