YOKO MINAMI, a London-based makeup artist, brought her distinctive artistry to the runway for SHINYAKOZUKA’s 2025 Spring/Summer collection, presented at the National Stadium’s Athlete Slope in Tokyo. Having honed her skills under the tutelage of fellow makeup artist Naomi Yoshida, MINAMI has since established herself as a freelance artist, working on everything from editorial shoots for publications like Italian Vogue to campaigns for brands like TOTÊME and HUNTER.
The 2025 Spring/Summer collection itself drew inspiration from SHINYAKOZUKA’s own絵本 (picture book) ‘iro o wasureta machi’ (The Town That Forgot Colors), a whimsical tale of a man who rediscovers the beauty of color after encountering a mysterious blue painting. This collection, MINAMI explains, was about “playing with shadows,” to reflect the book’s world: “It reminded me of Mr. Children’s song ‘1999 Nen, Natsu, Okinawa’ – it was a beautiful, happy world. I wanted the makeup to complement that world, not overshadow it.”
The makeup echoed the book’s contrasting worlds of black and white, blue, and vibrant color, each meticulously crafted to match the collection’s themes. The black and white world saw strong highlights on cheeks and eye corners, accented with white mascara. The blue world used blue contouring to create a striking shadow. The vibrant colors, meanwhile, required a more playful approach. To create an element of unfinished, childlike playfulness, MINAMI employed masking tape, a suggestion from SHINYAKOZUKA himself. “It was a challenge to find the right way to use the tape,” MINAMI shared, “but we ended up cutting it into random shapes to achieve a playful, childlike image.”
The success of this ambitious makeup look was the result of meticulous planning and a strong sense of teamwork. “Teamwork is essential,” MINAMI stressed. “I ensured my two assistants understood every step of the process in the days leading up to the show, so I could focus entirely on my work. I also felt comfortable working with the other artists, as I had collaborated with them before. It was a very supportive team to work with.” Through meticulous planning and a supportive team, YOKO MINAMI successfully translated the whimsical world of ‘iro o wasureta machi’ into stunning, unforgettable makeup for the SHINYAKOZUKA runway.
