Relay Column: "Strong, Sexy, & Gracefully Mature Images" – Mirano Midorikawa's Mission to Present “Beautiful Asians”: The Story of Corsets Originating from the Rising Sun (Mirano Midorikawa)

The first direct influence I experienced was the costume designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier for Madonna in 1990. Seeing the styling of the cone bra corset inspired me to someday incorporate fetish items like corsets into everyday fashion.
At that time, there were no stores in Japan that treated authentic corsets as a part of fashion. I had a fateful encounter with a woman named Miss Antoinette and frequently visited the corset atelier Versatile Fashions in Los Angeles. She was a famous person who had been hosting fetish parties in clubs since the 80s, and she became my “corset mentor.”
Her nails were always flamboyant, her real nails were about 7 centimeters long and bent like a witch's, and she always used a thin, glittery stick to make phone calls—an image that remains etched in my memory.

When I first opened the shop, I admired the ultra-slim waists of medieval ladies and would spend almost every day wearing a corset. However, excessive tightening during corset training led to poor lymphatic flow, causing health issues such as fractures and asthma from minor impacts. I experienced near-rib fractures twice.

To wear my beloved corset for a long time, I began to engage more deeply with it. I studied human anatomy and skeletal structure to develop an original corset that makes “Asians look beautiful.”

At that time, in the overseas market, the primary corset available was the “overbust corset” that covered the chest.
I focused on the fundamental function of corsets to stabilize the pelvis and lumbar spine and ultimately created the short “underbust corset” and “short corset” that beautifully accentuate the waist.

Unending Phone Calls

At the time Baby Doll Tokyo opened, most of the customers were wearing corsets as part of SM play or stage costumes. The items that customers sought were mainly costume-like, leaning towards fetish and eros. Personally, I wanted to incorporate corsets into everyday coordination, so I suggested styles that combined them with casual wear and dresses, enjoying that fashion while in the store.
The development of a short corset that can be worn like an original belt significantly broadened the styling options. Stylists started to take an interest in my work, and opportunities for my styling to be featured in fashion magazines increased.

From 2004 to 2005, it was a significant turning point for both the shop and me.

The superstar of Japan, Ayumi Hamasaki, wore our corsets in a spread for the fashion magazine "VIVI," styled by the wonderful team including director and stylist Kei Ito and Suzuki, USHIKO. The photoshoot was conducted by Japan's leading photographer, Kazuyoshi Shimomura.

As soon as we hit the media, the store's phone wouldn't stop ringing for about three days. At that time, we were looked at suspiciously by the neighbors due to the emergence of a questionable adult shop in Harajuku. Sometimes, trash would be dumped in our mail slot, and we would receive phone calls asking, "You’re not running illegal BARs, right?" If we made even the smallest mistake with the trash disposal, we would get scolded harshly. I distinctly remember how cold the local residents of Jingumae were towards us (laughs).

However, once my design of a deep crimson dress was featured in a double-page spread on the page of the diva Hamasaki, I felt that the attitude from everyone changed kindly. It was then that I truly realized the incredible impact of media momentum and the power of a single image.

After that, artists like Koda Kumi and Namie Amuro started wearing corsets in their outfits and album covers, which brought a huge response from the public.

During the time when I was expressing a dramatic, strong, and beautiful image of women, people who were attracted to that, including those who indulged in fetish parties, drag queens, actresses, and artists, began to visit my store regardless of genre. From 2005 to 2008, the number of customers from the entertainment world surged, turning our annual party from about 300 attendees to eventually 1,000. There were even famous actresses and comedians who came incognito to my store.

My ideal has always been "strong and sexy. A supple and mature image of adult women."

While I didn't have much connection to idol culture or 2.5D culture, I was very pleased when individuals like Risa Aizawa, who passed the baton to me, showed interest in my styling.

Tuning into the Spirit of the Times

Starting around 2000, Gothic & Lolita fashion began to gain attention, and I noticed more coordination incorporating corsets and lace, enabling connections with Baby Doll Tokyo. Stylistically, Lolita fashion often bases itself on Victorian and Rococo aesthetics, featuring many A-line silhouettes. If one is focused on the youthful femininity of Lolita, a fluffy style that looks long in the torso is preferable, meaning a “waist” is unnecessary. However, to achieve a beautiful silhouette as a stylistic beauty, a corset comes into play. I feel there’s a significant difference in the silhouettes sought after in Gothic & Lolita fashion between those who pursue youthfulness and those who seek the stylistic beauty of Victorian and Rococo designs.

Initially, those who visited my store with a vague desire to “try wearing a corset” often ended up discovering the “image of femininity they desired” through trying on various outfits while communicating with me. It often took hours for one customer, creating a process similar to psychological counseling.

While I don’t follow new trends blindly, I do keep the fashion trends of the time in mind. The trend of skirt lengths and, certainly, I consciously consider details and colors of clothing trends, such as thinking, “This year it’s high-necked and backless.” By adjusting the tuning, I can achieve a styling that transcends the realms of costumes and bondage fashion, allowing my styling partners to shine even more.

