It's story time, dear readers! As you may have concluded from the side bar, Miriam and I used to live in Japan for a couple years. Living in Japan was a fashion-lover's fantasy and one of my fashion fantasies was fulfilled during my time there -- I was a fashion model! I was recruited by one of my stylish Japanese friends to be a makeup and fashion model for some up and coming stylists in Hiroshima city, Tomoco Kishita and Emi Hamada. They came up with the theme, Africa x Japan. They illustrated the theme very cleverly with a mixture of prints, a traditional Japanese obi bow, African colors and some demure yet funky accessories (those gloves!!) The makeup application was my favorite part of the process. Tomoco expertly applied the fiercest faux lashes I've ever seen and we gossiped about boys, fashion and Western celebrities (They were very fascinated by the fall of Lindsay Lohan).
It was a chilly, rainy March morning when the shoot began and the whole process took all day. I was absolutely exhausted by the end, but Tomoco and Emi made the experience very fun by cheering me on the sidelines while many onlookers gawked -- the shoot was in the middle of a beautiful restaurant. I was very nervous in the beginning being that I had absolutely no experience but when the photographer began calling me "Moderu-san" (モデルさん = Miss Model), I was able to get into character and work that lens!! The next day at work, I told my junior-high students about the experience and they were absolutely underwhelmed. But then again, how do you get junior-high students excited unless there is a mention of a boy band (Arashi = One Direction)?!
Here is a behind the scenes picture with Tomoco, me and Emi!
