Everyone knows “Angelic Pretty”, but there are a lot of other Japanese brands that are older or less well known. Some of these are just Lolita adjacent, so they are less well known because of that. Some are indie, some are closed. Anything that newbies ask about is included, even if it’s not really super obscure. This is permanently a work in progress.

Aldila

probably an event, chantilly was the main participant. They also had a webshop

an＊ten＊na

Sold in flasco, other shops. An*Ten*Na was a shoe brand that made lolita and alt fashion shoes. The taobao shop An*Tai*Na makes replicas of An*Ten*Na (and other brands) shoes and is named after this brand.

Angel Blue

Junior’s brand (130cm-160cm) from the same company as mezzo piano. Was featured in nene volume 1 in 1995. Founded in 1989.

Angel Box

indie brand, designer is ツヤカ (Tsuyaka).

” ロリータファッションを紹介・販売しています。傾向としては、白・ピンク・赤系統のかわいい系で作製しています。まだまだ未熟ですが、よろしくお願いします。 “

Antique BeasT

Indie brand, opens for orders periodically and then takes MTO orders. Well known for bat headdress.

Arachnophobia

In early GLBs pre 2004?

Baby Secret Love

TBA – Related to Parfait magazine

Beauty:Beast

Betty’s Blue

Appears in Fruits and other 90s magazines

Bisque Doll / ビスクドール

Early 2000s indie brand

Blanche Neige / l’Oiseau Bleu

Bluebell

“I would like to make clothes that make you feel elegant when you wear them. It is a calm sweet loli type and is not flashy.”

June 28th, 2002 was their 1st anniversary.

Carina e Arlequin

Indie brand / select shop. First shop opening in 2003 was “presented by Pretty and Atelier Pierrot”. Osaka shop opening on Atelier Pierrot site says they are the sister store to Atelier Pierrot.

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Laforet Harajuku Shop: 2003.09.05 – Jan 24th 2005
Utsunomiya Shop: Dec 18th, 2004 – (Became AP Utsunomiya?)
Osaka Shop: April 29th (2005?) – August 24, 2005

Chantilly Mimidy / Enchantic Enchantilly

Cornet

Cornet was a small brand which had a lolita line called Shotgun Wedding. In January 2010, the shop manager/designer, Tom, announced that Shotgun Wedding would close as soon as the final pieces sold. The webshop closed that month. The brand is known for old-school styled pieces with bold white detailing. Items were typically factory produced in small numbers, and were well regarded for being durrable and having a lower price point than some of the larger brands. It was a popular brand for new lolita in Japan. Prior to Cornet/Shotgun Wedding, the designer, Tom, ran the brand GARAUS.

Coquette Doll

Indie brand. Their website lists a founding date of 2001 and remained online for several years past the last update in 2004.

Cute Cute World

Select shop

Dolly Of The Nightmare

“We make various things such as Gothic, Lolita, Classical, Japanese Gothic Lolita, and Punk”

Favril Hearz / ファヴリル　ハーツ

Bold rock / punk rock accessories / jewelry / metalworks.

First of May

indie brand, currently sold on the Physical Drop site from time to time. Designer is named Shion.

Flasco

Select shop, sold a number of brands like Ange・ATELIER BOZ・Angelic Pretty ・ an＊ten＊na・Innocentworld・Na+H ・ OH LA LA・GALLOWS HUMOR 6676 ・ ZAZOU PLANET・SUPPURATE SYSTEM ・ SCHWARTZ SCHMETTERLING・Juliette et Justine ・ Seraphim・Heart E・Victorian Maiden ・ VISIBLE・BLACK more DARK・MARBLE・Mt.Mas ・ METAMORPHOSE・Larmes de Angel・Le-fluy

Fried Chicken (shoes) / フライドチキン靴

Garaus 

Became Cornet.

Heart E

Closed

hatimitusyrup / Honey Syrup / 蜂蜜シロップ

Indie brand started in 2003

Heavy Syrup

Sold at Pretty

Kazuko Ogawa 

Closed in 2006
Was worn by Mana-sama

Jelly Bean

★★ We sell cute clothes that can be worn by Lolitas, princes, and adults at reasonable prices. From handmade items to imported items, dresses, JSK, skirts, long skirts, drawers, tiaras, etc … We have a wide selection!
★ 1 blouse and 2 cut and sewn items have been added! (2/11)
★ 2 spring cardigans and 1 blouse have been added !! (2/7)

Loin D

Marble

Featured on and off in the GLB, shared a shop with Visible.

Mari Sonoda

Marguerite Reine

田園詩 / Rural Poem / Denenshi

Also may get translated to rural poetry / pastoral poetry

Parfait Magazine

magazine by the designers of Baby Secret Love. Short run in the early 2000s, I’ve never seen it for sale secondhand online.

Physical Drop

Brand started by Kato-san, co-founder of Metamorphose

Pink House

TBA

Pretty

Select shop that sold multiple brands. Continued to sell multiple brands into the early 2000s. Eventually switched over to just selling their own brand, Angelic Pretty.

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Nene Volume 1, 1995 – Translation / scans by Tinker Bell:

“The products Pretty deals with are mostly indies items. Because the hats and accessories are handmade there is not a large stock. So if there’s something you want, they are one of a kind so it might be that you can’t get them. But, the good thing about this place is that they take in regular customers’ ideas and hopes, and make clothes that they would like. So, if you become close with the shop manager, you can definitely get something. You can order not only clothes but small items and accessories.”

Pure Wing

A sweet lolita site with a black and white tone. The concept is elegant and cute.
We sell drawers, headdresses, dress hats, bags, panniers, etc. at reasonable prices, so please feel free to come and visit us.
2/9 Fluffy white pannier, princess sleeve blouse, faux fur cape, etc. have been uploaded

Queen’s xxx

Route: C +

At Route: C + <Route Sea Plus>, we make pop and cute goth items as you like while the wind blows.
We have a wide range of items, mainly cloth items such as ties, earrings, rings, collars, and other accessories. Please come to play

Shotgun Wedding

Lolita line of the brand Cornet, see Cornet

Sister

“We mainly manufacture and sell head-related accessories such as dress hats and headdresses.”

Soraumiberry

SUPPURATE SYSTEM

Was carried in select shop Flasco

Sweetie 

Street Organ

Haven’t the foggiest, but she mentions it in this page about Rural Poem

Spica

Small design studio that made bags and hats for Putumayo. Still takes (MTO) orders for pieces. They also seem to sell Blythe stuff.

Visible

Started by a fashion student who split a shop with another student started Marble

Wild Rose

“This is the page of Wild Rose, a Lolita online shop. Trying to make clothes that suit the image character OJP With TAWAKUN and La Vie en rose who wants to sympathize with it and design It is a brand that is active by JP-chan himself.”

wotoginokuni Shinigami Alice / ヲトギノクニノシニガミアリス　　

Mainly made doll clothes

Looking for an old, obscure brand? Try checking this old directory site.