Hairstyles, rice, shampoo… Matsuura is currently creating and producing a variety of things. At the same time, she is also focusing on and promoting domestic Japanese products, from music to traditional performing arts. The key to production, inheritance, and regeneration common to all of these is detoxification. This is not only relevant to fashion but is essential for everything today, and can be said to be the very spirit of the times.

Q. The hair transformations of the models you discussed last time were phenomena unprecedented in the traditional modeling industry, weren't they?

We're no longer in an era where people just copy something because it worked for someone else. Of course, TAO's hairstyle might remind one of styles from the 60s or 80s, but TAO's presence with her short cut garnered global attention, and foreign models began cutting their hair one after another. It seems runways are now filled with short-haired models… There's a certain momentum to models who make such decisions. And since models are subjects and media directly connected to society, it's no exaggeration to say that their beginning to detox seems to reflect the world's desire to detox through the fashion industry.

I believe we're entering an era where even something like growing rice to nourish our bodies is seen as groundbreaking. Politics has also changed. Last year, "change" was the keyword, and things have been evolving since then. But aren't there still issues that need to be addressed? I feel that when I look at hairstyles. Changing "something." Whether it's hair color, perms, or bangs, there are many methods, but if the goal is "detoxification," then a short cut is the way. It's about giving form to the feeling of "I can't go on like this" and starting something new from there, returning to the origin… Our "amateur farming" feels similar.

Yes. If the goal is detoxification, then short. Those who chose medium length probably didn't want to change much this year. Cutting one's hair short, I believe, is about taking scissors to oneself to address things one wants to quit but can't, or aspects of oneself one wants to cut away but struggles to. It's like cutting the umbilical cord. Conversely, those who "don't want to cut" might still be in the process of building something? Perhaps they feel things are going well right now and want to maintain this momentum… Those who feel a slight urge to change might just cut their bangs or opt for a medium length. That's how I see it.

Among those who cut their hair short, not a single one seemed hesitant. Some came seeking a change, but I believe they too have undergone some transformation. Everyone looks refreshed afterward. It seems they've truly "detoxed" (laughs). Some are thriving in their careers, while others have re-evaluated their place in the world after the change. But I can definitely sense that it's a form of self-expression and a look towards their future.

Photo: Mugen Geika, Model: SACHI

Q. Have your own perceptions of fashion and trends changed with the times, Matsuura-san?

I always read fashion through hair. Fashion, I believe, is about momentary passion. Without passion, an era cannot continue, and without passion, a new era will not arrive. I see fashion as leading to passion, and passion as the source that creates a new era. Until a few years ago, I myself felt things like, "Fashion is trivial," "There's nothing I truly want to buy," or "I won't buy clothes because the economy seems to be heading for a downturn." But I realized that this attitude only worsens the times. It's precisely when the economy truly falters or when fashion feels stagnant that one should search for "truly good things." The "authentic"!
And I believe we must invest our money there. Furthermore, creators must also re-examine "truth" and create from that perspective. Interpreting "giving birth = detoxification," I spent three years on the creation of my "shampoo." And this September, three years after "conception," I "gave birth." If each individual genuinely considers and tackles this, new media will undoubtedly emerge, and new movements will become visible. New fashion movements will surely come into view.

Another area I'm focusing on is increasing domestic self-sufficiency. For the past few years, I've been paying attention to works by Japanese designers, music, and traditions… Japanese culture and creations deserve greater recognition abroad. We should all be thinking of ideas to achieve this.

Q. The keyword "detox" seems to be connected to everything, doesn't it?

Perhaps so. We are now in an era where we are starting something new after detoxification. In terms of rice cultivation, it's about re-examining the soil to rebuild the paddy. For hair, rather than the design of the hair that's currently growing, what's important is the hair that will grow in the future. To complete the final design, it's essential to first nurture the hair that will grow. It's the same with food. If agriculture is pursued merely as a style, without considering nutritional value and using pesticides, eating the produce won't contribute to building our bodies. Instead of thinking, "As long as agriculture develops," producing good food means building ourselves, leaving descendants, and carrying forward the culture that this small nation of Japan has sustained into the future. — Of course, I don't maintain such a heavy mindset in my daily life, but I aspire to cut hair with that perspective in mind. For me, rice cultivation is about building our bodies. And building our bodies means nurturing every part of it. We must pay attention to our hair, the very ends, to create beautiful hairstyles, and without the completion of those hairstyles, individuality cannot emerge.