No More Bad Hair Days: An Interview With Fleuri, Tokyo's Favorite Salon
There are hair salons…and then there’s Fleuri.
Fleuri is salon and a subcultural community spot in itself, with a loyal network of friends and clients.
Fleuri is beyond a place to get a dye job or trim. Starting out as a small salon in Daikanyama, it has grown to become a community and an unofficial image-maker of the new guard of Tokyo subculture, from designers to DJs and everyone in between. Chances are your hair inspiration muse is a Fleuri customer.
Simply put: for a look that will be making waves in other cities like New York or London in a year from now, Fleuri most likely has had a hand in starting what will soon be in demand right now.
From left to right: Sakie, Udai, and Takeru shot by Mayu Uchida
Founded by Sakie Miura in 2019 and later joined by lead hairstylist Takeru “Take” Urushibara, the concept of their salon is decidedly anti-trend, in their own words they want to create a new “culture of hair” starting with the individual.
That’s probably why many of Tokyo’s tastemakers [yes, we know that the word can be overused], the kinds of people you can’t help but follow on Instagram, repost on Pinterest for their style guidance, and who show up on the city's billboards, street style snaps, and mood boards, form Fleuri’s dedicated clientele. Despite this, the store’s staff remains decidedly low key.
Both Sakie and Take Urushibara have a knack for understanding who you are inside and out, the kind of skill usually found in a good therapist but equally as useful in the world of style and image crafting–especially in Tokyo, where a haircut is taken as a serious signifier of “what you’re all about”, an insight to your personal tastes like the music you listen to, your profession, or the kinds of clubs you like to frequent. Hair is the ultimate marker of identity showing how one wants to be perceived by anyone passing by. Take and Sakie craft something entirely customized for you- taking your ideas and adding their polite input [which pretty much hits the mark 99% of the time] on what suits you best.
Part of the reason why hair is so important in Tokyo, a metropolis where there perhaps are more hair salons per capita than any other city [a running joke is that half the stores in Daikanyama and Omotesando are salons],is because creative hair equals freedom to many teens and twenty-somethings. Japanese schools from elementary to high school often have rigid regulations banning any style varying from natural, undyed, unpermed hair.
A diagram showing uniform regulations for students, requiring shirts to be tucked in, the use of a belt, and appropriate skirt length.
Following the seemingly universal human urge for young adults to do something drastic with their hair, once graduation time rolls around, it's finally THE time when typically nondescript locks make their wildest transitions to mullets, neon streaks, and artificial perms giving corkscrew like curls. Late teens to early twenties are prime time for the wildest hair experimentation, maybe even the only chance for some, before they start a full-time corporate job, where once again they must abide by strict hair rules found in most companies/office spaces.
Sakie and Take fully understand the importance of a haircut as a ritual for self-realization, finding your community, and honestly just looking cool in a city where almost everyone has an intricate hue, texture, and cut to match their disposition.
Fleuri in November 2022, shortly before the new year moved to a larger location still in Daikanyama to keep up with Fleuri’s booked schedule and super dedicated set of customers. The new space was kickstarted with a grand opening event, a party epic in its proportions generating a crowd from all sides of Tokyo, with of course some very nicely styled hair courtesy of Sakie and Take.
sabukaru sat down with Sakie and Take,a couple hours before the official opening of Fleuri’s renewed Daikanyama location, talking about what “Tokyo style” actually is, what the future of hair in 2023 is looking like, and their “pursuit of perfection” starting one cut at a time.
Thank you for speaking with us! Can you introduce yourself to the sabukaru network?
自己紹介をお願いします。
SAKIE: I’m Sakie. I am the owner of Fleuri and I am a hairstylist and hair and makeup artist.
SAKIE:フリューリのオーナーで、ヘアスタイリスト、ヘアメイクアップアーティストをしています。
TAKE: I’m Take. I am also a hairstylist and a hair and makeup artist for Fleuri.
