When you hear the name Nomiya Maki, what comes to mind? She's a musician, a fashion leader, and a talented essayist. Fashion is at the heart of everything she does. So, how does Nomiya stay stylish? And what are her roots? We take a closer look at the real Nomiya, who we'd call more of a fashion leader than a fashionista.


■Hint 1 Fashion: Nomiya Maki's Origins

--When did you first become interested in fashion?

Nomiya Maki (hereafter, Nomiya): I've been interested in fashion since I was a child. It was the 1960s. Many women had sewing machines and could dress Western and Japanese clothes, but my mother, who was skilled at dressing and would make clothes for my sister and me, played a big role and influenced me. She often made matching outfits for us, and I was always happy to wear them. I still vividly remember looking forward to receiving new clothes. Even as a child, I remember my mother being very fashionable. Seeing her like that made me dream of growing up quickly and enjoying fashion like my mother, and I enjoyed it as a child. It was around the time miniskirts were just starting to become popular, and I really admired them. I was around 4 or 5 years old. I have a vague memory of what I wore, but I still remember most of it, so I knew I loved clothes back then. --What were your favorite clothes back then? Nomiya: I loved a felt circular skirt with a ring toss appliqué, and I wore it often. At the time, I often looked at Junichi Nakahara's "Soreiyu" children's style book, and I think this was also largely due to my mother's influence. When I started elementary school in the 1970s, I favored bell-bottom pants and layered looks -- long-sleeved shirts layered with short-sleeved knitwear -- and knee-high socks. At the time, I was living in Hokkaido, where there weren't any department stores as big as those in Tokyo, and unlike today, information wasn't readily available. Trendy fashions weren't readily available either. Even so, I would look at magazines like "an・an," which had just launched around that time, draw design sketches, and ask my mother to make me a Pierre Cardin-style dress. Later, when I entered junior high school and had to wear a uniform, I was very small from a young age, so I chose the smallest size for my uniform. But it was still too big, so my mother, who is an expert at dressmaking, completely altered it. She even made the skirt shorter (laughs). Plus, I had naturally red hair, and I even permed it...it really stood out. Teachers and seniors would notice me, and I remember that feeling fondly. --What kind of magazines did you read at the time, and what fashion inspiration did you use for that? Nomiya: Around this time, I clearly decided I wanted to be a singer! That's when I started to think that way. After I became obsessed with rock music, I would look at music magazines like Music Life and model my style on the musicians, so I never paid any attention to the puff-sleeved dresses that were popular at the time. Well, I did wear a few (laughs), but I was mainly dressed like a rock kid, and my fashion was boyish.
--Has your favorite fashion changed since then?
Nomiya: It hasn't changed. And I've always worn the clothes I liked on stage.
However, I think my image of myself during the Pizzicato Five days was probably the '60s. I think a lot of my styles actually had that image, and above all, it's a fashion I've always loved. I used false eyelashes and wigs for hair and makeup, and I really enjoyed playing different roles as a woman.
--I heard that you used wigs in most of the songs for Pizzicato Five. Did you find them yourself?

Nomiya: In the early days, we didn't have a hair and makeup artist, so when I went to New York, I would go to a wig wholesaler in Koreatown, or to a shop run by famous stylist Patricia Field, a favorite among club kids, and buy wigs that had been gorgeously styled by our exclusive hair stylist.

After that, my image with Pizzicato Five was largely influenced by the art director and other staff members. Stylists and hair and makeup artists who are well-versed not only in beauty and fashion but also in music can work towards the same goal and create something great. In this way, I think we were able to bring together the powers of each professional to create our work.


--Hint 2, which Nomiya talks about in part 2/3, is "Singing: Maintaining passion."