Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Hotel accommodation - What kind of world is there behind people who wear Lolita clothes?
What kind of world is there behind people who wear Lolita clothes?
Every time before putting on a full Lolita outfit to go out, Brother Youyi spends more than an hour carefully preparing.
In China, Lolita dressing up is referred to as wearing Lo. Girls wearing Lo call themselves Lo Niang, and boys call themselves Lo Han. People who are not in the Lo circle are collectively called earthlings. Youyidi, who has 30,000 Weibo fans, is a well-known Lohan in China.
"First you need to find a makeup artist to do your makeup, then wear a shirt, pantyhose, safety pants, skirt, panniers, as well as wigs, headwear and other small items. Finally, there are Lo shoes and bags." Friendship brothers are counted one by one. A beautiful little dress is the basis of Lo-style clothing, but it is not everything. Strictly speaking, a full set from head to toe is considered a Lolita dress.
Putting this outfit together is not only time-consuming, but also expensive. Take the classic Japanese brand Angelic Pretty as an example. Clothing prices range from 1,000 yuan to 2,500 yuan, accessories are basically over 150 yuan, and a complete set costs at least 2,000 yuan, depending on the gorgeousness of the style.
Brother Youyi buys one piece of Lo clothing per month on average, which is almost the same as the purchase frequency of Lo girls around him. If you only buy Japanese brands, the annual investment will be at least 20,000 yuan. Lolita dresses, JK uniforms and Hanfu are known as the "three bankrupt sisters".
A 2016 private survey showed that domestic Lolita consumers are concentrated among teenagers under the age of 24, with students being the main group. Even so, Chinese Lolita girls show quite strong spending power and stickiness. 67% of the respondents spend an average of more than 500 yuan per month, and 41.42% wear Lolita clothes more than half of the time.
"It's all in the closet and I can't put it down anymore." Brother Youyi sighed, but he was really attracted by the cuteness of Lolita costumes, "It's like a little princess!"
High frequency, high stickiness, and high customer unit price may be a model that many businesses aspire to. There is no doubt that lo-fang did it.
However, for boys and girls wearing Lo, it is not easy to satisfy their pursuits. First of all, the price of a set of clothing, which can easily range from hundreds to thousands, is always a reply to the consumer group, which is mainly students. For those Lo girls who invested earlier, in addition to price, purchasing channels are also an issue, so purchasing on behalf of others has become a key link. As a lover of studying in Japan, Brother Youyi also took advantage of the situation and started purchasing on behalf of others.
On the other hand, the "integration of production and consumption" style domestic stores that were spawned in the early days due to the inconvenience of purchasing have gradually evolved into a situation where a hundred schools of thought are contending due to strong demand, providing more convenience for Chinese Lo girls. And a relatively cheap option. "After 2015, there were suddenly a lot of stores." said Zong Haoyue, founder of Krad Lanrete, an original brand that started hand-making in 2009. "At that time, we could only find about ten or twenty stores across the country."
Japanese brands that had adopted purchase restriction measures at that time changed their direction in time. Around 2010, starting with the two top brands Angelic Pretty and Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, Japanese Lolita brands entered China one after another, established a Chinese agency team, and started localized operations.
Lolita is first expressed in the external style of dressing, and internally it is the life attitude of "pursuing beauty, cuteness and enjoyment". The combination of the two forms Lolita culture. As a subcultural group, Lolita inevitably hopes to find a sense of belonging in the label "Lo Girl". Since its birth, consumption has been a necessary condition for entering this group.
The establishment of a number of Lolita brands in the early 21st century not only enabled the mass production of Lolita products, but also spread and continued Lolita culture, and accordingly shaped the unique Lolita market. .
Now this path seems to be repeating itself in China. What is happening in China's Lolita market that can make this niche consumer category both unique and growing?
From production to consumption, a waiting ceremony
The experience store of Krad Lanrete (hereinafter referred to as KL) is hidden in a small bungalow in Rongye Lane, Huaihai Middle Road, Shanghai.
The tiled floor, printed wallpaper and antique furniture match the retro dreamy temperament of KL's original Logo.
"Most of our raw materials are custom-made, and each handle is hand-painted by the artist." When introducing his favorite little skirt, founder Zong Haoyue was a little excited. She picked up an Alice-themed JSK (sleeveless dress). The fabric print on the skirt was a scene from the Queen of Hearts story. The author's thoughts are hidden in every detail: the KL logo is printed on the dark pattern, and the lace is specially designed to look like playing cards.