TAKE:私は、フリューリのヘアスタイリスト、ヘアメイクアップアーティストをしています。
When you were a teenager, what were your interests and how did your youth influence your future in hair/fashion?
10代の頃はどんなことに夢中で、その若さが将来のヘア/ファッションにどう影響しましたか？
Images via Instagram
SAKIE: Since I was young, my eyes would always latch onto cute hairstyles I would see in movies. I also liked watching how individuals on TV shows would look so different depending on the hair and makeup they had on. That made me want to help people transform in some way. Eventually, I became a hairstylist so I could do that.
I went to a junior high school that had very strict school rules. Black hair and no makeup were the only things allowed. That restriction made me want to experiment with different hairstyles and makeup. Around that time, I realized I wanted to transform/change people using hair and makeup too.
SAKIE:昔から、映画に出てくるような可愛いヘアスタイルを自然に目で追っていたり、テレビ番組で人がヘアメイクによって変身するのを見るのが好きでした。そういうことが好きで、人のことを変えられる仕事がしたいなと思ったのが一番最初のきっかけ。
すごく校則が厳しい中高に通っていて、黒髪でなければいけなかったの。そういうコンプレックスから、ヘアやメイクでチェンジすることへの憧れもあったし、それを仕事にしたいって無意識に思っていました。
TAKE: When I graduated high school, I didn’t think I wanted to be a hairdresser. So I went to a normal college. I started working at a burger shop part time at the age of 18 or 19. Back then Instagram was already around, so anything could be searched up easily.
My first impression of hairdressers originally wasn’t that great. But when I found cool individuals such as Sakie on Insta, I got inspired and that pushed me to become a hairdresser. Then, I dropped out of college and started working full time to save money to go to beauty school.
When I started beauty school, I was 20 years old. I had a super crazy hairstyle and color. I’d change my look every month around that time. I would say “I can’t be true to myself if I don’t enjoy my hairstyle”. Having a look that matched my creativity and ideas was a must for me. I booked an appointment at a hair salon where Sakie was working. That was our first meeting.
TAKE:高校を卒業した頃は、美容師になりたいとは思っていなかったので、普通の大学に進学しました。18、19歳の頃は、ハンバーガー屋さんでアルバイトしながら、大学に通っていた。その頃インスタグラムはすでに流行っていて、なんでも検索することができた。初めは美容師に対してあまり良い印象を持っていませんでした。インスタグラムでSAKIEさんのようなかっこいい美容師をみつけて、美容師への憧れを持つようになった。その後大学を辞めて、美容学校に行く資金を貯めるためにフルタイムで働き始めた。美容学校に通い始めた20歳の時は、クレイジーなヘアスタイルやカラーにしていて『ヘアカラーをエンジョイしてない自分は自分じゃない』とか言ってた。そしてSAKIEさんが当時働いていたサロンに予約したのが、彼女との初対面。
Images via Instagram
So what was your reaction when you had this young kid [Take] who started contacting you out of the blue?
そんな知らない若い子がインスタグラムでいきなり連絡をしてきて、どう思った？
Take and Sakie mid-Fleuri grand opening party shot by Mayu Uchida
SAKIE: It wasn't strange because I would get bookings through Instagram as I do now.
SAKIE: 前のサロンの時からずっとそのアポイントメントをインスタグラムでとってたから、変な感じはしなかった。
TAKE: When I first saw her, her hairstyle was more grunge, and had a ton of layers.
TAKE: 初めて会った時のSAKIEさんはもっとグランジでレイヤーがたくさん入っているスタイルでしたよね。
SAKIE: Because I used to live in New York.
SAKIE: ニューヨークに住んでいたからね。
TAKE: At the time, her style was very different from the Tokyo trends such as the based Harajuku style that was popular, her style was new and fresh. I was like “I've never seen a hairstyle like this”. It was very inspiring, the way that Sakie styled hair and her personal style. Sakie would wear an old T-shirt with a messy hairstyle and still be stylish.
