GO Hi Kiko, how has this new year started for you?
KM Last year I acquired the scuba diving license and I have been totally into it since. In the last period I have been diving all day long. Deep down there are creatures you can only see in the winter which make winter scuba diving as fun as in the summer. People ask me how cold it is to go scuba diving in the winter, but as long as you are in water it feels fine, wearing dry wet suits with hot patches, but once you get out it’s freezing! When I went diving a few days ago it was snowing, and in the snowing sea I saw a sea dragon for the very first time!
GO You are a model, an actress and an entrepreneur. But how would you describe yourself?
KM Doing many things I would not categorize myself into one field. How I started my career is kind of unique: I began modeling about 10 years ago in Japan, I wasn’t tall enough for overseas, and at the time when social media started coming out, I was discovered by Nicola Formichetti, who didn’t have any model stereotypes, which made me very lucky. Then Tran Anh Hung spotted me in a magazine and asked me to audition for Norwegian Wood film; and this is how I started, without ever attending acting school. I can say that working on multiple areas makes me thrive personally and professionally.
Life comes around only once, and I feel that doing what I really want to do is the best I can ask for.
GO Why did you choose to start your own fashion brand? Having grown up in Tokyo, how has your background influenced your creative vision?
KM I started my brand 5 years ago. I like fashion, art, and anything creative. When modeling I have to work for brands’ goals, which I respect and work towards, but there are some types of creativity that I want to express, and that is why I started my brand, where I can create with people that share my vision. So Office Kiko is not only a brand, but a creative space to share thoughts. My first inspiration was the Gyaru (gal) culture boom in Japan. This culture has sprung in the ‘90s, and existed as well in the ‘00s, with the same blasting energy throughout time. The symbol of Gyaru trend, are tall girls with mini skirts and long platform boots showing legs. Throughout my youth I was a Gyaru myself. The positive and proactive energy, somewhat close to the punk mentality, is what I have always been drawn to, and I am still sticking to it.
Read the full interview on Muse February Issue 59.
