Born to a French father and a Japanese mother in Paris, UKICO started a modeling career in Japan, from being the face of Shiseido campaigns to one of the regular models for the fashion magazines Inred. However, with the desire to express her creativity , she moved to New York to study music engineering. Since then she has worked with Ghostface Killah from The Wu-Tang Clan as an assistant music engineer. She has also worked with the Grammy-award-winner band The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra as a live sound engineer.

With the intention of bringing her artistic expression to the next level, she established her base in Japan as a musician and artist.

“What is the meaning of life?” UKICO spent five years completing her first album, “ASCENSION”, woven from her personal experiences, her sonic influences, her Japanese heritage, and spirituality. In her album, she presents her own vision of the world, her inner journey and personal growth.

The purpose is not only to sing but to depict a story and touch someone’s heart

――You used to work as a model. Why did you think of conveying yourself through music?

UKICO: I’ve loved singing ever since I was little. I initially wanted to be in musicals. But I was shy, so I gave up on that. After I graduated from university in Paris, I had an opportunity to model in Japan. I moved here and worked as a model for four years. But I couldn’t fully express my individuality and creativity, so I wanted to do something where I could express myself.

――Was there a particular catalyst?

UKICO: Around that time, my French grand mother passed away and I unusually found myself inspired to write a poem which got my father very emotional. That is when I decided to make music, more than just singing, I wanted to write a story that could convey emotions to people.

――Which artists have influenced you?

UKICO: I am deeply inspired by artists who have a very strong and particular universe. For instance, Björk’s visuals and storytelling are so unique, as much as her live show concepts, costumes, and music. My aim is to become an artist who pushes its own creatives boundaries likes she does. I also like FKA twigs, Sevdaliza, Lorde, and Lana Del Rey.

――Among the many fields you could’ve chosen, why did you want to study music engineering?

UKICO: I was looking for a music school in NY and by accident, I stumbled upon an open house at a music engineering school. And to my surprise, I got so excited looking at all the analog music gears. They had a recording studio! And I got so into it, I ended up being 2nd of my year (salutatorian) and gave a speech at the Apollo theatre for Graduation ceremony.

――Amid a sea of music, why were you attracted to 90s trip-hop like Massive Attack in particular?

UKICO: After studying sound mixing, we trained our ears to hear the slightest details of every sounds which made me enjoy their music to an other level. The quality of their mixes, details and beauty of their sounds is just perfection to me! When I went to their concert for the first time I couldn’t help but close my eyes and enjoy their exquisite sounds to the fullest. And I fell in love with the hypnotic almost meditative vibe that their music convey I always try to recreate that kind of mood in my own music. The Album I love the most is Mezzanine.

――What does your music-making process look like?

UKICO: I often start writing song by creating beats and loops. I choose every sounds carefully and mix them as I go.The reason why is that the atmosphere, the vibe of a song is what inspires me the most. I believe that is also how trip hop songs are written. (It’s a process that I enjoy very much!) Then I create a structure, write melodies and lyrics.

――Why do you handle that process by yourself?

UKICO: By doing everything from producing, writing lyrics, recording and mixing, I feel my art being the most authentic to me and the closest to my vision. But it can be very lonely, I can get doubtful which delays the process.

――You also founded your own label called Kiseki Record.

UKICO: After thinking about the best way to be authentic to myself, I decided to create my own label. Many people told me “alternative music is not very popular in Japan, if you want to work here, you should make more popular music like Jpop.” But that would mean to deny who I am, stifling my personality. Of course, it took a lot of courage to start my own label. So with the intent of manifesting miracles I named my label Kiseki Record (Kiseki means Miracles in Japanese).

“What I’m creating is my own world and vision of life”

――You’re currently based in Japan. I assume you had the option to go to Paris or New York, but why Japan?

UKICO: At the beginning I decided to move to Japan to learn more about my roots. But now, I live in Tokyo for the quality of life, the culture, the kindness of people and their pure hearts. My whole family is in France and I miss them a lot but the energy of Japan is so healing that it suits me for now.

――What are the appeals of Paris and Japan?

UKICO: Both Cultures are very artistic, and deep and as an artist, I am inspired by them. I feel very blessed.

They both value the beauty of things, and know how to appreciate the now moment. They are both blessed with incredible nature and take good care of it. I feel that French people could use a little more strictness and on the other side Japanese could use a little bit more freedom.

The thing I like the most about French culture is that you share your emotions very naturally and honestly. That is probably why I wouldn’t shy away from writing dark lyrics.

In Japan however, there is the habit of hiding your own feelings to the point of losing yourself. I feel deeply empathic to this pattern which I could also relate to. I integrated both cultures after all. I have therefore grown a strong sense of responsibility to support Japanese people in opening up and expressing themselves honestly.