TAKE: その当時の東京のトレンド、例えば原宿系のスタイルとは違って、すごく新鮮だった。「こんなヘアカラーのスタイルは知らんかった」とすごくインスパイアされたし。彼女はぼろぼろのtシャツを着てぐしゃぐしゃの髪で、だけどおしゃれで。
Scenes from Fleuri’s grand opening party shot by Mayu Uchida
It’s crazy your friendship has lasted so long after one chance meeting, and you’ve gone on to do so much together. Fleuri started in 2019, but what was the reason why you decided to launch the salon?
フルリは2019年からですが、サロンを立ち上げることになったきっかけは?
SAKIE: I was working at a different salon for about 6-7 years and I thought to myself, I want to start something new. That just happened to be in 2019.
SAKIE:前のサロンで6～7年働いた頃、何か新しいことを始めたいと思いました。それがたまたま2019年というタイミングだっただけ。
TAKE: Yeah it’s timing. I was close friends with Sakie in private and whenever we would go out to dinner, we would talk about life and work. One day she expressed her thoughts and vision for a new salon, so I wanted to join her in creating it. I thought to myself, “this is the next stage for me”. That's how I started to work at Fleuri.
TAKE: タイミングですね。SAKIEさんとはプライベートでも仲が良かったから、ご飯に行った時に人生や仕事のことをよく話してました。そこで彼女の新しいサロンへの想いやヴィジョンを聞いて入りたくなった。次の自分のステージはここだ、って。それでフリューリーで働くことに決めました。
Really good timing! What is it about Take that makes you able to have such a strong working relationship and friendship?
すごく良いタイミングですね。パートナーとして彼のどんなところが良くて、こんなにいいリレーションシップを持てるの？
SAKIE:Because he has good vibes, Take is very comfortable to work with.
SAKIE:彼はいいバイブスを持ってるから。一緒に働いていて心地がいい。
TAKE:I have respect for Sakie. I was really interested in her as a person.
TAKE: SAKIEさんをすごく尊敬しています。
SAKIE:I feel like we are similar but also different.
Sakie and Take at Fleuri’s original location
In what ways are you both similar?
どんなところが似ているの？
SAKIE:For work, we have the same attitude, we’re perfectionists.
SAKIE:仕事に対しての真摯な向き合い方。いつも仕事をパーフェクトにすること。
TAKE:Yeah, I think our most similar trait is that we really have a strong passion for our work. We have the same level of motivation.
TAKE:私たちが一番似ているところは強い情熱を持って仕事に取り組むところかな。あとはモチベーションが同じところ。
SAKIE:I always forget that this is work. It’s more like my life.
SAKIE:いつもこれが仕事だってことを忘れちゃうくらい。
What do you think are going to be the most wanted hair colors and hairstyles this season?
今シーズン、最も注目されるヘアカラーやヘアスタイルは何だと思いますか？
SAKIE:I never consider the trends. Our current mood is the 90s but I don’t know about next season. We’ll have to wait and see.
SAKIE:トレンドは気にしないかな。今のムードは90sだけど、次のシーズンのことはわからない。
TAKE:I think there’s also a lot of Y2K influences. Also, I’ve been seeing crazy hair colors and wigs a lot. Compared to the previous trends, which were more of a natural wavy style or also that dark orange color, which were both strong previous trends. I’m seeing artificial hair colors like yellow or neon red hues seen on the DIESEL 2022 shows.
TAKE:Y2Kもまだ流行ってるよね。クレイジーなカラーやウィッグもよく見る。ちょっと前はナチュラルウェーブやダークオレンジが多かったけど、最近はイエローやネオンレッドをよく見ます。
Do you wanna be doing the same thing in the future?
これからもずっとこの仕事をしていきたい？
SAKIE: I don’t know yet. I don’t plan.
SAKIE:どうだろう。あまり決めてない。
TAKE: Just do whatever you have to do now.
