After fifteen years at Balenciaga, Nicolas Ghesquière quietly left his post as creative director last November.
IKEMEN #23: ANSONI
May 28, 2014 5:04 PM
IKEMEN (ē´k´mɛn): Japanese Slang
"REALLY, REALLY, RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING PEOPLE"
Name: Ansoni
Occupation: Creative Director of ANSONI
Origin: Tokyo, Japan
At the tender age of 18, ANSONI kick started his career as a composer. But after graduating from Sarah Lawrence College with a concentration on composition and orchestration, he began making a transition from music into beauty. When ANSONI moved to Tribeca, his vision for beauty solidified and his creative team developed. Since being in the industry, he has worked with high profile clients such as EMPORIO ARMANI, COTY, DIOR, SHU UEMURA, 3.1 PHILLIP LIM, DSQUARED, MILD SEVEN/MEVIUS, GENTLE MONSTER, and URBAN RESEARCH. TWELV Magazine sat down with ANSONI to get a closer look at who he is and the story behind his work.
1. What inspired you to jump from music to beauty?
I felt the music industry to be rather lackluster, and sensed the need to connect with the world differently. I knew that with music alone, the people that surrounded me would not allow me to fully express myself. However, what I do now is similar to composing music: I am the conductor – orchestrating in the center of artists whose instruments include makeup brushes, palettes, and hairsprays.
2. Has your Japanese heritage influenced the way you see fashion – or art in general?
Japanese culture represents an appreciation for shadow and subtlety, not just light and clarity. I believe it had an influence on my aesthetic, which focuses on an acceptance of transience and imperfection.
3. What is the most fulfilling aspect of working with high-end designers?
A high-end designer is the forefront; they take creative risks that set industry standards. This is a constant risk and responsibility, and perhaps is the reason why I respect them so much.
4. How clearly do you see yourself in your work?
My work reflects who I am and my team as a whole. As an idea gets bounced around, it takes on a new color and form. The majority of my studio staff is Japanese, which allows me to communicate in my mother tongue and speak the subtlety that exists in beauty.
5. Where do you seek influence?
Transcendence comes from the mind, not the physical space. I try to get inspired by ordinary things that surround me.
6. What is a day in the life for you?
I spend a great portion of my day exercising my body, bathing, eating fruits, and writing poetry. Beauty is both external and internal. There is only so much makeup and styling one can do to enrich him or herself. Being in touch with my inside body is not just about feeling better; it is also relevant to my work.
7. What are the up’s and the down’s?
Having and losing someone that means the world to me.
8. When life gets crazy, how do you relieve yourself?
I work out.
9. What is your perfect Saturday?
Tanning.
10. Do you have a personal goal you would like to share with our readers?
To guide the men’s beauty industry towards a new standard in the global market. Men’s beauty has not yet been fully realized and mastered. There is enormous room left for creative ideas and growth.
11. What is your dream date?
Making out with someone by the Mediterranean Sea, and bathing in the sun that I love so much.
12. What are your hobbies?
My lifestyle is my hobby and my hobby is my lifestyle.
13. What artists are you listening to right now?
Inc., Darius, and Shostakovich.
14. What is one thing about yourself that would surprise readers?
I have Italian blood.
15. Do you have any life-essential tips for our readers?
If your heart is bored, go outside.
WRITTEN & INTERVIEWED BY: EMILIA LIU
PHOTOGRAPHY: SSAM KIM
related posts
Dismay, Danger and Discovery: Nicolas Ghesquière's Untold Story Revealed
IKEMEN #9: LISA LARSSON
IKEMEN (ē´k´mɛn): Japanese Slang
"REALLY, REALLY, RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING PEOPLE"
IKEMEN #8: HOGAN MCLAUGHLIN
IKEMEN (ē´k´mɛn): Japanese Slang
"REALLY, REALLY, RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING PEOPLE"
Donna Karan: Million Hearts for Haiti Project
Designer Donna Karan is sending some love down to Haiti.
IKEMEN #7: Salvatore Morale
IKEMEN (ē´k´mɛn): Japanese Slang
"REALLY, REALLY, RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING PEOPLE"
IKEMEN #6: LUKE CAMPBELL
IKEMEN (ē´k´mɛn): Japanese Slang
"REALLY, REALLY, RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING PEOPLE"
NICOLA FORMICHETTI: The Art of Deconstruction
Between the time of the confirmation of his departure and the publication of this article, you certainly had time to digest the new news about Nicola Formichetti.
