SPECIAL Report | Chase Michiko Fujiwara!

SPECIAL Report
Chasing Michiko Fujiwara!

Does a fulfilling work life enrich your private life, or does a fulfilling private life enable you to do better work?
We followed her for 24 hours to uncover the secret!

Text and photos byMichiko FujiwaraSummary by Makoto Kajii (This magazine)

Relaxation and focus, a cycle that creates a comfortable rhythm.

Ever since I established my own agency, La Donna, I've been running at full speed, lost in the moment. Looking back, there was no room to spare, but recently, I've finally started to feel a sense of ease. As a result, my approach to work and how I spend my private time have become clearer, and truly, every day is enjoyable and fulfilling. The stretching I started doing on my own began to show results about two to three years ago, and now, listening to my body, stretching is an indispensable daily routine. So, here's my day on a certain day in June, starting at 5:50 AM! (Says Michiko Fujiwara)

5:50 AM Alf, skincare, and breakfast

Good morning. My day begins with taking care of Alf, along with skincare and breakfast. My daily routine includes skincare while performing facial muscle massage.

5:50 AM Alf, skincare, and breakfast

For breakfast, I have a mountain of fruit and a powdered supplement called "Pure Synergy," made from organic ingredients, mixed with alkaline ionized water. For some reason, ever since I started taking this supplement, I've been waking up precisely at 5:36 AM every morning.

6:30 AM Desk work

I do desk work, such as writing manuscripts and proofreading, before heading out for work. It's best when my brain is still fresh in the morning, and I can concentrate better when time is limited. During this desk work time (though not shown in the photo), I apply a "castor oil compress" (which I'll introduce next time!) to my abdomen and back, which works on the internal organs and immune system. It even helps with hangovers!

8:00 AM Stretching

Stretching has been a habit for about 8 years. My body was very stiff to begin with, and as someone who twists and bends for a living in makeup, correcting bodily distortions and stiffness through stretching is essential. If I skip it for three days, I start to feel unwell. But perhaps the biggest reason I've kept it up is that it makes me feel so much lighter and more refreshed.

10:00 AM Arriving at the studio and second breakfast

My work equipment weighs about 50kg, so I always travel by car. Many film crews start their shoots at 10 AM, so the parking lot is often crowded at this time. By the way, the first thing I do when I get to the studio is eat the sandwich or onigiri prepared by the editor. I guess because I wake up so early, I get quite hungry by the time I arrive at the studio~

10:20 AM Choosing cosmetics

Today's shoot is for a beauty page in a magazine. After discussing the concept and deciding on the model's outfit, I select the cosmetics that will match the storyboard, hair and makeup concept, and the techniques I'll be demonstrating. It requires intense concentration to instantly pick the right ones from the vast array of cosmetics gathered from various companies, so I'm quite serious about it.

10:30 AM Makeup begins!

On this day, while creating the makeup, I was also photographing the process and explaining the techniques to the beauty writer. It requires the full use of both the right and left brain, so it's concentration, concentration all the way.

11:20 AM During the shoot

During the shoot, I always stand next to the photographer, checking to make sure the hair and makeup are flawless. But the moment I see the model's beautiful expression, perfectly matching the hair and makeup concept, is when I feel the happiest. Being able to see my imagined 'beauty' take concrete form after a few tens of minutes, and experiencing the thrill of that 'Wow, beautiful!' moment – that's the true reward of this job.

4:00 PM Magazine check

After the shoot, I return to the office and check magazines. Magazines arrive from the publishers where each of the 9 staff members at La Donna has worked, so the bookshelves are always full. I recently moved (from the 2nd to the 3rd floor of the same apartment building), so they are neatly organized right now, but this state might not last long~

4:30 PM Cosmetics check

I check each cosmetic product that arrives daily from various companies. I actually apply lipstick and nail polish, and test eyeshadow and blush on the back of my hand. Sometimes, my lips or the skin on my hands become sore from trying too many.

5:00 PM Meeting

Magazine meeting and interview. I answer interview questions so smoothly, as if I'm reading from a script, which they appreciate, saying, 'We can use this as is for the article!' I'm not sure why myself. Normally, I struggle to recall things, saying, 'Um, what was that again?', so they tell me the gap between my work persona and my usual self is huge. Perhaps it's because I use up all my brainpower for work!?

6:30 PM Dinner party

Today, we're celebrating the 5th anniversary of a magazine series I'm involved with. My style on set is always casual pants, so when I have evening plans, I bring a change of clothes in the car in the morning. Today, I changed into a jacket and skirt. By the way, the orange top and heels are from my brand, 'MICHIKO FUJIWARA,' sold in the mail-order magazine 'RUNA' (World).

9:00 PM Returning home

Since I got home later than usual, Alf jumped on me with a barrage of licks. He's big, but he's still at an age where he wants affection~ Sorry, sorry, I'll be home earlier tomorrow!

10:30 PM Going to bed

I quickly finish my bath and skincare routine and go to bed. I keep books I want to read by my bedside, but I tend to fall asleep as soon as I get into bed, so the pages hardly ever turn. That's my struggle. Well, I worked hard today. Good night~, *zzzz*.