But one of the many beautiful thing that I highly respect in Japanese people is their ability to support, help, love someone without wanting something in return, or acknowledgement. Their kindness is Gold.

――As someone born and raised in that sort of environment, what themes and concepts do you have as an artist today?

UKICO: What I draw into my art is my own vision of the world, my life’s journey, my growth and all the questions that arises in the process.

My view of the world is very spiritual and yet psychological. I believe we, humans are extremely powerful beings with the ability to manifest our thoughts and create our reality.
But those thoughts and patterns of thoughts are influenced by our family, how we grew up, our culture, our traumas, etc. and therefore we repeatedly attract certain situations, people and reactions to them. I like to analyze which raises a lot of questions and a search for answers. That is how I believe we grow as humans, understanding/discovering yourself more and more each day. To me, the purpose of living is growth. I think each person has a different purpose. And my journey, my growth and my healing of the past 5 years, is illustrated in my first Album and its visuals. That’s why I named it “Ascension”.

――Did you develop that mindset from your personal experiences?

UKICO: I started writing songs after reaching quite a low point in my life. I had a lot of questions about life, about myself and relationships with people. I searched for answers in various places. Yoga, meditation, books, coaching, spirituality and more. ..And one of my healing process was songwriting. It was like a diary. I expressed my feelings honestly, without lying. There are songs of light, there are songs of darkness, and I gradually understood that all of it is part of me, part of life. I began to accept myself as i was, with my light and my darkness.

――You externalize your experiences in life in your work.

UKICO: Yes I do and I’m happy I can finally share it with the world.
The title of the Album, “ASCENSION” has various meanings, but for me, it means awakening, growth; My growth.

Making music is my healing process

――You previously released some songs from ASCENSION as singles. Could you first talk about what you wanted to say through “Denial”?

UKICO: This is the second song I wrote on the album. After experiencing the greatest heartache of my life, I started a healing process, and once the pain subsided, the lyrics “Hiding from a new romance” came to me. I realized, while pretending I was all better, I was numbing my real feelings: I feared to open my heart again. But I wasn’t even aware of it before writing this song. That’s why I named it “Denial”. This song gave me an opportunity to see my real feelings.

――Could you tell us more about the Japanese traditional instruments in your songs?

UKICO: I went to Los Angeles to work with the producer Justyn Pilbrow (The neighborhood, Halsey, Elemeno P, etc.) But when I came back to Tokyo I felt there was something missing, it didn’t feel personal yet. That is when I came up with the idea of recording some traditional Japanese instruments like Koto, Shakuhachi and Shamisen. It was also an homage to my Japanese ancestors. From that point on, I immediately got connected with the head Koto teacher at the notorious Tokyo University of fine Arts Geidai who took me under his wings and introduced me to wonderful musicians. It truly felt like fate!

――There’s a Japanese feel to “Hostage” too.

UKICO: I wrote “Hostage” half way through the album.This song is strongly influenced by 90’s alternative rock as I used to listen to Audioslave, Soundgarden etc… . And of course, I asked my friend and shamisen player, Yuji Kubota, to participate in the recording.
‘Hostage’ is about being obsessed with someone so much you become a hostage of your own mind, trapped in the obsession of a desire. You give up trying to escape and succumb to the desire, filling the void in your heart. Darkness overpowers you until you realize it was just an excuse to run away from yourself.

――What is the theme in the song “Mirage?”

UKICO: This song is based on the concept that the world we perceive through the 5 senses isn’t what it really is but rather an illusion, an interpretation; like the optical illusion of a Mirage. It also explores the paradox of being frustrated of not being able to see the real truth, being human, and at the same time appreciating the experience through the senses, and exploring the collision of darkness and light within.

――I heard you wrote “DESERTED” at an early stage.

UKICO: This song is very special to me. It’s the beginning of my journey as an artist. Initially, I wrote Deserted to help me heal after experiencing the greatest heartache of my life. I was still living in NY then. This was the first song I collaborated with Justyn, on. ”Deserted” expresses the push and pull I experienced, between love and hate, anger and sadness, the intensity of the pain and the void you feel before accepting and starting the healing process.

――Your vision is very clear in your music videos too.

UKICO: The Music Video of Denial, Hostage, and Temporary Amnesia ( 3rd one to be released in June) , are part of a trilogy based on Japanese mythology. Izanami and Izanagi the first two existing Gods that appear in Kojiki (an ancient Japanese book of myths and legends). are the main protagonists. I chose this story as an homage to my Japanese heritage. My grandfather is from Izumo a holy place in Japan where a lot of Japanese Mythology take place.

――That’s a famous myth in Japan.

