Abstract

Vytautas Magnus University / Mykolas Romeris UniversityIn our paper, we discuss how French fashion was acculturated in Japan after WWII, a period in which Japan rushed to modernise/occidentalise. Through an analysis of the dominant discourse of Japanese fashion magazines, we focus on the followingFrench fashion trend that spread throughout Japan: a long, flared skirt inspired by a Paris fashion. The skirt was a new look by French fashion designer Christian Dior just after WWII. The other focus of this paper is on the soaring popularity of European brand Louis Vuitton in 1970 and 1999. Modernisation in the fashion realm following WWII could be said to be the localisation of the French fashions followed by Americans; the manner by which French fashion was acculturated in Japan after WWII changed according to the Japanese social context. Articles in the dressmaking fashion magazine Soen promoted the new style blindly. In the 1970s when great economic growth was realised, Japanese travellers shopping for real Louis Vuitton bags in France were attempting to belong to middle class society. Featured articles on Louis Vuitton in 1999 presented several ways of localising the usage of this bag for all generations of women to find belonging in their own groups.

Highlights

  • It could be said that Japanese culture is accustomed to absorbing elements of other cultures: With Buddhism, the Japanese hiragana syllabary modified the Kanji logograms that came from China

  • We examine how French fashion was acculturated in Japan after WWII when Japan rushed to modernise/occidentalise Japanese culture

  • We will examine how Japanese fashion magazines present French fashion in order to persuade readers to incorporate it into Japanese fashion

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Summary

Introduction

It could be said that Japanese culture is accustomed to absorbing elements of other cultures: With Buddhism, the Japanese hiragana syllabary modified the Kanji logograms that came from China. Japanese life was occidentalised after opening to foreign trade and diplomatic relations in the mid 19th century. This process continued with Americanisation after Japan’s defeat in WWII. Westernised fashion in Japan is certainly no exception to this movement. Especially men, started adopting occidental clothes in the Meiji era. Elite women and geishas adopted such clothing.. In the Taisho era, French fashion, such as the Garçonne style, was diffused among certain Japanese women, who were called moga (modern girls).

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