It’s hard to ignore the visual impact of Lolita style. It is inspired by the decorative styles of Rococo, Victoria and medieval Gothic. The core item is a small dress represented by a high-waisted tutu skirt. It has classic elements such as lace, ruffles, and bows, and has gradually evolved into There are various types, mainly Sweet Lolita, Classical Lolita and Gothic Lolita.
Influenced by classical design, the production of Lolita dresses has a sense of slow work and meticulous work. "It takes about one to two years from conception to production." Zong Haoyue told the Jinzi Signboard Research Laboratory that it takes half a year to develop the fabric alone. "Although it is Lolita, it also has the spirit of craftsmanship in it. . ”
Because of the long production cycle and small production volume, from the initial postings on forums and post bars to the opening of Taobao stores, domestic stores have basically adopted the principle of opening reservations to customers first and then producing according to the order quantity. model to avoid inventory pressure. This is also a common practice in Taobao stores.
Reservation is called "reservation" in Japanese, and this model has existed in the Lo circle for a long time. Generally speaking, Japanese Lolita brands are no different from other ready-to-wear brands. They sell ready-made products in physical stores and add new products every week. Only when limited editions are on the market or popular styles are on sale again will the channel be opened for injection.
However, Japanese brands have discovered that Chinese consumers seem to be quite keen on snapping up popular styles, which are what Ms. Lo calls "cute styles." "Echoes of Versailles" produced by KL is a well-known cute model in the industry. It has been re-sold three times. The most recent re-sale sold nearly 10,000 pieces. The combined sales of all new products in the store are less than a fraction of it.
Zong Haoyue believes that it is normal to "follow the trend". If you want to buy a dress that can't go wrong, you will inevitably tend to choose cute styles with high reputation.
Not only do they get together to buy cute items, Ms. Lo also has a preference for the betting mode itself. According to Zong Haoyue’s observation, the younger student group does not have financial support, and the payment model similar to installment payment has shared some of the pressure. “We have tried to directly sell new products on the spot, but it is obvious that the sales volume has shrunk a lot, and most customers still prefer to make appointments. of".
Emily Temple Cute (ETC), a girly brand, adopts the "light Lo-style" that combines dresses and daily wear, and has a wide audience in Japan. A staff member of the ETC China team told Jinzibao Research: “In China, the audience may be more Lo girls, so we are also catering to their consumption patterns.”
The same is true in Japan. "They have caught the Chinese people's mentality," Brother Youyi said, "The stock is getting less and less. In the past, a store might have 4 or 5 pieces of each color, but now there may be only 2 or even 1 piece."
< p> From the moment she receives the bet to holding the dress in her hands, the waiting time ranges from two months to two years. It has almost become a "little ritual" that Ms. Lo must go through after joining the industry.However, Lo girls don’t seem too worried. "Just put your money in the bank," said Huang Ziwei, who has been in the industry for nearly four years. Lounge clothing outside of mainstream fashion is not affected by time. Except for discounts from Japanese brands, most skirts can maintain their value and continue to be sold second-hand. Channel circulation. "Ms. Lo is very good at playing idle fish," she told the Golden Signboard Research Office, "but it is frowned upon to speculate at high prices."
The circle needs to be social, and the brand can be marketed
"We need more occasions where girls can wear Lolita clothes. Otherwise, the Lolita fashion market will shrink, and the business related to Lolita fashion will also shrink." Editor-in-chief of Japanese street fashion magazine "KERA!" Zeng said.
“In China, people still think it’s strange, and they think it’s an animal from another world, and they will be watched and secretly photographed.
Brother Youyi said, "Five years ago, I basically didn't dare to wear clothes alone in China, and I only dared to go out with a few people." "And he is still in Shanghai, the highland of Lolita culture in the country.
The difference between Lolita fashion and daily dress is so obvious. When meeting other similar people, they feel more comfortable and more comfortable wearing it. A sense of belonging. The tea party was created to meet this need and is a social occasion unique to the Lolita community.
The location of the tea party is often chosen in a Western-style coffee shop or dessert house that matches the classic and dreamy temperament. Or hotel banquet halls and other places, such as Disneyland everywhere, are tea party holy places. Lo girls wear full tea party dresses, gather together to drink tea, take photos, and most importantly - discuss matching.