UKICO: The first gods Izanagi (male) and Izanami (female) who loved each other, created the land of Japan and gave birth to multiple gods. However, when Izanami gave birth to the god of fire, she got burnt and died, leaving for the land of the underworld. This is the story told in Denial MV.

“Hostage’s” MV is an extraordinary all-CG piece showing Izanami in the underworld. Due to the influence of the food and energy of the place, she slowly drowns into darkness which illustrates becoming a hostage of her own mind. The moment she fell into the depth of her darkness, her black skin peels off and let the light within to shine through: She reborn as a higher being.

Finally the last piece of the trilogy “Temporary Amnesia” continues the story in which Izanami reborn in our timeline.

――What makes Japanese mythology interesting?

UKICO: In my opinion, they help us see life in a more objective way and deepen our understanding of life.

Wanting to change how people in Japan view mental health

――Together with Crystal Kay, Sumire, TIGARAH, you founded ALL FOUR ONE PROJECT, a charity project to support mental health. Could you talk about your aims?

UKICO: In 2020 the pandemic broke out and the world was in lock down from around March. My whole family lives in France and I live alone in a small Tokyo apartment. I got sick then and started to feel very anxious and stressed, which eventually got me feeling quite depressed. After overcoming this depression a couple of month later, I thought of all the people in Japan who were going through the same thing.

Japan has always been a country with a high suicide rate. The environment isn’t very supporting on the issue which is highly criticized, feared or avoided. We started this project with the intention to help change mentalities on the topic and support people to get help.

――As your first release through the project, you covered “Rain On Me” by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande. Why did you choose this song?

UKICO: Sumire liked this song and was playing it very often when we would hang out. TIGARAH wrote the powerful rap lyrics with the message we had creating this project.

――What values do you all share?

UKICO: I think it is Love. The desire to share love with everyone and to help people in any ways we can. Even the four of us, with very different personalities (culture, way of thinking, work, country of origin …) by coming together, are able to generate more strength, power and Love then if we were alone. We would like to inspire people to support and care for each other more in these tough times. We are all in the same boat.

――What do you want to do with ALL FOUR ONE PROJECT?

UKICO: We would like to shift the negative image that mental health has in Japan and encourage people to ask for support when they feel depressed. There is no shame in feeling down and depressed. Our purpose is also to create a space where people can talk more freely about mental health. “You are not alone” is our message.

――Aside from covid, in a world where we have environmental and human rights issues, what subject do you think we have to tackle to create a sustainable society?

UKICO: There are so many issues that have to be addressed in society nowadays, but one I strongly feel about is the status of women in society, especially in Japan. Even I suffered from this issue in a male dominant industry like music engineering or entertainment. But overall, there should be more equality between people, even in the of distribution of wealth.

Ecologically there is a huge need to change consumerism. We humans don’t need so much things. We need to review what is true happiness and awaken to a simpler way of living. Of course, this includes myself. There are other issues too, but I want to start by making small, manageable changes.

――What should artists do to solve those problems?

UKICO: I believe that our strength as artists lies in our capacity to raise awareness and create movements through art. Personally, I feel that our planet will survive if we awaken to our true power, remembering that all humans hold immense potential. My song ”Temporary Amnesia” which I wrote during quarantine conveys that message.

I would also like to continue to support other charities. Currently, I hold the title of ocean Ambassador for Greenpeace International, but I would like to take more concrete actions with them in the future.

――What does a thriving future look like to you?

UKICO: Through the concept of Oneness, All (everyone and everything) is you and you are all. Rather than sharing love, we become Love itself.
It also means to live with the Earth as one, where everyone awakens to their own power.

――Lastly, could you talk about your vision for your future?

UKICO: I would love for people to listen to my first album ASCENSION, which came out on the 28th of April. It is such an important part of my life as it took 5 years to write it. And this is the first step towards my artistic journey, from which I have grown so much. I’m happy beyond tears as the first response was very good. It even charted 24th on iTunes top alternative albums!

I also want to do live performances in the future, but not in a standard way. I would like to create a space where people can experience a show through the 5 senses. A place of healing, of activation, of release… . I’m also planning my next EP with special collaborations, 2021 is going to be a very creative year.

UKICO
Born to a French father and a Japanese mother, UKICO is a singer songwriter and producer who was raised in Paris. In her late teens, she began a modeling career in Japan, from becoming the face of Shiseido’s campaign to being one of the regular models for the fashion magazines InRed. With the desire to express her creativity , she moved to New York to study music engineering. While in NYC, she has worked with Ghostface Killah from Wu-Tang Clan as an assistant music engineer as well as the Grammy-award-winner band The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, as a live sound engineer. She came back to Tokyo where she truly found her unique sonic world and inspirations.She writes, sings, arranges, and mixes her own music.
Album ASCENSION: https://linkco.re/n05VBS7n?
https://www.ukico-official.com/
Instagram：＠ukicomusic
Twitter：@ukicomusic

Photography Tetsuya Yamakawa
Text Analog Assasin
Translation Lena Grace Suda

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“UNNATURALLY NATURAL” is a skincare brand started by Ai Gemma Hirano, a founding member of the fashion brand “self-portrait.” Because of the brilliant career and the fact that the products are 100% vegan and environmental-friendly clean beauty brand, she was featured in many media in Japan.However, the actual message the brand wants to send is a little different.

