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An Empress's Wardrobe Unlock'd: Empress Masako and Japan's Imperial Fashions

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posted on 2023-05-22, 19:42 authored by Emerald KingEmerald King, Rose, M
The story of Empress Masako's integration into the royal family in Japan highlights an instance where a powerful woman in East Asia has struggled with her negotiation of self. Before her marriage, Empress Masako was a highly accomplished woman and an aspiring diplomat who hesitated to marry into the royal family. She was praised in the western media as the 'next Lady Di' before failing to maintain her individuality within the limitations of the Japanese court. In this chapter, using a selection of her ensembles worn across her career, we explore how the use of court dress codes signify Empress Masako’s 'princess lifestyle'. Focusing on three key movements in the Empresses' presentation: courtship, life as a princess, and now as empress, we demonstrate how the use of colour and style are codified to convey messages of individuality, power and progress. To complement this analysis of Masako’s presentation of self, we also draw upon a systematic review of news reportage (both Eastern and Western). We argue that the manner in which the empress is dressed evokes the occidental fantasy of the elegant woman, retaining strong visual parallels to the British Royal Family.

History

Publication title

Fashion, Women and Power: The Politics of Dress

Editors

.'.

Pagination

59-78

ISBN

9781789384611

Department/School

School of Humanities

Publisher

Intellect Ltd

Place of publication

Bristol, UK

Extent

9

Rights statement

Copyright 2022 Intellect Ltd

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Arts not elsewhere classified

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