Gothic Lolita
Fun factor injected into local fashion scene
BY ASPEN RIVER ROSEN
I tend to cringe when told that an outfit is fun. Hot, maybe even sassy, but not “fun.” After meeting Elana Kanagy-Lox, I was forced to rethink the words I use to describe my own fashion. For those who went to the sold-out Deluxe’s District Mode show at the Vet’s Club on Feb. 17, Kanagy-Lox is a distinctly fresh designer on the scene.
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| Elana Kanagy-Lox |
Kanagy-Lox, 20, who looks as if she has just stepped off the runway, was raised in Tokyo as a teenager. She worked and went to school Monday through Saturday, dressed in her uniform. It was only on Sundays that the kids were allowed to wear what they wanted. Hanging out in the Harajuku district, she was inspired to create outfits. She observed the girls’ outfits and soaked up the scene with several distinct styles of clothing originating in the culture of Japan’s major cities. That’s where it all started for Kanagy-Lox, who learned how to sew while she was there. The scene is full of over-the-top styles and a meeting ground for socializing and being creative, she explains, and she calls her own style over the top as well.
Her style is “Gothic Lolita,” an Edwardian-era fashion that imitates the look of Victorian porcelain dolls — gothic street style with a childlike, Lolita look. Embroidery, hand detail, and individual tailoring are her style, and so is doing custom, one-on-one work for her clients. “Clothing has so much more meaning than just getting ready in the mornings,” she says.
Kanagy-Lox works at Antrican and is a student at the UO, and she plans on moving to New York to pursue her career as a designer.
Her favorite item of clothing is a white Edwardian 1910 gown with flowers, a birthday present that she cherishes. What would she never be caught dead in? Jeans — because to Kanagy-Lox, jeans are no fun.
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