All sorts of things—like fashion and Instagram.
— Thanks for participating in the American Casual Style Challenge. First, how did you feel about it looking back?
Kudo:Anyway, it was so much fun and a fresh experience the whole time—I was excited as I picked out my outfits. I came across so many unexpected pieces, and it was full of new discoveries like, “Wow, I actually look good in clothes like this!” It was my first time wearing shorts, and I discovered how cute they look paired with boots. Also, the color combination of denim and red clothes felt so stylish!
Matsunaga:That's so true! When I wear casual clothes, I usually stick to black or plain, understated outfits, so I've never been able to try out new fashion styles before. But this time, through men's American casual fashion, I decided to give patterned clothes and layering a try—and I was constantly surprised to discover all these different ways to mix and match. It was refreshing to see how my overall impression could change just by how I styled my outfits.
— It’s interesting that, even though the two of them have different styles when it comes to choosing clothes, they ended up with the same color combination: denim and red.
Matsunaga:I was really surprised! I never would have thought we'd both end up wearing denim tops (lol).
Kudo:I was so happy that Ria chose a cap in the same shade of red as the jacket I picked (lol). When it came to colors, I really focused on the colors in the check pattern of my shorts and tried to pick up those hues in my other clothes to create a cohesive look. Also, since the belt buckle was kind of gold, I tried pairing it with boots in a similar shade. It felt great to have that sense of “It’s all coming together!” (lol).
— I guess you could say, “That’s typical Hello! Project”—you styled yourselves by matching colors in the same way you’d match music to a beat. What do you think of each other’s completely transformed looks?
Kudo and Matsunaga:That's cute! (lol)
Kudo:I thought Ria was really good at incorporating patterns into her outfits. The striped belt she paired with her chinos was super cute, and she pulled off the striped T-shirt so well—I thought it was awesome! It’s totally different from Ria’s usual color palette, but the pop of red really suits her. Plus, since she has such long legs, pants outfits really “pop” on her!
Matsunaga:I always get the impression that Yua likes to wear ribbons and lace, so I was surprised to see her in such a completely different style. But her boyish denim look and the clothes in primary colors were both refreshing and cute!
— Do you two usually go shopping together?
Matsunaga:We don’t really have time to go together these days, but we used to go all the time. Back when I first joined the group, I’d just moved to Tokyo and didn’t know any stores, so we’d go together. But since our fashion tastes were complete opposites, as soon as we got there, we’d say, “See you later!” and go our separate ways, then meet up again once we were done shopping (laughs).
Kudo:That's right (lol). I haven't been able to go shopping lately, but I do go out to eat sometimes.
— Could you tell us about the fashion scene within Juice=Juice? Is there anyone among the members you look to for fashion inspiration?
Matsunaga:It’s Mifu—Mika Kawashima. She’s incredibly stylish. Apparently, her grandpa knows a lot about clothes, and thanks to his influence, she’s loved looking at and picking out clothes since she was little. She’ll even tell the other members, “This outfit would look great on you!” Also, when we ask the costume team to customize the T-shirts for our live encore outfits, Mifu’s requests are incredibly detailed every single time. Her sense of style is amazing! She’s definitely the fashion leader.
Kudo:I’d say it’s Reon Inoue. She’s great at styling affordable pieces and is quick to incorporate the latest trends. Plus, her choice of items—like lace tights and shearling boots—is really stylish. You can tell she loves clothes, and since she pulls off both cute and cool looks, I always look to her for inspiration!
— It’s true that Mr. Inoue’s love of fashion really comes through in his Instagram posts. That said, it seems like the two of you don’t post very often on Instagram…
Kudo and Matsunaga:I'm not really good at that... (lol).
Matsunaga:Taking photos of ourselves in our casual clothes is really hard! How am I supposed to do it!? Rei-san (Inoue) and Hisaki-chan (Ebata) are really good at it, and since they know how bad we are at it, they’ll take photos for us or give us tips, but it’s super hard, and I still can’t get the hang of it.
Kudo:You know, I didn't realize it until after I did it (lol). Instagram was so hard...
— Since you're both so stylish, you should post more!
Kudo:But I took a ton of photos for Instagram today (lol)! I even took some full-body shots, so I hope you enjoy seeing me in a different light! Starting today, I’m going to focus on posting regularly—I’ll do my best!
Matsunaga:Isshin Tenshin!?
— Maybe you’re looking for a fresh start? (laughs) Anyway, let’s get back to the topic. Do you guys ever talk about fashion or clothes among yourselves?
Kudo:Satoa is always quick to notice changes. She’s always saying things like, “This skirt is cute!” or “That’s a new hat, isn’t it?”
Matsunaga:Whenever I'm not sure what to wear, I often ask Mifu for advice. I’ll reach out to her when I’m struggling with color choices, or sometimes I’ll even ask her to come over and take a look in person. I tend to pick out nothing but black clothes, but Mifu always says, “Rishan (Matsunaga’s nickname), this color would definitely look great on you!” and recommends colorful pieces, so my closet has been getting a lot more colorful lately (lol).
— Finally, could you tell us if there’s anything from today’s Americana Challenge that you think you can incorporate into your future fashion choices, or if your impression of the style has changed in any way?
Kudo:Now that I’ve gotten the hang of American casual style today, I’d like to try it out again for different occasions, like going to music festivals or going out for a food crawl. Plus, since I can find items in men’s sizes that aren’t available in women’s stores, I’d love to enjoy those as part of my fashion in the future!
Matsunaga:Lately, I’ve been adding more colorful items to my closet, so from now on, I’d like to try wearing patterned pieces like I did today, and I’d also like to get better at styling accessories. Belts are one example, and rings can also serve as accents, so I’d like to experiment with those, too.
