Original source: http://lineblog.me/taba0385/archives/1036203971.html
English translation: Wen Lee from ECI
Edited by tenshi_akuma
Photos shared on Internet
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August 6th, 2015
The Keun Suk that appeared in Harajuku was only 19 years old. He was very different to the Hallyu stars to date. He’s very fashionable.
Recently, Korean fashion is getting more sophisticated, and Seoul is now renowned as a fashion city in Asia. Comfortable and reasonably priced clothes as well as their designs, some are even better than Japanese ones. In fact, Japanese artists like wearing ‘STYLENANDA’, Korean fashion brand items.
But, I found many ??? in their fashion when Hallyu boom started. To be honest, the clothes prepared by Korean fashion stylists were always something not quite good. For me who have worked for ten years in a weekly male magazine handling photo shoots, it was something which I couldn’t understand their mix and match. Bluntly, it was very unfashionable.
One day, I saw a black cocktail suit with so many safety-pins was prepared. Hmm, I understood what the stylist was trying to do. However, it was just not good (laugh). But I couldn’t refuse it. Therefore, I would try to get Japanese stylists for my interviews and photo shoots. But it was not so easy. The photos would be uploaded by Korean media as soon as the photo shooting was done. If the artists were seen not wearing their local brands, they would be in trouble.
First interview with Jang Keun Suk
As a new actor who was not yet known in Japan, it was not possible to have a stylist for him. When I was still thinking what to do, I was astounded by him! Keun Suk looked so amazing!
Checked shirt and matching hat. Grey denim jeans and white vest. White sports shoes with large logo. It might seemed a bit over but when Keun Suk wore it, the overall look was very trendy. Oh, he’s different to other Hallyu stars I’ve seen. Also, it seemed he was familiar with Harajuku (a place where young fashionable Japanese hang out). I guess Keun Suk suggested these styling with his own ideas.
I wanted to go outside for shooting his photos. I didn’t want to do it at a locked studio but outside. Then, the setting was dating in Harajuku, eating ‘takoyaki’.
Come to think of it, this plan was a bit unusual (laugh)! Shooting was on 25th May 2006, 13:00 to 16:00. This date can be a kind of anniversary? (laugh) For example, every year on 25th May, to celebrate ‘Keun-chan’s takoyaki anniversary’, we eat ‘takoyaki’ in Harajuku between 13:00 and 16:00… Hmm… My idea seemed not good.(laugh)
Keun Suk was walking along the streets of Harajuku nicely. Nobody knew him then. As other media teams all went to Meisa Kuroki’s interview, this was a photoshoot with a lot of freedom. I asked him all sorts of questions, from daily life to future dreams. Here, I discovered something very important. That was Keun Suk’s style of speech. It’s already printed in the magazine. For example, when I asked him “What type of girls do you like?” He answered, “I like a girl who has her own style. Not just in fashion, but in hairstyles or others that can express herself well. In summary, a renaissance feel girl. A rococo feel girl is not my taste (laugh).”
A renaissance feel girl???
A rococo feel girl???
This was really a very interesting expression!
He explained his own definitions as follows. ‘Renaissance feel girl’ = original, free, and innovative girl. ‘Rococo feel girl’ = following traditonal styles, a bit over in stressing feminism styles.
I used his exact words in the magazine.
Usually, these kinds of talk which were not easily understood by magazine readers are added the supplemental explanation or change the wordings. But we felt that if we changed it, it would spoil his unique style of wordings. So we dared to use Keun Suk’s original words.Even if one didn’t understand, would have to get a feel of it.
As for fans, his steadfast ‘it’s what I like so they’re called eels’ this kind of talk, it’s already started to appear at that time.
After this interview, there was a gap of a year and a half before we met again. That was Japan First Fan Meeting on 23rd February 2008 in Tokyo. When we met again, it decided my destiny and everything started then.
Please wait for the next time to share.
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[Part1] Jang Keun Suk by Akio Tahara, ‘The Tracks of Encounter’