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Fashion Institute of Technology’s Tokyo Fashion Festa: A Fashion Show of Rarely Seen Lolita, Gothic Lolita, and Tokyo Girls’ Styles marked the last show of my New York Fashion Week experience. Designed as preview of FIT’s upcoming exhibition, Japan Fashion Now, it was a mix of short film, live fashion & musical performances which caused me to turn to my companion and say, “I feel really… foreign!” 

Japan is known for its extremely individual take on fashion and style, and Tokyo Fashion Festa really gave its attendees an undiluted taste of the country’s amazing street style. This truly unique event was invitation only, and the guests descended on FIT’s auditorium dressed to the nines.  New York-based fans of the Gothic Lolita style sat front and center, all frilly underskirts and miniature top hats. The mainstream press, who had also been invited (and relegated to seats on the left-hand side) didn’t know what to think! 

We were treated to a variety of looks from designers such as Alice and the Pirates, Amy’s Love, Angelic Pretty, Baby the Stars Shine Bright, Black Peace Now, Mielette Tautou and Madame-Killer. The show was accompanied by musical performances from visual-kei group VY, wearing h.NAOTO. The ensembles were amazing, frivolous, fun & totally over-the-top — the perfect antidote to what we’d seen for most of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week!

Valerie Steele, the director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT said, “The Tokyo fashion scene is very exciting. Japanese subculture and street styles, such as the Gothic Lolita look, are attracting more and more attention in the West, so we wanted to be sure to include them in The Museum at FIT’s upcoming exhibition, Japan Fashion Now, which opens on September 17. In the meantime, we’re delighted to give New Yorkers a preview with a live fashion show. Tokyo Fashion Festa will feature some of Japan’s most famous Lolita brands, as well as Gyaru (Girl) styles, which are also extremely popular on the streets of Japan. It is a special pleasure to have Madame-Killer debut their line in the U.S. at this fashion show.”

Here are some video highlights from the show!

Words and video by Gala Darling, Photos via http://www.aristocratphotography.com

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