TAKE:今やるべきことをやる。
Fleuri is probably one of the most sought after salons in Tokyo, with a waitlist for a couple weeks for new clients. Do you ever say no to cutting a client's hair because you are too busy?
フリューリーは、おそらく東京で最も人気のあるサロンの一つです。忙しさを理由にお客様のカットをお断りすることはあるのでしょうか？
SAKIE: I never wanna say no! That's why we made a much bigger space.
SAKIE: できないって絶対言いたくないから、広いお店を作ることにしました。
TAKE: At first, when Sakie was starting her own hair salon she did everything by herself. There were three seats and two shampoo chairs. She was good enough to operate alone! And then I joined as well as our assistants. So, Sakie needed a bigger space to make it possible to have more clients at one time and maintain a higher level of creation.
TAKE: 初めはSAKIEさんが一人で始めたお店でした。3席と2台のシャンプー台があるだけ。それから私とアシスタントが増えました。もっとたくさんに対応したり、高いクリエイションは広いスペースがあれば実現するかなって。
SAKIE: Yeah, I didn’t need a big space because it was originally just me working for myself. And then eventually, Take joined and he became very successful, very quickly.
SAKIE:最初は自分だけだったから広いスペースでなくても良かった。でもTAKEが参加して、彼が人気スタイリストになったから。
When you were working alone, How did you deal with all of that?
SAKIE:I don’t remember. [Laughs]
SAKIE:もう覚えてないな。 [笑]
TAKE:She could do it because she’s tough!
TAKE:SAKIEさんは強いから。
What do you think is different from other hair salons? How does Fleuri stand apart from others?
一人で営業してたなんて、どうやって対応してたんですか？
SAKIE:I'm not just a hairdresser. I just have a desire to make people look better. Just this simple goal. And a tool to do that is hair. So I try my best.
SAKIE:私はただ美容師というよりも、可愛くしてあげたいとか、かっこよくしてあげたいとか、ただそれだけ。そのツールがただヘアなだけ。
TAKE: Sometimes artists have an ego when it comes to hair styling. But, I wanna make new styles and experiment. It's interesting but our style is to help people transform, to help them in some way. We don’t try super hard to make a “new” style or something “different” than others in an egotistical way. It’s just out of a love of creativity. We just make something for our clients and we think it's cool.
TAKE:美容師ってエゴがあることがよくある。新しいスタイルを求めすぎたり。その人が良くなるのをヘルプしてる感じ。SAKIEさんのクリエーションもそうだし、私がやるクリエーションもそうなんだけど、新しいことをしなくちゃとか、みんなとは違うことをしなくちゃ、ではなくて、かわいいからやってるだけ。
What kind of clients usually come to Fleuri?
SAKIE:Because our customers find us on Instagram, and maybe we’ve seen them before on Instagram too, it doesn’t feel like it's our first time meeting them. It feels strange. But everyone who comes in is different!
SAKIE:インスタグラムで来る人が多いから、初めての方も初めて会う感じがしません。みんな違うよね。
Shot by Mayu Uchida @ifucktokyo
TAKE:Our customers' type? I think a 50/50 amount of guys and girls come in. Gay, lesbians, etc. All are welcome. We have a lot of people from these communities who are regulars. Also, international customers too!
TAKE:男女は半々だし、そうでない方もいらっしゃるし、それが普通。外国人の方もいます。
Fleuri styles the hair of some of Tokyo’s best known faces, from models to musicians or pretty much anyone part of the new generation of creators, how did they become loyal customers? Did you have more of a friendship dynamic before they became customers, or did that come after?
フリューリーは、おそらく東京で最も人気のあるサロンの一つです。忙しさを理由にお客様のカットをお断りすることはあるのでしょうか？
TAKE: お客様は友達だったり、撮影でご一緒したスタイリストさんやモデルさんだったり、さまざまです。あともちろん両親や昔の小中高の友達、ヘアもします。そうやってコネクションがどんどん広がっていく。
TAKE: Customers can be friends or we meet them from shootings such as stylists, models, etc. We talk about our salon at shoots and they want to come.