“Non-natural” ingredients can also lead to healthier skin.

Ai studied in the UK at the age of 15.She spent her high school and university years in the UK, following her childhood dream of becoming a fashion designer, which she had dreamed of since she was five years old.Her inspiration for creating skincare products came long before the launch of self-portrait, when she lent a friend a skin toner lotion she had used as a student.

“She had sensitive skin and the skin toner l lent her didn’t work well with her skin. It caused her skin to become problematic and irritated. The experience was so shocking that it inspired me to create skincare products that are gentle and safe for all skin types.”

It was Vegan, which she arrived in the pursuit of gentle skincare. Vegan refers to things that does not contain ingredients of animal origin or exploited by animals. “Growing up in the UK, veganism was familiar to me, but I didn’t really adopt it until I was in my late twenties. I started avoiding dairy products because they didn’t fit my body, and that’s when I switched to a vegan diet. When I tried it for myself, I realised that veganism was safer and gentler on my skin,” she says.

In March 2019, she founded her own company, PORTFOLIOS, and launched her own vegan cosmetics brand, UNNATURALLY NATURAL, which combines effective “un-natural” ingredients with “natural” formulations that are vegan, cruelty-free, ethanol-free, gluten-free and sulfate-free.

“It’s not always true: all of the natural ingredients are good for your skin, and not all non-natural ingredients are bad for your skin. My priority is to provide high performance skincare with ingredients that are effective and directly benefit the health of the skin.

A selection of ingredients from around the world are used in the products. Some of the more rare ingredients include kiwi seed oil, which is rich in nutrients such as vitamin C, and pumpkin fermented extract, which breaks down dead skin cells and reduces the appearance of pores. As for fragrances, “the alcohol used in the extraction process is strictly controlled, including carry-over values. The combination of fragrances themselves is also strictly controlled in accordance with our list of non-use ingredients and clean philosophy”.

It currently offers three products, a toner, a serum and a moisturiser, but also planning to expand product range to include part care.

Vegan is not something special.

According to a survey by Grand View Research, the global vegan cosmetics market will grow to $14.4 billion in 2019 and $20.8 billion in 2025, accounting for 30% of the total.

As proof of “UNNATURALLY NATURAL” is a vegan product, the certification marks of the British Vegan Society “Vegan Society” and the American animal protection group “PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)” are shown on the package. It is not uncommon in areas where vegan cosmetics are already known well, such as Europe, the United States and South Korea, but they are rarely seen in Japan. That means the market is still in the growth stage.

For this reason, when the brand was first launched, some people said, and wonder whether the vegan market would really grow in Japan.

“In Japan, the term vegan is not very familiar, and some people find it difficult to understand, or have a negative or a strict image of the word itself. For this reason, many people feel that they cannot be called vegan unless they practice it thoroughly. However, in recent years, vegan awareness and activities have become a little more flexible, and more and more people are starting close to home. In other countries, people have the flexibility to choose to be vegan for a set period of time, or just for one meal today, and I think it’s good to start in any way you can.”

For example, Meat Free Monday is a coined word that “stops eating animal food only on Mondays”. Veganuary is a word coined from the combination of vegan and the month of January, and refers to the idea of living a vegan lifestyle for the month of January. In addition to vegans who do not consume any animal origin, various choices are depending on the person, such as pescatarians who eat seafood.

“If you write “vegan brand”, it may seem that only vegans should use it. That’s why we call our brand ‘UNNATURALLY NATURAL’ is ‘vegan-friendly’. I think it makes it easier for more people to use the products, and I want everyone to be able to pick them up.”

Environment, animal welfare, social issues… Who should care about these issues?

Ai also says: “It’s great and surely happy that people buy our products because they are environmentally friendly or vegan. But it would be even better if the products you pick up and  buy for their cute packaging, which are actually vegan, sustainable, and other environmental factors without realizing it. I hope that vegan and sustainable premise will become the standard in the cosmetics industry.”

She believes that consumers should be able to choose products without having to think about environmental and social issues in the first place.
“That’s a goal that manufacturers should achieve, and consumers should simply choose a product based on whether they like it or not, or whether it’s good or not. Ideally, every product on the shelf should be a product that has been taken into consideration.”

