No one can really catch up with Tokyo’s model and Instagram icon Kiko Mizuhara’s whirlwind of activities. And there’s no stopping her right now.
IF YOU ARE JAPANESE, or into their culture and celebrities, you’d be familiar with Kiko Mizuhara who’s usually featured in the pages of local Japanese fashion magazine, Vivi. And for those of us who are not as familiar with the name or the face, we soon will be. Mizuhara has, in the last decade, catapulted into “It” girl status on the international fashion circuit — thanks to the power of the internet and social media, as well as the burgeoning number of brands, which she counts as partners.
Mizuhara wears many hats. The 28-year-old American-Japanese, currently Tokyo’s biggest model and Instagram (@i_am_kiko) icon, is also an actress, singer and designer. With these many hats, versatility is her middle name; today, she is the girl-next-door with a sweet smile and radiating pure innocence, while a kooky, kawaii Tokyo girl sporting two pig-tail buns is her persona for tomorrow. On the red carpet, she’s a star with a striking presence, always mesmerising with her sleek black hair and a sophisticated sense of style. But despite all that immaculate ’do, there’s no air of pretense surrounding her. On the contrary, she’s always imbuing her girls-just-wanna-have-fun attitude with cutesy, peace sign pose wherever possible — just take a look at her street style snaps.
With more than 15 years of modelling experience, Tokyo-based Mizuhara has fronted more than 100 magazine covers from around the world. In her early days when Tokyo’s modelling scene was heavily populated with ganguro style models who have bleach blonde hair and tanned skin, Mizuhara has kept true to herself: natural black hair and fair skin.
This story is from the March 2019 edition of T Singapore: The New York Times Style Magazine.
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This story is from the March 2019 edition of T Singapore: The New York Times Style Magazine.
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