Kiko Mizuhara Talks About Her Career As An Actress And Model

So you walked up the steps of Palais des Festivals in Cannes earlier this year...

Yes, I walked the red carpet for a fashion house. It’s always a little tricky, I think, to attend a film festival when you’re not in any. But you have to take advantage of the moment. It’s an incredibly remarkable experience and I loved the dress I wore. Cannes is a very special place. I wish I could come back one day and have one of my films screened there.

Let’s go back in time; what is your first memory as an actress?

I was 17 years old when they asked me to audition for Norwegian Wood, the film adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s novel. The director, Tran Anh hung, had already auditioned several experienced actresses before me but he couldn’t decide. I wasn’t very good at the audition but tran Anh liked my personality. To him, it was close to that of Midori’s character. It was unexpected and I was afraid to take on the role but I ended up having fun playing her.

And at the time, you had already worked for several years as a model...

My career began at the age of 13 when I signed an exclusive contract with Seventeen. For a long time, my mother played the role of an impresario; I was not part of any agency. And then, at 17, I chose to leave Kobe, the city where I grew up in. It gave me the feeling of starting a new life.

You are 28 now, where are you with fashion?

I am a vintage girl. I always used to wear the clothes that my mother wore — old Kenzo, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano et cetera. However, that does not stop me from being anchored in the present. I support the work of my designer friends including Unif. And I always look closely at what’s happening especially during London Fashion Week. London’s fashion scene is and has always been interesting; the creators always imagine unique, surprising things.

What are your next projects?

I’ll be in two feature films that will come out soon: a Japanese and a Malaysian film production. I am also in the running for some international productions.  Nothing is set in stone yet but I hope they will come to fruition. Right now I’m devoted to office Kiko — an agency that I founded two years ago — and I’m working on a project called OK.

What’s that?

OK is not a business. I experiment with things, I collaborate with my friends or brands that I like, and I organise parties. For example, last December I created a Christmas tree for a famous mall in Japan. I want OK to be a formal and informal space for young, creative people.  Not only kids but for those who are looking for a place to express themselves.

Full story in the Accessories booklet of the September 2019 issue of L'Officiel Singapore.