44
Popular Culture Review
various events with Japanese themes or publications intended to assist
those interested in creating a Japanese persona. This interest has been
expressed through various events with Japanese themes or publications,
such as Tournaments Illuminated, intended to help those interested in
creating a Japanese persona.'^ Interest in Japanese costume, especially
for many members of the Society for Creative Anachronism, was
stimulated, in part, by the television broadcast of the miniseries Shogun
in 1980 and continues to this day, aided by the current popularity of
Japanese manga and anime. It is not uncommon to see individuals
dressed in Japanese costume at cosplay events such as Comicons, anime
and manga conventions, renaissance fairs and more traditional venues,
such as local Japanese festivals.
American high fashion has been influenced by Japanese costume
and design since the early twentieth century when fashion incorporated
such elements as crossed bodices, batwing sleeves and draped fabricelements reminiscent of the kimono. During the 1930s, in spite of strong
anti-Japanese sentiment, American designer Elizabeth Hawes created
Japanese inspired clothing, often from kimono fabrics. Other designers
such as Bonnie Cashin designed active wear based in part upon the naga
juban or underkimono, using textiles with Japanese motifs.'* By the early
decades of the twenty-first century, American fashion had been
influenced by Japanese designers (including Issey Miyake, Rei
Kawakubo and Yohi Yamamoto) and most major fashion houses keep an
eye on couture in Japan.A m erican designers such as Marc Jacobs have
regularly demonstrated, not only the influence of Japanese designers
such as Rei Kawakubo, but also influences from geisha and anime. This
was especially evident in his fall 2009 collection which was inspired by
kimono, jinbei (Japanese workpants), zori and even the facial makeup
worn by Kyoto geiko and maiko.^°
Evidence of the kimono is also visible in some forms of street
fashion. Strongly influenced by anime, manga and other elements of
Japanese popular culture, a variation of contemporary Japanese street
fashion known as Wa Lolita or Wa Loli has been adopted by teens and
young adults, especially in large urban areas such New York City, San
Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago. The Lolita subculture gained
popularity in Japan during the 1990s among high school and collegeaged girls. The Lolita look includes short fi’illy skirts with petticoats,
baby doll dresses and corsets, which are often accessorized with parasols
and elaborate headwear.^' There are different varieties of Lolitas
including Sweet Lolitas, Goth Lolitas and Wa Lolitas. The name Wa