We of course do hair for our parents, school friends, assistants, and sisters. The connections expand more and more over time. We don’t actively try to make connections. Small connections eventually expand slowly and through that we can get good jobs and clients that come to us.
TAKE: コネクションを必死に作ろうとはしていないかな。ちょっとずつ広がって、いい仕事やクライアントが来たりって感じ。
What is a memorable fashion or creative project you’ve been involved in?
あなたが関わったファッションやクリエイティブのプロジェクトで印象に残っているものは何ですか、それはなぜですか？
SAKIE: There are so many. I can’t choose from them all, but one photographer I love working with is Monica Mogi. She invites me to do so many meaningful shoots. I like her creations. I've known her for a long time. We met 10 years ago. Since we know each other very well, she doesn’t tell me what to do. She trusts me.
SAKIE: たくさんあって決められないけど、フォログラファーのMONICA MOGIかな。彼女のクリエーションがすごく好きです。彼女とは10年来の友人でお互いをよく知っているから、私のクリエーションも信じてくれて、こうしてああしてと言われることがない。
TAKE: We don’t try actively to make connections. It comes more naturally from shootings or hanging out. Those small connections eventually expand and lead us to some jobs.
TAKE:コネクションを必死に作ろうとはしないかな。ちょっとずつ広がって、いい仕事やクライアントが来たりって感じ。私たちはエージェンシーに属してないから、自分たちのコネクションから仕事をいただきます。
SAKIE:I like to do more creative work than commercials.
SAKIE:商業的なものよりもクリエイティブな作品に関わる方が好きです。
What are your ideal projects? What kind of projects do you want to do more of in the future?
どんなプロジェクトをするのが好きですか？雑誌だったり、映像だったり。。
TAKE:Sometimes I work with musicians. It’s interesting to do their hair and makeup.
Sometimes for weddings, live concerts, or fashion shows. I like to lend my hand to projects that aren’t necessarily going to be printed or published. Works that are going to be gone by the end of the day, as soon as the makeup is removed because it was for an experience rather than something preserved. It's impermanent and fleeting. I find those kinds of projects interesting.
TAKE:ミュージシャンと仕事をすることもあります。彼らのメイクアップをするのっておもしろいんです。結婚式やライブパフォーマンスやファッションショーもします。本などに残らないその場所で終わる作品。それも面白いなって思う。それもhair makeup のポイントだなって思う。終わったメイクを落とすけど、一日で終わる儚さも、おもしろいと思う。雑誌や本に残るのも素晴らしいけど、一瞬で終わるライブやショーのヘアメイクも楽しい。
Where do you like to get new inspiration from?
インスピレーションはどこから得ますか？
SAKIE: From Instagram, I often get inspired. There are a lot of people out there doing new creative things.
SAKIE:インスタグラムから。本当にたくさんの人がいるから。
TAKE: Also, magazines we have here. [Points to a bookshelf filled with photo books, copies of Purple and Buffalo magazine peeking out from the display.]
TAKE:サロンに置いてあるファッション誌もね。
What is “Tokyo style”?
東京スタイルってなんだと思う？
SAKIE: I don’t know. But everyone tells me that I have Tokyo style.
I went to New York last month, I feel like Tokyo style is cleaner.
SAKIE:わからないけど、みんなには東京スタイルだねって言われる。先月ニューヨークに行って思ったことは、東京のスタイルはもっとクリーン。
TAKE: I went to London two months ago, I had the same feeling. London has a messier style. People wearing sportswear outside without any intention. I think in Tokyo people always dress with an intention. Dressing casual is not casual here. It’s a look within itself.
TAKE:2ヶ月前にロンドンに行った時も同じことを思いました。ロンドンの人はもっと楽な格好をしてる。スポーツウェアを着てたり。ここではカジュアルはただのカジュアルじゃないから。
Take, you were recently in London, did you see anything you wanted to bring back to Tokyo?
