Lolita and Rock n’ Roll: An interview with Aisya of Strawberry Quartz

Editor’s Note: This article was co-written by Megan Catherine Rose and Rei Saionji

Construction worker by day, princess by night, Aisya (he/him) brings a lively and creative presence to the lolita fashion scene. In this interview, we speak with Aisya, who is a lolita, editor of magazine Lapin Labyrinthe and guitarist of Strawberry Quartz. Aisya is well recognized in online spaces for his commentary on lolita as a space for creativity and inclusion, as well as trying to create opportunities for lolitas from all backgrounds to participate in print media and photography. 

絶賛発売中🎀
Lapin Labyrinthe vol.7
COVERは Angelic Prettyの新作
💎菅野結以様💎

紙の本はラパラビ公式ECサイト、
デジタル版はAmazonにて発売中！

公式EC🐇https://t.co/xag5HmooHK
Amazonhttps://t.co/9jN1ZCbRZd pic.twitter.com/84ytvaSlgY

— Lapin Labyrinthe 公式ロリィタの迷宮へ (@laplaby_friends) May 1, 2024

Aisya is part of a sub-group of lolitas who explore elegance and glamor, with extravagant dresses, ruffles and statement hair pieces that we might closely associate with designer BABY the STARS SHINE BRIGHT. BABY is strongly influenced by shoujo manga aesthetics, and so collective practitioners co-construct expressions and worlds that encapsulate a princess-like lifestyle. Lapin Labyrinthe is one of the collective outlets to cultivate this kind of girlish aesthetic, and appears as one iteration of many of lolita in all its diversity.

With the launch of his band, Strawberry Quartz, Aisya brings together both his interest in fashion subcultures and music. He is joined by others over the years who have experimented with lolita and idol music, recently co-performing with Bonjour Suzuki and Rin Rin Doll. One of their members, Aino Eiri, has also enjoyed a solo career, bringing together her love of anime and gaming with lolita fashion. Having attended Strawberry Quartz’s debut show last year, it was wonderful to see both idol fans and lolitas coming together to dance and support this kind of collaboration. Together the band gives the air on stage of a classical European painting with a j-rock twist, with fluttering ribbons, flowers, and guitars. Strawberry Quartz changes its line-up annually, with new members to be announced from August 1st. With each unit, the story and music of the band will progress. 

Performances by Strawberry Quartz, 2023.

Aisya has also participated in the scene for a long time, at first during their teenage years, and then returning a decade later. With him, Aisya brings interesting insights between the two different generations he straddles. In my research I’ve identified four generations across lolita’s 40 year history. In Aisya’s initial period of participation, he was part of tail end of generation #2 in the early 2000s. At this time, lolitas and bangya (visual kei fans) regularly met together on Jingu-mae bridge, though in the face of harassment from tourists this practice was in decline. As a flexible form of expression, lolita was particularly special to cis women, but it was also for practitioners of all genders. Gothic brands, such as Excentrique, have long memories of lolita’s gender-crossing potential. And, as many practitioners internationally will know, visual kei band Malice Mizer’s guitarist Mana was a key influencer for his performance in lolita and his founding of designer label Moite me Moite. 

In recent years, Aisya returns to the most recent generation #4 and offers interesting insights in how the culture has shifted. Like many subcultures we see internationally, alternative communities and scenes in Tokyo provide people with a safe place to express themselves, irrespective of their identity. I personally have observed a lively presence of gender non-conforming people at large events like the Gothic and Lolita Market, along with people of all body types, sexualities and abilities coming together to share their interest in handmade lolita fashion. At the same time, some sections of the scene have decided to make their spaces for cis women only. As different sub-groups diverge and come together, Aisya hopes for space that is inclusive. 

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Can you introduce yourself?

I’m Aisya, and I’m the editor of a lolita fashion magazine called Lapin Labyrinthe. I’ve been active in the lolita community for a fairly long time, or rather, I love the clothes and wear them often. I also play music.

How did you get into lolita fashion?

Originally I liked Mana-sama from MALICE Mizer and started out as a gothic lolita. At that time, it was really popular, but eventually this movement went into decline. I think it was the most popular in the early 2000s or so, around the time when the Gothic Lolita Bible came out. After this point, it gradually declined, and I had a 10-year break. Visual-kei was fading, and I was thinking about starting a rock band, and I decided I wanted to do something I loved. So I came back to lolita about 3 years ago. I found that some of the great designers had disappeared. In particular, the visual kei’s dark clothing was gone.

Why did you decide to start Strawberry Quartz?

