Shu Uemura held a presentation at Shibuya Hikarie on August 29th to celebrate its 2013 Christmas collection, a collaboration with contemporary artist Takashi Murakami. Approximately 350 guests from nine Asian countries, including Japan, were invited, including many top cosplayers from each country.
■Special Guest Takashi Murakami and New Animation Released
"In collaborating with a global cosmetics brand, I wanted to express the depths of Japanese culture that have not been fully conveyed until now. I believe that it is when we overcome the cultural gap (between beauty and otaku culture) that we discover something revolutionary," said Murakami, taking the stage after the makeup show, holding a body pillow printed with the collection's key visual.
In addition, a special animation created for this collaboration was unveiled for the first time. The music was provided by kz, producer of the subculture-inspired music unit livetune. The character design and production direction are handled by illustrator Yusuke Hiroshima, also known as mebae, and the choreography is by Ken Maeda, who also choreographed the "Pretty Cure" anime.
■ Makeup show, cosplay, live performances, and a packed schedule of events
At the entrance to the venue, the collaboration collection was displayed along with the "6HP (Six Heart Princess)" mascot, which inspired the design of this collaboration. On the stage in the center of the hall beyond, cosplayers gathered from the moment the doors opened to welcome guests.
There was also a show featuring Shu Uemura's International Artistic Director, Uchide Kadoyasu, and makeup artists from Taiwan and Malaysia. Five cosplayers were given makeup using items from the collaboration collection, including long eyelashes resembling peacock feathers. After the presentation, TEMPURA KIDZ, a children's dance group who also perform as Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's backup dancers, appeared with original characters and performed a live show accompanied by kz's DJ set. Other features included a champagne bar, photo booths featuring Murakami's animation designs, and a photo booth where customers could take commemorative photos with original visuals as a backdrop. A makeup artist also provided makeup services. ■The unique Japanese beauty x art strategy will see further development in the future. Regarding future promotions, a brand spokesperson said, "We plan to employ a unique strategy utilizing CG animation, which is unique to the collaboration between Shu Uemura, who is said to have elevated beauty to the realm of art, and Takashi Murakami, an artist who expresses Japanese subculture in the art world. We believe that only Shu Uemura can undertake such an endeavor in the beauty industry."
