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An Empress's Wardrobe Unlock'd: Empress Masako and Japan's Imperial Fashions
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 DressEditors
.'.Pagination
59-78ISBN
9781789384611Department/School
School of HumanitiesPublisher
Intellect LtdPlace of publication
Bristol, UKExtent
9Rights statement
Copyright 2022 Intellect LtdRepository Status
- Restricted