The Harajuku fashion I once knew was really closely tied to bands and artists. I feel that fashion is closely related to music. It’s like an identity. There’s a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll in it. There is a sense of rebelliousness, of wanting to express oneself to those who have been denied something. I feel that Japan is still a society where men are powerful. There are situations where women are disadvantaged, and it would be better if we could be kinder to them. I thought that the strength that is unique to women is similar to that of a band member. I wanted to bring this energy to life through Strawberry Quartz. I felt that because this underground music was in decline, that this might be one of the reasons for the decline in alternative fashion. After meeting more gothic lolitas again, I thought I could help the community grow by fusing music and fashion once more. I wanted to combine my love of immersive fashion with my love of music.

Can you tell us a bit about the relationship between lolita and your gender identity?

I identify as a man, like Mana-sama, but both women and men’s perspectives are combined in my mind. It’s totally different from wanting to be a woman. I’m not particularly good at socializing with men, and I tend to hang out with girls. When Mana-sama came in to MALICE MIZER as a new guitarist, she/he had beautiful blue twin-tail hair. I really liked that look as a teenager. I was reading the Gothic and Lolita Bible, reading Mitsukazu’s manga, darkening the room, lighting candles, and so on. Kind of feels like I was a chūnibyō [laughs] (“eighth-grader syndrome”; a teenager who wants to stand out).

†Moi-même-Moitié
25th Memorial exhibition～overground side ～#moitie25th

今年はMoi-même-Moitié 25周年！
こうして長くゴシックブランドを続けられてる事を嬉しく思う

ゴシックは普遍である…†††††

これからも愛して下さい！

Mana https://t.co/xyNY67fIFD pic.twitter.com/bExVuJ9rIa

— Moi dix Mois（Mana） (@M_d_M_official) January 27, 2024

What’s your vision for lolita?

Lolitas’ appearance is important, but it’s also about feelings. I want to be cute completely, not just in terms of how I look but also in a way that moves me towards my goals. For example, I enjoy romantic dramas, and I think it’s cute when a woman falls in love with a man and crushes on him. It gives me a bit of a “kyun!” feeling. I feel lolita is cute in a similar way. I want to be cute wearing it also! In the same way, I think it’s cute to see a girl trying her best to be cute.

In lolita world, I feel there are two kinds of people: enthusiasts who want it to stay the same, and those who want to make it even more exciting.  I feel the enthusiasts’ vision is less free than it was in the past. In Japan, this type of person doesn’t want to let men join, and is a bit afraid of them. I think this has something to do with the social structure of society. There are others who are passionate about making lolita more enjoyable. I want to make it more fun so that people can enjoy it more, without worrying about how to wear it. You can dress it up or down, or mix it up with punk.

I wanted to create a place for myself to wear lolita, so I started doing things like having tea parties and performances. I really wanted to be in a lolita band, and to express how I felt and why I wore lolita. I wondered if I tried to help make things that would benefit other lolitas, that perhaps they might accept that it’s ok for men to wear it also.

I don’t want to be a role model, but I want people to look at their attitudes, and to understand that I, as a man, can also be lolita. There are things I can do to help women. I don’t want to be a woman, but I respect them and like to look cute too.

Can you tell us about Lapin Labyrinthe?

I thought it would be nice to have a paper book since the lolita magazines have ended. Publishing them takes a lot of people and money, but I do everything on my own. It’s hard work. I make 120 pages each issue, and I go to all the shoots and recruit the models.

This year, BABY the STARS SHINE BRIGHT invited gender non-conforming people to walk in their fashion show for New York Fashion week. Do you have any comments for your fans?

This is the first time I’ve heard of BABY using a cross-gender model! I know, in the past, Takuma Tani has modeled for magazines in Japan, so I was not surprised that much… I think outside of Japan, fans have a kinder attitude towards diversity, so it’s easier for brands to promote their products in that way there.

♡BABY，THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT
BRAND-NEW COLLECTION in New York♡#BABYfs2024 pic.twitter.com/aZrwKkGl97

— BABY☆THE STARS (@BABY_THE_STARS) February 11, 2024

Any advice for fans overseas wanting to experience lolita fashion?

If visitors from overseas want to come to Japan and enjoy the world of lolita, they should go to the Gothic and Lolita Market. There are so many lolitas there, it’s amazing!

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Rei Saionji is a Japanese author and consultant, and works with Japanese communities and artists to revitalise interest in the traditional arts. She is currently co-director of the Global Kawaii Association, which aims to connect international audiences with Japanese cute creatives and art, culture and design of cultural significance. In 2010-2014, she ran a Gothic and Lolita tea room in Harajuku called Tetragrammaton with her business partner, Tomoe Hojo, to provide a community space for local artists and practitioners.