"The market demand is very large," said Xu Wen (Chocolate), owner of Daydream Lifestyle Store, a collection of Lolita brands. She used to be the manager of Lolita Shanghai and organized many local tea parties and group activities. "I want a fixed The venue meets everyone’s needs, can display Lolita clothing, and let more people know about it. ”
Such vertical community gathering activities are natural places for brand promotion. Big brands such as Angelic Pretty, Baby, and The Stars Shine Bright have launched tea parties hosted and sponsored by the brand. Brands often Arrange new product catwalks, new product introductions, on-site reservations, and best matching selections during the tea party. Ms. Lo who attends the dinner must wear a dress of this brand.
After this method was copied to China, the marketing taste was very good. Becoming thicker. “Reservations are the strong point in China. Generally, you can make appointments for hundreds of dresses for a tea party. Japanese tea parties do not make appointments or make appointments very rarely, or they may be reserved a few weeks after the party. Brother Youyi said, "Because everyone will go there to buy things." ”
Today, major brands hold various tea parties in China every year. Angelic Pretty’s official website information shows that the 2018 tea party was held in the banquet hall of the Shanghai International Financial Center, and Japanese Lolita was invited Association president Misa Aoki and other well-known Lolita idols have catwalks and stands. In addition to reservations for Shanghai-only products, it also includes valuable gifts such as luxury dinners at 5-star hotels.
If we talk about a large-scale tea party. More like a brand press conference, small tea parties are a strategy to close the core community. In 2018, ETC held a forest tea party with a scale of about 50 people at Disney, “allowing the brand designers to exchange inspiration on various styles with everyone face to face. questions and interactions,” the ETC China team said, “It’s more like a feedback to core fans. ”
But this is not the biggest ceremony. If you take Shanghai Metro Line 2 on December 15, 2018, you may see a car full of dressed-up Lo girls. Their destination is a Comic Up (Magic City Doujin Festival, CP for short) is held twice a year.
“CP has become a platform that everyone knows. If you don’t go there, your popularity and popularity will decrease. Zong Haoyue said that the influence of the CP Exhibition in the ACG circle can play a guiding role, especially in attracting the younger generation of Lo girls. Therefore, KL has participated in four consecutive CP Exhibitions, even though Zong Haoyue felt that the event itself It is not completely consistent with the brand positioning.
“The origins of Chinese and Japanese Lolita are different. "She said. In Japan, Lolita style has always been reflected in the fashion field. The popularity of Lolita style in China is inseparable from ACG. No wonder people on earth often think it is a derivative of the second dimension.
< p> Although Lo doesn’t like to be confused with the two-dimensional world and has a clear distinction with cosplay, we have to admit that a high proportion of the Lolita community loves ACG. Zong Haoyue’s enlightenment came from Yuki Kaori. Western gorgeous style comics, and Friendship Brother’s first experience wearing Lolita was with cosplay partnersThis probably partly explains why a Chinese fan exhibition can develop into an important gathering of Lolita, and Japan’s. But I couldn't find the Lolita store in Akihabara.
Building a castle in a massive amount of information
When Huang Ziwei saw Lo for the first time when he was a freshman, he still felt like it. It was strange, and I thought to myself, "Why did this person come out wearing a curtain cloth?"
"At that time, she still liked the simple style of black, white and gray.
"When I was taking the postgraduate entrance examination in my senior year, I was extremely stressed, and I really wanted to buy something to relieve myself and change my style. After reading Lolita information and matching photos on Weibo, Huang Ziwei didn’t expect that he would gradually become addicted to watching it. “Then I got slapped in the face, and now my wardrobe is almost bursting with dresses.” ”
“There are three main types of self-media in the Lo circle, information, tree holes, and return pictures, which are basically all on Weibo. "Huang Ziwei introduced. These self-media have built the information castle of contemporary Chinese Lo girls on the public platform.
Information media is where Huang Zi enlightens and makes up for such young Lo girls. Organize and release In 2015, the fashion magazine "Girlism" for the Chinese Lolita community was launched, and has maintained a stable output of two issues a year.
< p> The tree hole provides a platform for Lolita groups to communicate emotionally, where Lo can gather to ask questions, express emotions, gossip and even quarrel.After all, returning pictures is a necessary part of Lo’s life. Outward dressing is the main content of Lolita style, so it is natural to use photos as a record carrier. Lo’s return pictures are usually submitted to several large-scale posts to seek more opportunities for display. Lo, who has accumulated a certain degree of popularity, will become a "grass-planting girl", equivalent to a blogger among the world's population.
