There are other downsides to this rise of cuteness. Don’t kawaii street fashions (such as Lolita subcultures, appropriating Victorian girls’ dresses with oversized bows), mark a step backwards for equality of the sexes? Certainly the fact that Hello Kitty hasn’t got a mouth has been seen by some as emblematic of female submissiveness.

That's not the argument being made by the article. The article's arguing against actual 'cutsey' things..