“UNNATURALLY NATURAL” products are not only vegan, but also environmentally friendly in many ways. The bright pink plastic bottle were also chosen for their sustainability credentials. “Some brands use glass bottles for environmental reasons, but as we are taking our brand global, we opted for plastic for our international shipments. Plastic is lighter, has a low burden of carbon dioxide emissions and is less likely to break in transit. I don’t think there’s one correct answer when it comes to bottles,” she says. The company also has a multifaceted approach to social issues, donating a portion of its sales to organizations that support women and children, such as Make A Wish and UN Women.

This way of thinking and attitude comes naturally to Ai, she says. ” I’ve always wanted to do something that contributes to society. In the UK, there are companies with clean values like ‘Lush’ and ‘The Body Shop.’ I think I’ve been influenced by that environment.”

A “brand” that creates a sympathetic audience for the story.

Cosmetics with clean ingredients like “UNNATURALLY NATURAL” have been categorized as “clean beauty” and have been attracting attention mainly in Europe and the United States for the past few years. The market is expanding overseas, and “UNNATURALLY NATURAL” aims to be sold in the United States.

“I was often asked by many people why I didn’t launch my brand in Europe and the United States, where the market is already established. But I believe there is a market for vegan and clean beauty products in Asia,” says Ai. She already has customers in Thailand and Singapore, and often ships overseas.

Of course there are people in Japan who are looking it, but the real vegan market and vegan advocates in Japan are five or ten years away. “We want to grow to the point where we can import back from the US,” she says, “when today’s junior and senior high school students grow up. Today’s younger generation is exposed to global information through social media, so they are very flat-minded and flexible, and they don’t have a lot of prejudice against veganism. Many of them have their own opinions and see the brand at its core. We want to be the brand of choice for those generations and people.

Indie brands are appearing one after another overseas, ,and the clean beauty market in particular is growing rapidly. A good example is  “Drunk Elephant” which was acquired by Shiseido. On the other hand, the products from Japan sold in foreign countries are the brands of major manufacturers. When asked what the difference lies, she replies is that it is still core of the brand.

“In my opinion, in Japan, a ‘brand’ means something that gives you or leads to a sense of trust, so most likely the major manufacturer is a brand. In other countries, a brand is about creating a product that tells a story, not just a concept for each season, but a story about what you want to be in the long term.”

Different perceptions of a brand lead to different expressions. Major manufacturers tend to make strong appeals about effectiveness, which makes it difficult to understand the overall concept of the brand.In recent years, a number of D2C brands have emerged in Japan, and more and more of them have adopted a way of presenting brand stories. We may see more Japanese brands competing on a global scale in the future.

For “UNNATURALLY NATURAL”, the brand story is not just about being skin-friendly and vegan. ” I wanted to create a brand that was natural, yet approachable”, so it was important to me not only to have a formula and ingredients, but also a pop and cute design. If you’re not happy with the product, including its appearance and price range, you won’t choose it. To be sustainable, it’s important to be able to continue and appreciate the product, otherwise it won’t continue.” The brand’s greatest strength is that it is kind to the skin, to society, and to the people who use it and their feelings!

Ai  Gemma Hirano
Studied in England at the age of 15. She studied fashion design at Central Saint Martins and launched the fashion brand “self-portrait” in 2013 with Han Chong, whom she met while studying abroad. After returning to Japan, she established her own company PORTFOLIOS, in March 2019. And in 2020, she will start a vegan cosmetic brand “UNNATURALLY NATURAL”.
https://unnaturally-natural.com

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2020 was a year when the SDGs were more widely recognized. Furthermore, this year it seems like more sustainable ideas will develop. The makeup industry is no exception, and Rie Shiraishi, a hair and makeup artist active in many fashion magazines, is also influenced.

“We are in a situation where we have to be aware of climate change such as global warming without even thinking about it. I can’t change everything suddenly, but I became conscious about choosing cosmetics because I wanted to start with what I could do” said Shiraishi.

Considering the impact of the cosmetics industry on the environment, major cosmetics companies are developing new packages and prescriptions one after another. Recently, not only the environment, but also human rights and animal welfare are taken into consideration has become a point that consumers pay attention to.

Sustainable cosmetics: Exciting to look, Fun to use

It’s been about a year since hair makeup artist Shiraishi began to be aware of sustainability.

“Some people have begun to choose vegan food, and the presence of vegan leather has become commonplace in fashion. Over the past year, the media has begun to come up with plans for sustainability and SDGs. I think the shooting scene has changed too.”