"Sukeban" & "Sailor Uniforms": Unexpectedly Responsible for Designing Lady Gaga's Outfit for Her Visit to Japan

In the 2010s, an incredible opportunity arose for me to be involved in the styling of the iconic Lady Gaga. In 2010, I first encountered her when she made a secret appearance and sang at a reception party for a certain industry. I vividly remember the moment when Lady Gaga suddenly appeared in a full bodysuit about two meters away from me and began singing. Her singing was so exceptional I felt as if I was listening to a recording, and her intensity? The aura was so overwhelming, it felt like my soul could be blown away.

After the East Japan Earthquake the following year, I had the chance to propose outfits for her during her charity visit to Japan, thanks to a connection with a magazine editor I’ve been working with. Through the costumes, I infused feelings and wishes for recovery, solidarity, and support. In addition to her image as an unyielding female warrior, I incorporated elements to express Japan by channeling the image of a “tough yankee” from 80s dramas. I decorated the back with kanji characters “我我” cut in Mincho typeface. This inspiration came from a respected senior figure in the industry, Oi-chan, who described Lady Gaga on X (formerly Twitter), leaving a lasting impression on me.

Initially, I was disappointed to hear that I hadn't won the competition, but right before the news, I got a call from the person in charge saying, "Midorikawa's costume has been selected!" I was thrilled yet skeptical as I waited for the broadcast.

When I watched "SMAP×SMAP" on TV, I was surprised to see that the entire outfit was designed by me. Later, prior to a live performance in New York, she wore a white sailor suit that I designed as well. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and I found myself busy managing our store for a while.

Since she and I belong to the same generation, I believe we share similar cultural influences with Nicola Formichetti, who shapes her visuals. The design emerged intuitively rather than from a deliberate attempt. While attuning myself to the air of the times, along with her music and fashion, it was a strange feeling that the image for costume design began downloading automatically.

"Strong, Sexy, & Gracefully Mature"

Throughout my career, I have worked on styling various mistresses in SM clubs, salons, and bars, and I faced initial challenges similar to those with corsets. Rubber and vinyl costumes look better on individuals with long arms and legs, yet there are definitely those who do not suit them based on their physique as Japanese women. Wearing only tight-fit costumes can eventually start feeling unsatisfying.

For instance, when photographing a mistress who is great at bondage and has a typical dominatrix personality yet has a delicate, doll-like appearance, I often struggled to figure out how to present her with the gravitas of a real mistress. If the model has a typical model physique, everything looks good on them, but dressing a woman with a youthful impression in fetish attire doesn’t portray the essence of a mistress.

Moreover, those working in such environments have a mission to attract a specific clientele. I found myself frequently pondering, "How can I make this person look like a more sexy and wonderful mistress? How can I reflect their unique inner self in their appearance...?"

Therefore, I began incorporating only the seductive and cool aspects of rubber and vinyl fashion, combining them with softer materials like lace to express a unique style. This has become a prominent aspect of my styling up until now.

What began as work driven by inspiration and passion still feels fresh even after 20 years, and it doesn’t feel like I've been at it for that long. I have observed more women incorporating fetish items into their everyday fashion.

Shooting Kimono Corset Designs with the Team of My Dreams

As technology has advanced, like Instagram, inquiries from overseas have increased, prompting a stronger awareness of Japanese aesthetics. A particular shoot led me to meet my kimono dressing teacher, Mayumi Tsuchiya. I was captivated at first sight by her dignified posture and the beauty of her movements in kimono, and while pondering this, the design and concept for a corset that complements a kimono intuitively came to me. From that point, as if guided by something, ideas started to flow, and with the help of many talented people, we finally reached the sample creation stage. This was the first new work after COVID, and it might be something that people all over the world could see on Instagram... From this somewhat delusional vision of mine, a modern, elegant image transformed with elements of Taisho romance emerged. A visual that resonates with both domestic and international audiences, characteristic of Baby Doll Tokyo... While words came to me, I struggled to find a way to translate these ideas onto paper and had the audacity to offer my expressions to those I truly admire and respect.

The shoot took place in the Hatoyama Hall, a building that was constructed during the Taisho era, emphasizing authenticity and historical significance. In the opulence of this historic Western-style building, Anna Tsuchiya, wearing a leather kimono corset and tabi, posed dramatically and expressively, embodying various feminine archetypes as if she stepped out of a work by Tanizaki. During the shoot, although I had countless tasks at hand, I found myself mesmerized and stopped in my tracks multiple times, feeling as if I were in a dream.
Creating such a timeless moment was made possible by the ideas and techniques contributed by photographer Kazuyoshi Shimomura, kimono styling and dressing expert Mayumi Tsuchiya, hair stylist Yuya Nara, floral arrangement artist Hanachiyo, and makeup artist Hiroto Kuwahara. Without everyone's dedicated efforts, this single piece of art would not have been completed.

Finally...

The baton of fashion and technology was passed to me, but I felt somewhat defeated, thinking these topics had little relevance given my traditionally analog approach.
However, I realized that the expressions and photographs I have shared, which now appear as articles on the internet, are indeed a gift of technology.

In the future, I hope to continue sharing the culture surrounding corsets through the work of Mirano Midorikawa, and it would bring me joy to have a warm watchfulness on this journey.