Crimson Reflections

Because sometimes the world is too complex for black and white
Lolita Fashion History

Timeline From The “Cute” Empire

Recently, I picked up a book called 「かわいい」の帝国 or The “Cute” Empire. The ISBN number is 4791764862. It’s out of print, but you can get secondhand copies on Amazon Japan with a shopping service. It’s a very interesting book!

In the back is a sort of appendix that is sorted by date and includes things like key magazine launches, and what was historically going on in Japan at that time. I’ve done my best to translate it below and I’ve put a few notes in italics after some lines which I felt needed extra context, as well as adding links and a few images. Again, I encourage you to pick up a copy if you enjoy this, this is presented solely as a translation for educational / academic purposes.

1900

  • The birth of girl’s magazines:  “Girls’ World” /『少女界』 (Kinkodo Bookstore)

1914

  • The 1st Takarazuka Girl Opera Company performance
  • WWI breaks out

1923

  • Shoujo Club” / 『少女倶楽部』  (Kodansha) launched
  • Great Kanto Earthquake

1926

1939

  • “The School Girl” by Osamu Dazai Published

1940

1941

  • The War in the Pacific (WWII)

1946

  • Soreiyu“/『それいゆ』(Himawarisha) launched
  • Shoujo Club“/『少女クラブ』 (Kodansha) launched
  • Promulgation of the Constitution of Japan

1947

  • “Sunflower”/『ひまわり』 (Himawarisha) launched
  • The rise of 「アプレ」(Apple or Après?)

1949

1951

  • Around this time, teenager’s fashion attracts attention
  • “Monthly Shōjo Book”/『月刊少女ブック』(Shueisha) launched

1953

1954

  • Audrey Hepburn takes the world by storm
  • “Junior Soiyu”/『ジュニアそれいゆ』 (Himawarisha) launched

1955

  • Ribbon/『りぼん』 (Shueisha) launched
  • “Nakayoshi”/『なかよし』 (Kodansha) launched

1958

  • Tokyo Tower completed

1960

  • Sanrio (formerly Yamanashi Silk Center) launched

1961

  • Mary Quant commercializes the mini skirt in London

1962

  • Weekly Shōjo Friend“/『週刊少女フレンド』 (Kodansha)  launched
  • “Weekly Margaret”/『週刊マーガレット』 (Shueisha) launched

1963

  • IVY: Fashion Trend (like Ivy League / Princeton style)
  • Sanrio launches Ado Mizumori character products

1964

1966

  • Mini skirts are in their prime
  • The Beatles visit Japan
  • Twiggy visits Japan (iconic fashion model)

1967

1968

1970

  • MILK Established by Hitomi Okawa
  • Kenzo Takada’s (KENZO) first Paris Collection
  • Jeans become popular
  • First issue of an・an (Heibon Publishing, current Magazine House)
  • World’s Fair held in Osaka
“Let it Rock”
July 1972
An An Magazine

1971

  • PINK HOUSE by Isao Kaneko launches
  • Vivienne Westwood’s Boutique “Let It Rock” opens in London
  • an · an /「アンノン族」style tribe
  • Layered Look (イヤード・ルック) style trend
  • First issue of non-no magazine (Shueisha)
  • First McDonalds opened in Japan
  • First Sanrio store

1972

  • Riyoko Ikeda’s “The Rose of Versailles”

1973

Shirley Temple
80s/90s era

1974

  • Reika Yanagawa of “MILK” leaves to start Shirley Temple (Kids’ Clothing)
  • Hello Kitty first appears

1975

1976

  • JJ Magazine special feature “Do you want to be Cute (kawaii)? Do you want to be mature (Otona)?”
  • Shinjuku LUMINE opens

1977

  • “Petit Seven”/『プチセブン』 (Shogakukan) launched
  • “Banana Bread Pudding”/『バナナブレッドのプディング』by Yumiko Otori
  • “Highschool”/『 はいすく~る 』 by Mayumi Yoshida
  • Pink lady is popular (idol duet)
  • “Ryūkō tsūshin” /『流行通信』publishes”Critique of Lolita Fashion” (Note: this is a mistake. it should be sept 1987)

1978

  • The rise of punk fashion
  • Disco craze

1979

Pink House / Kaneko Style
1984

1980

Seiko Matsuda
And her trademark
Haircut

1981

an・an
special issue

1982

  • First issue of Olive (Heibon Shuppan. Present Magazine House)
  • an・an special issue “From a good woman to a cute woman”
  • Designer/Brand name craze
  • Crow Tribe/Black Clothing (カラス族/黒の大) crazy

1983

JJ 1983/8   VOL.9   NO.8 

1984

  • ATSUKI ONISHI (-1999) launches
  • Vivienne Westwood first visits Japan
  • HYSTERIC GLAMOUR launches
  • Checkers makes tartan popular (boy band that wears plaid)
  • Check (plaid)/チェック流行 fashion style
  • Marine Look/マリンルック fashion style
  • Michael Jackson is popular
  • Madonna is popular

1985

  • Tokyo Fashion Designers Council (CFD) launched
  • The Onyanko Club/ニャン子クラブ makes sailor clothing popular (girls pop group)
  • Akio Yoshida publishes The Cherry Orchard/櫻の園, and Banana Fish (which runs through ’94)

