Kōki,: Destined for the limelight
Tokyo-born actress-model Kōki shares how she’s carved out her own niche in the fashion and film world
IT SEEMED ordained that Japanese model-actress Kōki, should float through life on a different, more luminous, more blessed plane. Born to celebrity actor-singer parents, she’d grown up on the edge of their spotlight. That she should one day claim that spotlight for herself feels par for the course.
At seven years of age, she already showed her creative talent when she started composing her own music. At 15, she was selected by Italian fashion house Bulgari to be its youngest ambassador in Japan. At 16, she made her first catwalk appearance at Paris Fashion Week in Chanel. At 19, she was picked to star in Ox-Head Village helmed by horror maestro Takashi Shimizu, drawing strong reviews for her dual performance as a pair of twins.
Now 20, she’s unquestionably part of that club of women whose exclusive combination of famous parents, personal charisma and smart career choices guarantees a charmed life – and, in not a few cases, a trail of paparazzi drooling over their every move. Members of the club include Gwyneth Paltrow (its honorary president), Stella McCartney, Kendall Jenner, Lily-Rose Depp, Sara Ali Khan, Guan Xiaotong and Leah Dou.
Kōki, (whose name is spelt with a macron and a comma) says: “A lot of people ask me what it’s like to have celebrities as parents but I feel it’s not that different from other children with good parents. My parents happen to be amazing people – and it’s not just because they’re celebrities. I respect and love them because of who they are as people.
Kōki, confesses there is pressure to excel and make her mark on the world independently of her parents: “But I think it is also important to think of pressure as something that everyone faces, no matter what industry they are in. It is important to change that pressure from a negative thing into a positive energy, something that will give me strength to move forward and do my best. I feel like I always want to meet the expectations people have of me, and then excel beyond those expectations.”
Muses galore
As a fashion model, Kōki, looks to the glamorous 1990s supermodels such as Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista for inspiration.
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“I’ve loved fashion from a young age. I would ask my Mum to put hair clips and accessories in my hair, and would play with her makeup almost every day. I would go into her closet and look at her clothes, dreaming that I would wear them one day.”
She adds, “I think mum and I have the same taste in style. We laugh together when we look at each other after getting dressed up because we dress in the same colour every single time.”
Like any up-and-coming actress-model, Kōki, now gets more invitations per week than most people get per year. In the past 12 months, she has flown to New York, Paris, London, Milan, Rome, Santiago and many other cities for a combination of work and recreation. Her schedule for the upcoming year looks breathlessly hectic.
The multilingual model says: “My favourite cities in the world are Paris and Rome. I really love Europe. I love the atmosphere of Paris and the language. I like going to the marchés to buy fruits, cheese, ham and baguettes, and then taking them to the park to have a picnic. I love going to the cafes, soaking in the atmosphere and looking at people’s fashion… As for Rome, I love how historical and beautiful it is. The light is orange and warm, and the balance of the light and architecture is really beautiful.”
Perhaps it’s an upshot of a job that involves wearing the most stunning clothes in the world. But she is decidedly unfussy with her wardrobe when she travels: “My go-to outfit is a pair of jeans with a blazer and jewellery. In fact, I always bring a blazer when I travel. I love how a blazer effortlessly changes a look into an elegant and chic one.
“For accessories, I always bring and wear my Bulgari jewellery. It is a key piece for my style and look. It’s amazing how much a single piece of jewellery can change a person’s appearance. Bulgari’s designs bring out the different beauties of people – their power, softness, elegance, confidence and brilliance. They allow the person to shine from within.”
In keeping with her love of Bulgari jewellery, the photo shoot took place at the newly opened Bulgari Hotel Tokyo, with 98 bespoke guestrooms and suites furnished by Italian designers and overlooking the fascinating capital of Japan.
Celluloid success
Fashion aside, the young talent is now set to conquer another domain: the silver screen. In 2022, she made her film debut as the star of Ox-Head Village, a horror film by Shimizu who is best known for his worldwide hit series Ju-On. Though the film received mixed reviews, her performance was widely praised, with critics describing it as “solid” and “confident”. For a first-time actress, she has a natural presence in front of the camera, capable of expressing subtle emotions and complex inner worlds.
Kōki, says: “I am so grateful that I was able to have my first movie and acting experience with director Shimizu-san. He taught me the beauty of acting and awakened my passion to act. He was extremely patient with me and explained everything in detail until I understood it completely. He was always there for me when I was confused and always kept his arms open for my opinions. I’m so grateful that he believed in me.”
Her next film is Touch, helmed by award-winning Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur. Although she declined to disclose details about her role, online searches reveal she is playing the younger version of the lost love interest of the protagonist who is still pining for her after 50 years. Touch is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Icelandic author Olaf Olafsson. The multi-city shoot recently wrapped filming in Japan, Iceland and the UK.
Despite her love of travel and new experiences, however, Kōki, says family is never far from her mind: “I really miss my family when I am travelling. They are a huge part of me. Even when we are in Japan, we still always text in the family group chat and, when I am overseas, we always contact each other to share what we are doing.”
She remains fully committed to her dual career of modelling and acting. She says: “I love modelling, but acting has given me a new goal in life. My goal is to be able to become an actress who can win people’s hearts. I want to become someone like my dad and mum.”
Photography: Ivanho Harlim
Photography assistant: Shysi Novita
Styling & direction: CK
Hair & make up: Rie Shiraishi
Location: Bulgari Hotel Tokyo
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