TAKEくん 最近ロンドンに行かれたそうですが、東京に持ち帰りたいと思うものはありましたか？
TAKE:I have some hairdresser friends in London. I went to hair product shops and bought many products not sold in Japan. Like products for naturally blonde hair or thick curly Black hair. In other countries, there are so many varieties of products for people of different races, that work for people with various hair colors, textures, and so on. It’s important to go in to shop physically and buy and use new products.
TAKE:美容師の友達が何人かいて、ヘア製品のお店に連れて行ってもらいました。そこで日本では売られてない日本人とは違う髪質用のプロダクトを買いました。国が違うと髪も違う。髪質も違う。 実際に行って、買って、使って。そうすると広がるよね。
Sakie you lived in New York for a number of years, did you see anything that you wanted to bring back to Tokyo?
ニューヨークに行った時、何か東京に持って帰りたいものはありましたか？
SAKIE: I used to live in New York for two years. When I was living there I felt more free. This time I went back to New York for the first time in 6 years, I felt so different. I think Tokyo is more free now. Because of so many people and cultures that have recently gained more acceptance and have become more widespread in Tokyo. Because of that, I feel like Tokyo is getting cooler.
SAKIE:2年間ニューヨークに住んでいた頃は、東京よりフリーな街でした。でも今回6年ぶりに行った時感じたのは、東京ももっとフリーになっているな、と。今までより様々な人や文化が増えたから。これからは東京がもっとおもしろい街になっていくと思う。
Why does Tokyo feel more free these days, as opposed to before?
最近、東京が自由だと感じるのはなぜか。
SAKIE: I wonder too. Probably because of young people. The hierarchy culture [where the new generation must abide by the rules of the old generation even in creative industries] has been changing. I hope everyone from abroad can move over here.
SAKIE: きっと若い世代が出てこれるようになったからかな。昔は年功序列だったけど、だんだんバランスが変わってる。
You have a pretty special talent for knowing what “look” will look the best on someone. A lot of customers come to you and say “Okay Take, you know best! Do whatever you want!”, how do you dream up what's the best hairstyle for your customer? Is it based on personality, face shape, etc. how do you make the magic happen?
あなたは、その人に一番似合う "ルック "を知る、かなり特別な才能を持っていますね。多くのお客さまが「TAKE、 あなたが一番わかっている。というお客さんが多いのですが、そのお客さんにとってベストなヘアスタイルをどのように考えているのですか？性格、顔の形など、どのようにするのですか？
TAKE: It’s like magic. I pay a lot of attention to a person’s style, including their fashion of course, but it’s usually their face first. Then I want to know what you do and your community. I want to know what kind of person you are, from the inside out. So, it’s like a talk session between me and my clients. I take enough time for “counseling” and then I plan a style. It’s like a conversation between the client and I. We decide together. I don’t want it to be just my ego making the decisions.
TAKE: 魔法をかけているように見えるけど、ファッションや顔を含めまずその人を見ます。それから何をしている人なのか、その人がどんなコミュニティにいるのが聞く。それで時間をかけてカウンセリングしてスタイルを一緒に決めます。私のエゴになるのは嫌だから。
“It’s like a conversation between the client and I. We decide together. I don’t want it to be just my ego making the decisions. ”
SAKIE: I agree with that.
SAKIE: それは私も一緒です。
Who is someone you want to work with, either by cutting their hair or by launching a collaboration together?
一緒に仕事をしたい人、その人の髪を切ったり、コラボレーションを立ち上げたりしたい人は誰ですか？
TAKE: It might not be the right answer but when I think about work I want to do, the work comes to me. It’s like the law of attraction. It’s quite interesting.
