A Shared Connection: "London"

Miho Matsuura, who heads the hair salon "Twiggy," not only presents cutting-edge fashion across various media but also proposes a "balance of mode and organics" through initiatives like rice cultivation on her salon's rooftop and the development of original organic products. Meanwhile, Rie Omoto, Makeup Creative Director for "THREE," a cosmetics brand that has gained popularity by establishing a distinct mode sensibility while using natural ingredients. What are these two influential figures, with their fresh perspectives, thinking now?

──This is your first time having a proper conversation, isn't it? It seems you both have a past in London.

MatsuuraIs that so! I always thought you lived in New York. When were you in London?

RieAround 1990.

MatsuuraThen perhaps our times there overlapped slightly. I was there from '87 to '89. I lived in Camden, where did you live?

RieQueen's Park. I used to go to Camden every week.



MatsuuraWhat!? 140,000 yen (laughs)!?

RieThat's right (laughs). Instead of saving millions and going to school, I just decided to go. But it was incredibly fun, and I received so much inspiration.

MatsuuraI understand. I also decided to go to London on impulse. The period when we went was after London's peak power had significantly declined, to the point where no Japanese journalists were even attending London Fashion Week. Meanwhile, Japan was at the height of its bubble economy. So, from a Japanese perspective, wearing vintage clothes in London was seen as "What's the point now?" They'd look at me like, "Miho-chan, your clothes have holes in them" (laughs).



MatsuuraTiming is crucial, isn't it? Before going to London, I was the manager of a salon called "Roppongi Biyoshitsu," but I started to feel that Tokyo was becoming an uncomfortable place for me. So I decided to leave. However, there was a significant difference between the cozy London I felt during my travels and the dark reality of living there. I always had to be mindful of what I wanted. Taxes were high, and in that sense, it was a city that wasn't very welcoming to foreigners. When I did hair and makeup on the streets, the police would sometimes give me trouble (laughs). Mounted police would approach and ask, "What are you doing?" and I'd evade them by saying, "I'm just doing makeup for a friend" (laughs).

RieWere you working in London?

MatsuuraI did some work on the sly. There was an agency called "Streeters," and I was provisionally affiliated with them, working on test shoots in a supporting role. I also did hair and makeup for musicians visiting from Japan.

RieThat's amazing.

MatsuuraAt that time, I felt like thanking my destiny. My bank balance was only 980 yen, and I thought, "Rent is impossible!" There were times like that. But then I'd get lucky with jobs, or I'd cut hair at street markets.

“After Twenty, Age is Just a Number”

──Were you in London for about two years?

MatsuuraYes, because I got pregnant. My finances would hit rock bottom, then a big job would come in – it was a roller coaster of a life. Then one day, I realized I was pregnant. I think going to London had meaning just for that. My son is 21 now, and he's going to London soon.

RieReally! I knew it. I might not be where I am today if I hadn't gone.

MatsuuraDefinitely not (laughs). Getting pregnant meant I had to explain my condition to the doctor, which was also good for my English studies. I thought pillow talk would be the best way to learn English, but my husband was Japanese (laughs). I had to explain my symptoms seriously to the doctor, so I desperately spoke English.

──Rie, how many years did you stay in London?



MatsuuraAbout 10,000 yen?

RieYes, so about 40,000 yen a month (laughs). But even without money, it wasn't a hardship at all. I could manage my life, and there were many fun things happening. I never once thought about returning to Japan.

──Your qualities and London must have been a good match.

MatsuuraThe people I met and the work were incredibly significant. For me, London was where I went to give birth. My son is 21 now, and he's going to London.

RieOh, really! I knew it. It all happened naturally.



MatsuuraBecause I was pregnant, my feet were naturally drawn to natural things. I had passed by the shop many times before, but during my pregnancy, I was instinctively drawn to the scents. That's how I met Nadia. She was a very warm person, an artist who sang and painted. Meeting me also drew her increasingly towards the East, and she eventually became an acupuncture practitioner.

──How did meeting Nadia change you, Matsuura?

MatsuuraOur lives changed dramatically, not in an exaggerated way, but truly transformed. At the time, I only understood about half of what was being said in English, but she would earnestly explain things like, "If you have morning sickness, this herb is good," or "If you plan to breastfeed, it's better to prepare this." She also often worked at a salad bar, so she'd bring salads home on her way back. She'd bring salads home with her on her way back.

──A life-changing encounter.

MatsuuraIt was. Fatefully, she is now married to a friend of my husband's. She's still in London. My daughter and her daughter are the same age. Both gave birth at 42 (laughs).

RieIs that so? That must be fate! Then perhaps your son and her daughter will meet... (laughs).

MatsuuraNo, no, there's a 14-year age difference (laughs).

RieYou never know (laughs). A 14-year gap is still fine. Age is just a number.

MatsuuraYes, exactly! I truly believe that. After twenty, age is just a bib number. But before twenty, it's a bit different (laughs). I was drawn to London for its culture, like rock and the sixties, but in terms of destiny, I was definitely drawn to London as a hub for herbs, and that has become the foundation of my life now. I often realize this during interviews or conversations: things I didn't think were a big deal at the time later reveal themselves as the starting point.

The Experience of Facing Others with Your Entire Self

──Rie, did you experience a similar turning point in London?

RieI met many good friends there. People I could talk to on a very deep level, like siblings. It was in England that I first learned to express my thoughts. Saying things like, "I think this," or "You're right about that," or "This is how things are now," or "This dish is like this." Then I wonder, what was I talking about when I was in Japan? (laughs). Come to think of it, I think I was someone who didn't really try to deepen communication.

──So, until you revealed your personal self, you weren't truly engaging with people?

RieYes. It might have been due to my family environment, or perhaps the way my friends interacted, but we didn't really have stimulating conversations. When I went to England, I discovered the joy of conversation, the pleasure of learning new things, and how truly educational it could be. I wasn't ashamed of not knowing or not understanding things, and even though my English wasn't perfect, I talked with all sorts of people.

MatsuuraYou know, I think that's a plus for us. The advantage of not understanding English 100% (laughs). In Japanese, if you say you like something, you might be pressed to explain why, but in English, it fits well to grasp things intuitively.



MatsuuraExactly. Still, I wonder if it's okay to praise British people so much (laughs). I really disliked London towards the end of my stay (laughs).

RieHaha (laughs). You disliked it (laughs).

MatsuuraI just thought, "I hate these people!" (laughs). They seemed mean. But what I liked was that, similar to Japanese people, they used few words. Many people preferred to summarize things in a single word rather than elaborate. So, I think it was easier to understand what was true.



Miho Matsuura | MATSUURA Miho
After serving as manager of "Roppongi Biyoshitsu" in the early 1980s, she moved to the UK in 1988. Upon returning to Japan, she opened the hair salon "Twiggy." In addition to salon work, she has worked as a hair stylist, expanding her activities to include advertising shoots, backstage at New York and London Collections, and hair show events. She is a pioneer in the fashion world who began focusing on organics. She is currently developing original products.

Rie OMOTO
Makeup Creative Director for THREE. After assisting Linda Cantello, she embarked on a full-fledged career as a makeup artist. As a team member for Tom Pecheux and Pat McGrath, she participated in numerous collections and handled makeup for fashion magazines and brand advertising campaigns. Active at the forefront of the fashion world, she was recognized in 2005 as one of the top makeup artists by the American magazine "WWD." Resides in New York.

THREE
0120-898-003
www.threecosmetics.com




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