IKEMEN #5: Matthew Scheier
IKEMEN (ē´k´mɛn): Japanese Slang
"REALLY, REALLY, RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING PEOPLE"
IKEMEN #4: Brian Ermanski
IKEMEN (ē´k´mɛn): Japanese Slang
"REALLY, REALLY, RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING PEOPLE"
IKEMEN #3: Ekaterina Murphy
IKEMEN (ē´k´mɛn): Japanese Slang
"REALLY, REALLY, RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING PEOPLE"
IKEMEN #2: Martina Markota
IKEMEN (ē´k´mɛn): Japanese Slang
"REALLY, REALLY, RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING PEOPLE"
IKEMEN #1: Thanos Samaras
IKEMEN (ē´k´mɛn): Japanese Slang
"REALLY, REALLY, RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING PEOPLE"
INTERVIEW: HAIM? Never heard of them
Haim (pronounced Hime) are three sisters who put most of their male counterparts to shame. This girls completely own rock 'n' roll.
MUN No.1 Aknari
Makeup artist and beauty expert Munemi Imai's organic nighttime youth serum, No.1 Aknari nourishes and repairs your...
OSCAR DE LA RENTA: AN AMERICAN ICON
For decades now, Oscar de la Renta has been synonymous with pure American luxury, dressing the upper-east side’s ladies who lunch, Hollywood’s red carpet, and first ladies from Jacqueline Kennedy-...
Hunger Games Starlet, Isabelle Fuhrman
今月28(金)日本公開映画「ザ・ハンガー・ゲーム」で決死の殺し合いゲームに挑むクローブ役の１５歳の少女、イザベル・ファーマンが本誌に演技や、恋愛について語ってくれた。
What's Zombie Boy Like on the Inside?
Nicola Formichetti’s muse is a walking Mugler moodboard. To Mugler, rare is remarkable. And Genest is nothing if not a celebration of the rare.
Blog Party: WILL PRINCE
Julia Lang is the 25 year old blogger behind www.geeksndfashion.com.
Noritaka Tatehana
Shoe designer Noritaka Tatehana harnesses his secret forces of shoe construction to snag the attention of international fashionistas like Lady Gaga and Daphne Guiness.
Blog Party: Dreamland
We are all different with one distinguishing similarity; we all have that special place in the back of our minds, the “box” as we’d like to name it, in which we store our biggest dreams, greatest...
LA BEAU DUNN
Hollywood it-girl, Beau Dunn, multi-talented model, actress, artist and philanthropist, was born and raised in Beverly Hills, the daughter of a...
Blog Party: Ciao Summer
Joanne Hegarty is a London based blogger and journalist who writes daily posts on how to live stylishly through fashion, interiors and food.
Blog Party: Why I Love The Classics
It’s recently dawned on me how most things in life are cyclical - everything eventually comes back around for a second play; rock n’ roll bands had their day in the 60’s and again in the 90’s;...
A Strong Man: Scott Lipps
As CEO and founder of one of the world’s most prestigious modeling agencies, the orchestrator behind a premier fashion blog, the star of an E reality TV show, and the drummer...
Pro-Surfer Andres Carreras Makes a Splash with new Sponsor, Cloud Kicker
J. Andres Carreras was born in 1991 and is a pro surfer from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Though only 21 years of age, Carreras has been surfing for 9 years.
Blog Party: You don’t wear your Clothes, you wear your Attitude.
...
Blog party: There is no such thing as your instinct
Julia Lang is the 25 year old blogger behind www.geeksndfashion.com.
Blog party: Nautical but Nice
My name is Joanne Hegarty and I write the blog, Ballet Pumps And Roses, which has daily posts on living stylishly through...
blog party: Hidden Treasures
Nayla , Noor and Rawdah Al Naimi are the three sisters behind the blogs Cocoa Butter, Celebrities Style and Unbreakable Diamond.
Mischa Barton – The Full Interview with TWELV mag Issue: 001
Mischa Barton – The Full Interview.
Issue: 001
blog party: One, Two, THREE FLOOR!
Julia Lang is the 25 year old blogger behind www.geeksndfashion.com.
Good Ol’ Georgia Boy
Sean O’Pry, Fashion’s hottest male model get’s a dirty makeover and muses about the simple life.
DJ-ing his Way From England to L.A.: Zen Freeman Opens up to TWELV About his Latest Endeavors
“A celebrity in his own right, [Zen Freeman] DJs and promotes for the hottest events and venues worldwide.
A Shining Example: Lauren Bush On the Noble Mission of Curing Hunger Through Fashion.
When it comes to using fashion as a force for profound humanitarian good, Lauren Bush has cornered the market.
blog party: Paris Gone Wild
Eric Waroll is the fashion editor and blogger of EricWaroll.com. At just 21, he is quickly becoming a significant part of the young Paris fashion scene.