Even more influential were the friends around her. “By communicating with those activists who send out the idea of ​​feminism, those who move to rural areas and live only with what they need, and the spirituality of what they are thinking and how they are acting now. It was an opportunity for me to think about what I can do as a member of society. “

She naturally began to choose sustainable cosmetics as well. The items to be selected are functional as cosmetics such as usability and good coloring, but also the concept of the brand, the method of procuring raw materials, and the environmentally friendly packaging are important factors. She introduces to us her 6 favorite sustainable cosmetics.

6 favorite sustainable cosmetics

Lips and Bronzer by “La Bouche Rouge”

The “La Bouche Rouge” lipstick inspired her to choose cosmetics from a sustainable perspective. The luxurious leather case is refillable and can be reused. “I was impressed by the high quality of the case made of vegetable tanning leather, which should be scrapped, and the color of the lipstick itself. Also, since I am a ‘lip freak,’ I eat more lips and get inside my body. I’m worried about bringing in ingredients, so microplastic-free was a fascinating point. “

Bronzer in a heavy vegan case, she chooses the brightest color. “Smooth, stretchy and easy to use. You can make a firm impression by putting it around your face quickly.”

Abeille Royale Lotion Fortifiante by “Guerlain”

Bees carry pollen and pollinate fruits, vegetables, nuts, and even cotton. However, the number is decreasing year by year, and it is only a matter of time before it directly impacts people’s lives. “Guerlain” collects royal jelly from such bees, but pays attention to the method of collection.

“‘Guerlain’ is working to protect the rare black bees that produce the ‘Ushant Honey’ used in this ‘Abeille Royale.’ Besides, in partnership with UNESCO, they are training and supporting beekeepers around the world. The goal is to revive 1 billion bees in the next 10 years. It’s wonderful to give back as much as you receive. The items lead to moist and firm skin.”

Cleansing water and Hand cream by “Officine Universelle Buly”

“A brand with a stance that sustainable and environmentally friendly products are the norm. I’ve always had sustainable items, but I like items that combine creativity and give you a sense of excitement.” The “Officine Universelle Buly” items are pleasing as they come in a heavy jar and the timeless design label.

Cleansing water is used as a wiping lotion at the beginning of skincare at night. “It has a refreshing texture, makes moisturized skin.” Furthermore, if you mix the plant-derived hyaluronic acid powder with cleansing water and leave it overnight, the texture will transform into a gel-like lotion. The powder is an ideal item that can be used as a gommage or mask by mixing it with oil.

Also, my favorite at home is a hand cream containing shea butter and beeswax. She wants to select ingredients that do not adversely affect the human body when applied to the hands that touch various parts of her body. “As a hair and makeup artist, I often wash my hands and apply antiseptic solution, which tends to dry my hands. The cream with a nice texture is perfect for morning and evening care.”

Moisturizing oil by “BAUM”

An item that uses a mixture of two layers, an oil layer and an essence layer. It is free of parabens, silicones and synthetic colorants and has a natural index of 99.3%. “Only this one will lead to fresh skin. In addition to the feeling of use, the sophisticated design and the circulation type manufacturing are consistent and wonderful.”

“BAUM” is thoroughly environmentally friendly. Returning part of its sales to forest conservation activities, it is also used for conservation activities such as growing and planting oak tree saplings at the stores used in the crate of packages. Some plastic containers are used by Bio-PET (containing plant-derived PET) and glass bottles are recycled. In collaboration with “Karimoku Furniture,” the scraps produced in the furniture manufacturing process are reused. “I was impressed by the unusual approach of upcycling with other industries.”

Rie Shiraishi
Hair & Makeup artist. After studying architectural design, she got interested in the beauty industry and started her current career in 2011. She works on hair and makeup for domestic and international magazines, campaigns and advertisements.
Instagram:@rieshiraishi1220

Photography Kazuo Yoshida
Translation Elie Inoue

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The beauty brand “La Bouche Rouge” was started by L’Oréal veteran Nicolas Gerlier in 2017. Launched in Japan in 2019. Initially, only lips were available, but in December 2020, make-up items were released in Japan as well.

The biggest feature of the brand is sustainable manufacturing. Lips are free of commonly used microplastics, preservatives, parabens, paraffin and animal fats. The case is not made of plastic, and the lip body is refilled in a leather case, which also uses scraps from the production process of luxury bags. Such an attitude toward manufacturing has gained a lot of support in Japan.

New items were released in December 2020; Lip Care Set (9300 yen), Le Khôl Noir Eyeliner (3600 yen), Le Sérum Noir Mascara (5100 yen), Mascara Leather Case (6300 yen), La Terre Natural Bronzer (3700 yen), La Lumière Natural Highlighter (3700 yen), The Universal Compact (8400 yen). It’s also planned to be available eye shadows in the future, further expanding their lineup. In the beauty industry as well, with “sustainable” becoming the keyword, we conducted an email interview with the founder Nicholas.

