Picture this: A figure in a frilly Lolita dress throws a punch, her blue pudding ring catching the light as her fist connects. Around her, a surreal pink landscape unfolds where kawaii meets combat, where the soft aesthetics of Japanese street fashion are transformed into weapons of cultural rebellion. This is the world that Lei Jiang has created in “Cute but Radical”, a fashion film that dares to ask: What happens when cuteness refuses to stay quiet?
Lei Jiang’s 3-minute, 45-second fashion film transforms Harajuku culture into a weapon of rebellion, challenging everything we think we know about cuteness, identity and power. The film follows Team Puppy — three outsiders who stumble into Team Kitten’s “Cute Authority”, triggering a stylised showdown that raises the question of who controls the narrative when subcultures clash with mainstream aesthetics.
Decoding the Language of Rebellion
For those who are not familiar with the visual vocabulary: Harajuku fashion stands for Japanese street styles that originated in Tokyo’s youth districts. Lolita fashion, with its Victorian-inspired dresses and doll-like aesthetic, challenges conventional femininity, while “kawaii” (cute) carries deeper significance as both aesthetic philosophy and cultural resistance.
“Harajuku fashion has always fascinated me as I have had a strong interest in J-fashion and animation since I was a child,” Lei explains.
“The contradiction of ‘cuteness’ as both soft and defiant mirrors my experience of navigating identity.”
Fashion as Armour
The wardrobe reads like a love letter to subcultural fashion history. Authentic pieces from the legendary Lolita brand Baby, the Stars Shine Bright anchor the film’s aesthetic, while avant-garde labels such as Comme des Garçons and Maison Margiela create unexpected dialogues between kawaii culture and high fashion. Vivienne Westwood‘s punk sensibilities collide with Angelic Pretty’s saccharine confections.
“Many of my friends and I have the same interest in collecting these lolita fashion pieces,” Lei notes.
“Usually some pieces are meant to present a princess-like, soft tone; instead we made the styling look powerful.”
This reinterpretation of traditional feminine aesthetics challenges viewers to rethink their ideas of strength and rebellion.
Sustainable Subversion: The Leiland Recreate Story
This philosophy of reclaiming power through aesthetics extends beyond borrowed pieces to Lei’s own creative practise. At the heart of her rebellion lies Leiland Recreate, an independent brand that embodies sustainable fashion activism. Founded in 2021, the label creates handmade accessories from upcycled materials, vintage finds and studio leftovers.
Through this philosophy of transformation — breathing new life into discarded materials — each accessory becomes a vehicle for what Lei calls “speculative stories about future identities.” In “Cute but Radical,” these handcrafted pieces function as both tools of expression and world-building artefacts, supporting her approach to costume design that creates “psychic landscapes” — each space reflects different aspects of identity representation, from intimate social spaces to sites of aesthetic conflict.
The technical innovation of the film corresponds to its conceptual ambition. The mix of digital animation, practical effects and live action creates a “deliberate chaos”. The team used 3D scanning to capture performers and place them in surreal virtual environments, adding a reality-altering dimension to the dreamlike narrative. One piece is of particular significance: a blue pudding ring worn by the heroine during her powerful punch.
“These pieces started as small handmade objects in my living room,” Lei reflects. “Seeing them come alive through movement makes me feel like they’ve found their voices too.”
Cultural Dialogue Beyond Binaries
This fusion of handmade craft with digital innovation reflects Lei’s broader approach to cultural conversation.
“Cute but Radical” sees itself as a cultural dialogue rather than appropriation, with a diverse cast and crew from the communities it represents. “By remixing East Asian fashion histories with queer aesthetics, I hope it offers a new visual language for resistance,” explains Lei.
Rather than positioning cuteness against radicalism, the film argues for their synthesis. The fight isn’t between Team Puppy and Team Kitten—it’s between visibility and invisibility, expectation and possibility.
“The film is a love letter to non-conforming bodies and styles,” Lei states. “I hope it invites people to question which identities are seen as ‘valid’ or ‘serious.'”
This resistance consists of being visible, claiming the space through one’s style and refusing to diminish aesthetic choices for others’ comfort. The film’s surreal visual language creates a space where “glitches became part of the texture — our chaos was deliberate.”
Building New Worlds
For Lei Jiang, the most radical act is to simply refuse to shrink. As “Cute but Radical” seeks premiere platforms, this philosophy extends into Lei’s expanding vision for both her filmmaking and Leiland Recreate. The film represents just one facet of her broader perspective exploring speculative futures — from her underwater fashion narratives in “No-Land” to these kawaii rebellion stories, Lei continues to imagine worlds where identity becomes fluid and self-expression transcends traditional boundaries.
“I’d love to work with more performers and fashion collectives,” she says. “I’m aiming to develop ready-to-wear pieces with the accessory line to continue developing these ideas.”
Between authentic expression and acceptable presentation, “Cute but Radical” carves out a third space where cuteness becomes a weapon, fashion tells stories of resistance and the simple act of getting dressed becomes an act of defiance. With each handmade ring and surreal film frame, Lei Jiang is building a world where being unapologetically seen and expressing one’s self becomes an act of empowerment.
Watch & Follow: “Cute but Radical” is currently seeking premiere platforms. Follow Lei Jiang at @donutleij and discover Leiland Recreate at @leiland.r or lei.land.