In this information circle with a large amount of content and high follower stickiness, she is the leader. It is the source of information for almost every Lolita girl. Zhongcao Ji and Hui Tu are the important ways for them to choose their favorite dresses. Therefore, it is a common method for Lolita brand marketing. There are no fixed requirements. Let’s see if she can bring you a better display experience. Mainly by forwarding the lottery to expand influence, we will provide prizes. "The ETC China team told the Golden Signboard Research Laboratory.
For the popular styles, Zhongcaoji also plays the role of "buyer show". The ETC China team said that the brand only sells special items during special sales. Find a model to try on, about once every 1 to 2 months. "Especially for Chinese-limited styles, there are no model pictures in Japan, so the product pictures alone cannot be used as a reference. "
However, Lolita brands only have basic actions in the online information circle, and do not have fancy marketing methods that are proficient in the Internet like other mass brands. "Most Lolita brands have not yet had the energy to Do marketing. ” said Xu Wen, the owner of DayDream Lifestyle Center.
Xu Wen once worked in marketing for an Internet company. She prefers to channel the energy of this information circle offline, using pop-up stores and pop-up shops. The event is a lightweight form of promotion of Lolita culture. Her latest attempt is to combine retail with offline activities into Dimei Shopping Plaza, which is the first large-scale Lolita block in China and Daydream’s first in the country. The fourth branch.
However, the "dimension wall" is also being broken
While the circle is being shaped, it is also being broken
Commercially. The upgrading of waves and information technology has allowed Lolita culture to break through the "dimensional wall" and become known to more people on earth, and the Lolita community has rapidly expanded.
"Now the market order is disrupted. . Zong Haoyue bluntly said that the mid-to-high-end brands represented by KL are losing their competitiveness under the trend of "bad money drives out good money". A large number of similar stores have started to adopt the low-price and high-volume route, attracting a large number of passers-by, "But they are using the Lolita brand Banner does not make its clothing carefully, resulting in a huge price difference in Lolita clothing. "
This goes against her original intention of looking at Lolita clothing, which is a ritualistic and more cultural existence. "When everyone is pursuing exquisiteness and design, your competitiveness Only then will you be strong. ”
This is not surprising. As a pioneer in the field of subculture research, the Birmingham School has long proposed that precisely because subcultures cannot avoid being “commercially co-opted”, they often appear ambiguous and complex, with both resistance and resistance. Compromise.
But unlike punk, a subculture with a distinct rebellious spirit, Lolita inherently contains more elements of appreciation for the beauty of decoration, and is itself a consumer culture that goes hand in hand with commercial operations. .
Since the rise of Harajuku style in the 1990s, Japan's Lolita style has ushered in a craze in the millennium. However, as the Harajuku generation grows older and their cultural peak is no longer there, Japan's Lolita market is shrinking and the focus is gradually shifting to China. Brother Youyi, who works as a Lolita purchasing agent in Japan, has obviously noticed changes in the past two years. "The number of Lolita in Japan is decreasing every year, and more than 80% of the store's turnover is (contributed by) Chinese." Even on the streets of Japan Most of the Lo ladies I saw were probably Chinese.
Zong Haoyue feels that there is not such a big market behind Lolita fashion, and the transfer to China is just a temporary false prosperity. "Lolita is not a practical clothing, but more collectible. In fact, it goes against the development of society. Why are fashion brands pursuing minimalism and comfort? Because the pace of life is fast, and everyone needs this type of clothing." She predicts that full-on Lolita will return to its original form, existing as a niche hobby interest.
In Japan, "light Lolita dresses" which have absorbed some characteristics of Lolita dresses but are relatively suitable for daily wear are becoming more and more popular. Old brands are also launching more "light Lo" styles. However, many Lo girls do not agree that "light Lo" belongs to Lo clothing, which is controversial internally.
"Chinese trends are lagging, and (Lolita style) may go downhill sooner or later, but at least not now." As a representative brand of "light Lolita", ETC said.
Brother Youyi is more optimistic. "China's Lolita will not fade away, at least it is still expanding," he judged. "They will even influence the next generation. Now there is a market for children's Lolita."
It should be noted that compared to Japan, the development of the Lolita brand in China is probably inseparable from the prosperity of the two-dimensional industry. But will this trend fade away in the future as it becomes integrated into everyday clothing? Or will it always exist as a special ready-to-wear market segment? I'm afraid only time will tell.
(Huang Ziwei and Youyidi are pseudonyms in the article)
Text / Wang Yiyue
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