Maybe! magazine × Forget-me-nots Nairu Yamamoto Interview

Q.You carefully tried on and selected what to wear. What criteria do you usually use when choosing clothes?

It's about being able to run (laughs). I don't actually mean sprinting; the point is whether I won't get tired. I hate worrying about things like my shoulder straps falling off or getting wrinkles. I prefer clothes that don't hinder my emotions when I wear them. Even if I plan the night before, sometimes in the morning I think, "This isn't it," so I decide when I wake up.

On days when my clothing choices don't go well, my mood really drops. I feel like my heart and appearance don't match... So, even though there are days I want to be adventurous, I end up wearing the same kind of outfits. For me, choosing fashion is about whether my heart can be free. I can't enjoy myself unless I'm dressed in a way that makes me feel my best.

Q.Don't you pay much attention to TPO (Time, Place, Occasion)?

There are clothes I want to wear specifically for a party. However, I always have a comfort zone somewhere. For example, wearing no makeup and just lipstick, or intentionally choosing sneakers for my feet. I don't think that kind of special feeling, which only I understand, needs to be shared with others. I think it's better to go out while valuing those unique points that affirm who I am.

Q.You seem to understand yourself quite well, but do you ever struggle with things?

It can sometimes take me about an hour to decide on clothes. Even if it takes that long, I usually end up choosing similar things (laughs). But other than that, I might not struggle much. I'm the type who acts before thinking, so I often just figure, "Well, I've already done it, so it can't be helped."

Also, I love keeping secrets (laughs). I didn't tell anyone about starting this job, and when my friends found out, I was like, "Yeah, that's right! Ha ha!" Rather than struggling, I value the time I spend thinking to myself. If the results come from that, then everything is my own fault, and all the good things become my own assets.

Q.Besides being a model and actress, Ms. Yamamoto is also the editor-in-chief of the free magazine "EA magazine" and is active in creative endeavors. What prompted you to start these activities?

Basically, I'm someone who asks "why?" about everything, from everyday questions like "why is the sky blue?" to social issues – I have a lot of questions. Many of my friends are models and creators, and they always answer my questions without laughing, no matter how obvious they might seem. I think this is special. I just happen to be in an environment where I can voice my questions and have opportunities. So, if there are people who feel the way I do but can't express it, I want to be that place where I can affirm their feelings and questions. Even if I'm not close by, a book can always be right next to them.

The theme of "EA magazine" is "to increase the number of individuals who can make choices." I believe it's okay to choose anything, or not choose, or even reject something, but I want people to choose after knowing. For that, it's better to have many options. For example, when I was a student, there was an image that "being thin and having big eyes was cute." This was something the media arbitrarily created, and I didn't realize it at the time. But now that I've realized it's not just that, I hope to provide more options for those who are still caught in that mindset.

Q.The ideal woman envisioned by "Forget-me-nots" is a "Creative girl, Independent woman." Ms. Yamamoto, you are the perfect embodiment of this image, as a woman who creates things for herself.

Even when I see stylish shops walking through Daikanyama, I often feel anxious about entering, wondering, "Will they accept me?" But I felt relieved when I learned about the concept: "a shop for modern women who live creatively and actively every day." I realized I belonged there. The staff in the store all share that sentiment. And I just reflected on how wrong it is that I've been walking around the world arbitrarily deciding that they are different from me (laughs).

Q.Looking at you, I think many people would want to express something themselves. If you were to offer encouragement to someone who just can't find the courage, what words would you want to convey?

I believe that what you feel is most important, rather than "what you do." The emotion that arises within you is the first step. So, rather than the desire to be a creator, by giving shape to what you yourself think, you should be able to surprise or move someone. You don't have to do anything grand. Just what you think, that alone is probably complete. Because I might miss something that person finds beautiful, and that person might be moved by something that never moves me in my life. I want people to value their own feelings.

TOPS : Essential Long Sleeve T-shirts / Forget-me-nots ¥9,900
BOTTOMS : Railroad Trouser / Levi's ¥24,200
SHOES : Blazer Low X / NIKE ¥11,000

Photo：Kosuke Matsuki Text：Saki Amano Edit：Maybe! Editorial Department

Nairu Yamamoto
Model, creator, actress. Born in 1993. In addition to her work as a model, she is also actively involved as the editor-in-chief of 'EA magazine' and as an actress.

Maybe!
A fashion & culture magazine for women in their 20s published by Shogakukan.
https://www.shogakukan.co.jp/pr/maybe/