Commitment to craftsmanship is common to both Japan and France.

—— While there is an increasing number of cosmetic brands conscious of sustainability, what are La Bouche Rouge’s unique strengths?

 Nicolas：French beauty has historically been appreciated for its know-how, and today, it drives 70% of the beauty industry worldwide. In addition to being rooted in this French expertise and craftsmanship, “La Bouche Rouge” is the first brand that has decided to avoid the use of plastic from beginning to end. This is all part of our focus on Blue Beauty – not just integrating clean formulas but also clean, refillable packaging. Creating beauty that is good for you and the planet. 

—— “La Bouche Rouge” launched in Japan in November 2019. How is it doing in terms of performance?

Nicolas：Though we cannot communicate on our figures, we can confirm that we are already in discussions to expand our corner in Isetan and negotiations to open new doors soon.

——What do you think the characteristics of the Japanese consumer?　Do you feel there are any differences between Japan and France?

Nicolas：We have more in common than we have different. One key, the shared element, focuses on craftsmanship; both in France and Japan, we have a passion for heritage and know-how and focus on using it to create the future. Japanese consumers are passionate about craftsmanship; they love the soul and meaning behind the object. Japanese design is based on the culture of precision. As such, Japanese clients love our simple minimalist aesthetic. As a brand, we love the idea of making continuous improvements, which is completely aligned with the “kaizen” tradition. The only items in our collection that do not come from France are our brushes, made in Japan.

—— So far, you have only sold lip products in Japan, then now it’s launched a lip care set, eyeliner, mascara, highlighter and bronzer. Apart from being microplastic free, what are the other features of the products?

Nicolas：We are introducing the very first 100% recyclable, glass bottle mascara. In addition to being beautiful and sustainable, its formula is comprised of 99% natural origin ingredients. 

All our natural powders and shadows – La Terre, La Lumière and Les Ombres – come in a single, refillable compact case, Le Poudrier. Infinitely refillable, plastic-free and composed of a 100% recyclable metal alloy, its production releases few carbon emissions.

Our natural powders are crafted with skincare-infused formulas containing up to 95% natural origin ingredients, without talc. They are enriched with hyaluronic acid for long-term hydration, rice powder, and mica, sourced from the Responsible Mica Initiative.

Each of our lip pencils is made of cedarwood and has an infinitely recyclable metal cap. Their 88% to 99% natural formulas, made with castor oil, squalene, Vitamin E and Bisabolol, glide on your lips and allow for precision and ease in application.

Soon we will also be launching our eyebrow line with a green caviar-serum eyebrow gel. A fantastic routine, including the eyebrow gel, eyebrow pencil and eyebrow brush, at the level of the statement of the brand.

—— You are also very particular about the case; what are the main points of strength?

Nicolas：Our lipstick cases are infinitely refillable and can be used with all our lipstick and lip balm refills. We draw on traditional French craftsmanship to make each of these fine leather cases by hand, using the final remaining meters of leather produced by the prestigious Tanneries du Puy in France. In doing so, we can eliminate waste while creating a beautiful object that endures. 

——Do you think that the new Corona has changed the way people think about make-up?　If so, how do you think it has changed?

Nicolas：Corona is shaping the 21st century and allowing us to become increasingly aware of how small the planet is and how interconnected we all are. Something that occurs 5000 km away now can impact you directly, soon after. This makes it evident that we cannot consume, produce and travel as we did before. The beauty industry is a predominant contributor to plastic pollution. Because beauty has become an integral part of people’s daily rituals worldwide, the resulting impact is tremendous. But we now know that, together, with a single daily shift inhabits, we can be a force for change and help reduce plastic pollution. Corona has provided us with a better understanding of our interconnectivity. The world has become a village. We must work together as a community, for if we don’t respect nature, nature will aggress in an attempt to restore itself.

——In the end, can you share with us about upcoming products? 

Nicolas：My skin has never been smoother than it was in 2020, and I hope to share some good news regarding this in 2021.

Translation Elie Inoue

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The post The founder of the sustainable beauty brand “La Bouche Rouge” talks about what in common between Japan and France? appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

“The Fashion Pact” have been working together to a common core of key environmental goals in three areas: stopping global warming, restoring biodiversity and protecting the oceans. One year later, on October 12, 2020, an update was delivered and discussed the Pact’s one-year progress during Copenhagen Fashion Summit held through the online platform led by Paul Polman, Co-founder of Imagine and Co-Chair of “The Fashion Pact” Steering Committee with executives from PVH Corp., Chanel and Gap Inc. Currently, it unites CEOs of 60+ global leading companies from the fashion and textile industry, about 250 brands, accounting for one-third of the world’s fashion industry. Major global companies such as Kering Group, “Chanel”, “Hermes”, H&M Group, “Nike” and “Burberry” signed up, but there is no Japanese company name.

