Originally from Chichibu city, Saitama Prefecture, Reina Ibuka attended Bunka Fashion College. After her graduation, she worked on lingerie brand planning before moving to France in 1997, drawn by the allure of French lingerie and lace. She traveled around Europe as an antique and vintage fabric buyer. Utilizing her experiences, she founded the innerwear brand maria-reina paris in 2000, combining lace, curtains, and tablecloths. Afterwards, intrigued by the haute couture, films, and culture from the 20s to 60s, she released Reina I. paris in 2009 that focused on the marriage of outerwear and lace. After living in France for 17 years, she returned to Japan in 2014.
Upon returning, she had initially thought of discontinuing her brand due to multiple reasons. However, coming into contact with the richness of Chichibu's nature, its people, and traditional silk weaving, she decided to start her fashion brand from scratch again in 2019. Even amidst the pandemic, she set-up her atelier with a view of the mountains beside her small medicinal herb garden in April 2021.
With the changing world and the evolving state of fashion, she continues her work from Chichibu, sharing what's important with the people around her.