TAKE:やりたいなと思っているときに、なぜかそういう仕事がくる。引き寄せの法則のようなものです。それが面白い。
TAKE:If you put out the best you can, it comes back to you. We just do what we can do best and don't try hard to get bigger jobs. Because it will eventually come to you. Bigger jobs like Rihanna. [Laughs]
TAKE:それはもうイメージをしてれば、くるの。今のベストをやっていたら、それが答えとして返ってくる。だからもちろん高いクリエーションを目指してやっているし、焦らずやっていれば、本当に大きな仕事も来ると思う。例えばリアーナとか[笑]。
Where do you think Tokyo trends emerge from, do people become influenced by other cities like NYC or Paris, or do trends come from somewhere else?
東京のトレンドはどこから来ると思いますか？ニューヨークやパリのような他の都市から影響を受けるのでしょうか、それとも他の場所から来るのでしょうか？
SAKIE: Japanese are always pursuing better quality, so even if a trend emerges from somewhere else we put our touch on it. We unconsciously create a mixed style while imitating styles from other cities. But it still has a Tokyo touch.
SAKIE:日本人はクオリティーを求めるから、それを真似してる間にそれを超えちゃう。それが東京スタイルかな。
TAKE:Why do Japanese people want blonde hair or wavy hair? Because we have a respect for natural blondes, braids, etc … Our natural straight black hair to a lot of people born and raised in Japan is boring. It's sort of like jealousy but also respectful. Everyone wants to be someone different, it’s not only a Japanese people’s thing. This urge exists in everyone. But definitely, Japanese people try hard to transform themselves.
TAKE:日本人がブロンドやウェーブのヘアにしたがるのは、ナチュラルブロンドやウェーブ、ブレイズなど自分たちが持っていないものへの憧れがあるから。
自分と違うものになりたいって思うのは、日本人だけのことではなくて、誰でもそう。日本人は特に変わることに対して努力しますよね。
You are surrounded by a lot of beautiful people, whether it be models or entertainers, but what do you think makes someone stand out? What makes a person beautiful to you?
あなたの周りには、モデルや芸能人など、たくさんの美しい人々がいますが、何がその人たちを際立たせていると思いますか？あなたにとって、女性／男性／人を美しくするものは何ですか？
SAKIE:That's a difficult question.
SAKIE:難しい質問ですね。
TAKE:Because everyone is different.
TAKE:みんな違うからね。
SAKIE:The most important thing is inside. What I do is to help them express their inside by doing their hair. I think self love is crucial for being beautiful.
SAKIE:一番はやっぱり中身だと思うよ。私はヘアでその人の中身を外に出すことを助けているだけだから。セルフラブが大切だと思います。
TAKE:The beauty standard is changing too. There’s different body shapes that are being shown in the fashion world and other creative work.
TAKE:みんなのビューティーポイントも変わってきていますよね。いろんな体型や顔が美しさとして受け入れられてきている。
You made a collaboration with Tokyo Vitamin, with a limited edition T-shirt and other merchandise. How did that happen?
最近Tokyo Vitaminとコラボしてましたね。どうやってそのコラボは生まれたの？
Fleuri’s merch and T-shirt collab with Tokyo Vitamin, a Japan based hip-hop collective and record label, proving that Fleuri has ties to all facets of Tokyo subculture
Congratulations on opening your new store in Daikanyama, what led you to change locations and how do you think Fleuri will progress in the upcoming year?
代官山に新店舗オープンおめでとうございます。場所を変えたきっかけと、来年度のフルリはどのように進んでいくと思いますか？
SAKIE:I want the new Fleuri location to become a place that’s more than a hair salon for many different kinds of people.
SAKIE:もっといろんな人が来てくれて、ヘアサロンという空間を超えるような場所にしたい。
ANY ADVICE for people who are just starting out in their creative careers?
クリエイティブで働く人たちへは？
SAKIE:You have to go everywhere and see everything.
SAKIE:とにかくいろんなところに行って、自分の目でたくさんのものを見ること。
Interview and words by Ora Margolis
Transcription by Kana Saito and Annabelle Deakin
Select Photos by Mayu Uchida
