It would not be an exaggeration or a lie to say that I was
very worried about Le Panier. There was never any information on how
often it would be published and volume one has truly won me over.
It’s not unusual for magazines about niche fashions to stop after the first
issue, so the longer we had no news, the more I assumed that Le Panier
has sadly shared the fate of many others. And boy, am I glad to have been
wrong!
Just like I did with my reviews of tulle,
I will compare issue 2 with the first one, to see what has changed and by how
much, as well as what may be new. If you’ve read my original review of the
magazine, then you’ll know that there wasn’t much that I wanted changing, so my
hopes were to get more of what we had.
And, in short, that is what we got. The magazine has
retained that Harper’s Bazaar-esque luxurious feel: the paper is thick,
photography very artful and advertisements non-existent.
The cover still announces that it’s a “New Wave Lolita
Magazine” and I’m feeling the “New Wave” part a little more than I did
previously. I wonder how much of this is a stylistic choice for the issue and
how much is actually a reflection of the broader trends within lolita fashion.
Many of the photoshoots in Le Panier vol 2 feature longer length dresses
and minimal or no poof. Whilst there certainly is an element of deliberate
styling in this, as long flowy dresses evoke romantic and nostalgic feelings, I
think it has been aided by the wider trends. Angelic Pretty, who have a several
page photoshoot feature in this issue, have had quite a few long length JSKs
and OPs this year alone, the majority of which have sold well or even sold out.
Still, whilst in other magazines about lolita fashion, such as tulle or Spoons,
we would debate whether the styling is still lolita or already otome, in Le
Panier it matters less. Not because the magazine is exclusively lolita or
because it’s produced to such a high standard overall, but because it simply
fits the mood it’s trying to create through the photography.
I was also very positively surprised to see Violet Fane’s
clothing used in one of the photoshoots. Western brands are becoming a stronger
presence on the wider lolita scene and Violet Fane is one of those that has
been doing particularly well. Their clothing is sold in Japan by Atelier
Pierrot, both online and in at least one branch that I am aware of, giving them
exposure to the Japanese market. To see their clothing be featured in a
magazine such as Le Panier gives them
further legitimacy as a respectable and prestigious lolita brand. Hopefully
this will not only boost Violet Fane’s sales and reputation, but will also help
other Western brands rise and become widely respected beyond their current
Western audience. Because as long as lolitas feel the need to distinguish
between ‘Japanese brands’ and ‘indie brands’, without giving much thought as to
how they define ‘a brand’ as its own concept, I feel that we will need
continuing exposure like this.
This time the readable content included an interview with Risa
Aizawa (who, I must admit, I didn’t know of until I read the interview), the
designer for a small brand called Memuse and a former idol. Even not knowing
who Risa Aizawa was, I found value in reading the interview and found it
interesting. This is what any good magazine should do - create content that’s
enjoyable to the readers regardless of how familiar they might be with this
particular person, issue or point of view. Sadly, we lost the craft tutorial,
which I can imagine must’ve seemed at odds with the otherwise feel of the
magazine (in a similar vein as you wouldn’t expect Harper’s Bazar or Vogue
to include crafting tutorials). Instead we’ve also gained on event reports,
which weren’t there before. The two included are from Angelic Pretty’s Shanghai
dinner party and Le Panier’s own
Shanghai event.
Knowing now that Le Panier is expected to be an annual
publication, I look at it a little differently. Whereas in issue 1 I was happy
to sacrifice either some of the high end polish or the low price for continuing
publication, now I’d like to add things. Or maybe not necessarily add as bulk
out. For an annual publication of this sort of finish I would be happy to pay
more than the ¥800 plus VAT. However, for that I would also like the magazine
to have a little bit more of the content that it currently has. More of the
artful photoshoots would be the easiest way to add more content, however, I
feel like it could do with more written content too. Expanding on the
interviews or conducting more would make for a more in-depth read.
Additionally, more elaborate articles such as an expanded version of the one
about different kinds of petticoats from issue 1 or something like theafternoon tea etiquette one from Miel
could add something to read that’s more aimed at the lifestyle elements without
sacrificing the luxury feel. To me this whole magazine exudes a sense of
creating a fantasy world, where we’re all beautifully rich ladies of leisure
who care not about the mundane and the ordinary, dedicating themselves instead
to the beautiful and the ethereal. If that is indeed what the magazine is
aiming for, then we may as well indulge in some more ‘posher than thou’ reading
content to sustain that fantasy. I’m sure that Le Panier’s editors would
know exactly what to provide.
Now that the second issue is out, thus breaking the ‘one
issue only’ curse, I am much calmer. It is a shame that I’ve not had the chance
to enjoy this volume in the way that it truly deserves: whilst dressed to the
nines, with a porcelain cup of fancy tea, with a scented candle burning softly,
having absolutely zero care for the world’s worries. Life has been too busy for
this, but I will be sure to revisit the magazine one day just like this.
Because Le Panier’s appeal lies in how its aesthetic value makes it
pleasurable to look through time and again, even after all the previewed
clothes have been released.
Have you gotten a copy yet? What did you think? Are you into
the whole creating a rich lifestyle lolita fantasy or do you prefer the more
down to earth/accessible to all feel of magazines like tulle now or GLB/KERA
in the past?
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