1986

  • Momoko Sakura publishes “Chibi Maruko-chan
  • Princess (O jō-sama) craze
  • Height of the bodycon craze

1987

Kaneko Isao’s print picture book

1988

  • Baby, the Stars Shine Bright (Akinori Isobe et al.) started activities
  • First issue of Hanako magazine (Magazine House)

1989

Nun OP from Kazuko Ogawa
  • Jane Marple opens a shop in Harajuku
  • Kazuko Ogawa launches (Gothic lolita brand)
  • Shibu Kaji/渋カジ style is in it’s prime (’88-’91)
  • First issue of CUTiE magazine (Takarajimasha)
  • JJ Magazine special feature: The generation of casual elegance, a new interpretation of cute clothing / being a “good woman”(いい女) while keeping your cuteness
  • Kyoko Okazaki/岡崎京子 publishes the manga PINK
  • Shōwa era ends with the death of Emperor Hirohito
  • Heisei era begins

1990

  • KEITA MARUYAMA launches
  • Shibuya style/渋谷系 craze
  • Schoolgirl style/女子高生スタイル is popular
  • SoEn/装苑 magazine special guest edition with “MILK” designer Hitomi Okawa
  • Chibi Maruko-chan is popular

1991

  • Rise of street-style/ストリート系 indie brands

1992

  • SEXY DYNAMITE LONDON launches
  • Agnes b. is popular (they have a line called Agnes b. lolita around this time too)
  • Naoko Takeuchi publishes the manga “Sailor Moon”
  • Brown hair/茶髪 craze
  • Rise of Kogal/コギャル style
  • French casual style is popular

1993

  • A BATHING APE launches
  • “NOWHERE” opens in Harajuku
  • Vintage/Secondhand (古着) clothing is popular
  • First issue of Zipper magazine (Shodensha)
  • SoEn/装苑 special feature: Jane Marple model Tomoe Shinohara
  • JJ Magazine special feature: I love you all! If you are a girl, you will need these essential items, “Cute Clothes” (可愛い服) research
  • Juliana phenomenon (a club which was considered the symbol of the bubble economy / highly influential on fashion. [ video])

1994             

Tomoe Shinohara
  • Takuya Angel is popular
  • 20471120 launches (90s collection videos)
  • National Standard launches
  • Street brand craze
  • Soichi Masubuchi/増渕宗一 publishes the book Cute Syndrome/かわいい症候群 (an academic/sociology book)
  • JJ Magazine special feature: Normally cute clothes are good!
  • Laforet Harajuku is very popular
  • Around this time “lolita fashion” was well known as the bright primary colors of Tomoe Shinohara(篠原ともえ)/Robin-chan(ロビンちゃんら)

Girls wearing “Baby Doll” cut T-shirts and Mini Skirts.
Zipper, October 1994

          
1995

  • “6% DOKIDOKI” shop opens in Harajuku
  • Little T (チビT), Naval styles popular
  • First issue of Egg (Taiyō Tosho)

1996

  • “Vivienne Westwood” flagship store opens in Hibiya
  • EGOIST, COCOLULU are very popular
  • Loose socks / ルーズソックス become popular among high school girls
  • Height of Ura-Harajuku street-style / 裏原宿ストリート系全
  • First issue of Cawaii! Magazine (Shufu no Tomosha) (gyaru magazine)
  • First issue of Spring Magazine (Takarajimasha)
  • First issue of FRUiTS magazine (Street)
  • Namie Amuro (安室奈美恵) and dance group SPEED are popular (SPEED got their break on a TV program that Namie Amuro was the MC for)
  • 109 renovation
Decora Style
FRUITS 13
June 1998

1997

1998

  • Platform Shoes are Popular
  • Decora-Chan /デコラちゃん is the talk of the town (this is in here twice?)
  • Head Porter shop opens in Harajuku
  • Visual-kei/ヴィジュアル系 craze
First issue of Kera

1999

2000

  • h.Naoto Releases their first collection
  • アユラー現象 (Ayura phenomenon?)
  • x-girl is popular in street fashion
H.Naoto
Kera 41
Feb 2002

2001

Gothic Lolita Bible
  • FRAPBOIS is founded
  • First issue of Jille magazine (Futabasha)
  • First issue of the Gothic & Lolita Bible /ゴシック&ロリータバイブル (Index Communications)
  • First Issue of SOUP. Magazine (Index Communications)
  • Terrorist attacks in America

2002

2003

  • Vivienne Westwood flagship store relocated to Aoyama
  • Roppongi Hills opens

2004

kamikaze girls
  • Alba Rosa” is extremely popular
  • Center Guy/Male Yamanba /センターGUY/オ・ヤマンバ appears
  • “Celebrity Fashion” style /セレブ・ファッション流行
  • Kamikaze Girls movie released
  • First Issue of GosuRori/ゴスロリ Gothic & Lolita Sewing Book (Boutique Co) results in the need for a reissue due to popularity
  • Red Font / 赤文字系 magazine craze (JJ, ViVi, Ray, and CanCam magazines all had red titles)

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

  • Cawaii! magazine is discontinued
  • The Ministry of Foreign Affairs appoints a Kawaii Ambassador


*Note: One entry from 1960 has been intentionally omitted.

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