It can be said that this first year’s report made a little clearer about what will change if you participate in “The Fashion Pact” as Bjørn Gulden, chairman and ceo of Puma, noted in the report. “The Fashion Charter on Climate Action and Science Based Targets are the most important frameworks we have for a meaningful reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. By building upon these initiatives, The Fashion Pact takes the collaborative spirit further, and ensures credible impact and action.”

The morale of the industry has risen, and that is actually reflected in the numbers. Since the inauguration of “The Fashion Pact”, greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 350,000 to 450,000 tons. 40 to 45 percent of all energy consumed by members comes from renewable energy sources (in stores, factories, offices and other owned facilities). It is estimated that it will increase to 50% by 2025, aiming for 100% by 2030. In addition, 70 percent of signatories reported reducing unnecessary and harmful plastic packaging. Supply chain improvements have been seen to reduce the carbon footprint by prioritizing transport methods that are more environmentally friendly. 

Many brands have begun to change the use of sustainable raw materials. “Prada” started the Re-Nylon project to convert virgin nylon to recyclable nylon ECONYL® fiber. ECONYL® is made by purifying and reusing plastic waste, fishing nets and textile waste collected from the sea. Through the depolymerization and repolymerization process, ECONYL® fiber can be recycled indefinitely without compromising quality. The use of 10,000 tonnes of ECONYL® fiber has saved about 11.2 million liters of oil and significantly reduced CO2 emissions to 65,100 tonnes. The sales of the Re-Nylon capsule collection will be donated to projects related to environmental sustainability.

“Stella McCartney” has maintained the brand spirit of cruelty-free since its establishment in 2001. Two new materials have been adopted for the Fall / Winter 2020 collection. One is KOBA, a bio-fur-free material. Since 37 percent of the material is derived from plants, it has succeeded in reducing energy consumption by up to 30 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 65 percent compared to conventional synthetic fibers. The raw material contains recycled polyester, which can be recycled without disposal after a long life. The other is COREVA, the first stretch denim fabric ever made from 100 percent plant fiber. Made by wrapping organic cotton around a natural rubber core, the biodegradable stretch denim retains its stretch, despite the fact that no plastic or microplastic is used in the fabric.

Not only products and packages, but also fashion show sets are being recycled. “Chanel”, which overwhelms the viewer with a luxurious set, explained their sets such as rockets, cruise ships, Eiffel Tower in the last few seasons are made of recycled materials, and the entire set can be recycled or reused after the show. They also launched “CHANEL Mission 1.5°” based on the Paris Agreement’s goal was adopted in 2015 as an international framework for climate change: pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Specifically, they set up a gold of reducing emissions per item sold by 66 percent, or reducing emissions per item sold in the supply chain by 40 percent compared to 2018, plus reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 50 percent. “Chanel” invests 25 million euro over the next five years in a project to support small farms and entrepreneurs most vulnerable to global warming, as well as new raw material and packaging development, technology, start-ups, and scientific research on climate change to build a risk-tolerant raw material supply chain.

Among the three areas of “The Fashion Pact”, restoring biodiversity is a relatively recent issue. In the report, only 30 percent of the members noted that they “have mapped their supply chains.” For example, plans to convert destructive raw materials (such as cellulose, which causes a loss of about 15 billion yen) into other environmentally friendly resources, protection of endangered species and the fight against deforestation. “transparency is the key” said Manny Chirico, PVH Chairman and CEO. “This is not just public relations. The industry continues to grow, but ‘The Fashion Pact’ shows that it’s time to change the system, not the time to lose. Because there is no alternative on Earth.”

“The Fashion Pact” will continue to work with external advisors and act on measures to improve the fashion industry. A private digital dashboard for its primary metrics is in development. The end was closed by Paul Polman, Co-Chair of the Fashion Pact Steering Committee. “‘The Fashion Pact’ proves that courageous ceos, acting as one to transform entire industries, can deliver us into a future of harmonious coexistence between nature and business. To those not already on board: All you have to do is join us.”

While great results have been seen in the year, it also shows us these are just the starting points for the ultimate goal. Another concern the updated pact raises is that the top countries exporting fashion are measured by the value, not volume, of exports. European countries occupy the top position in terms of export value, but it follows by Bangladesh, and China in terms of export volume. In short, the relative environmental impact of production in Bangladesh and China could be much higher than Europe. Garment workers in Asian countries have high poverty rates and are exposed to the harmful work environment of wastewater and climate disasters. As “The Fashion Pact” addresses global issues, it seems necessary to focus on efforts in Asia, the biggest problem area.

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