SHOKO is a Japanese artist, born in Tokyo and now based in both London
and Tokyo. She is the designer for her own fashion labels
S for Shoko and Amitié.
SHOKO began working as an exclusive model for the
mc Sister magazine at the age of 16. After graduating from
Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo she moved to London where she
obtained her BA in Graphic Design and Art at
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and also went
on to complete her MA in Communication Design at the same university.
SHOKO's artwork covers a broad creative spectrum including
illustration, art installations, music, and performance art, with a
special focus on drawing and painting. SHOKO has held numerous group
and solo exhibitions in London and Tokyo and has collaborated with
many fashion labels including agnès b. (Paris),
Kate Spade New York (New York), and meli melo (London).
She has designed advertisements for SHISEIDO 'The Ginza',
posters for the London Underground, artwork for artists including
Hideki Kaji, Kaela Kimura and ROLA. SHOKO regularly publishes
illustrations in magazines such as ELLE, Figaro, NYLON, So-en,
and NUMERO.
SHOKO made her debut as an artist in 2008 with the support of
agnès b. through a collaboration in France where she
participated in the agnès b. Artist T-shirt Project. The two
T-shirts featuring her artwork were released worldwide and sold out on
day one, and exhibitions of her work were held in two
agnès b. galleries. In 2010, SHOKO collaborated over two
seasons with sister label To b. by agnès b. during which time
she participated in events and her artwork was featured on various
items which all sold out.
In 2011, SHOKO released her first music album entitled
When the sun will rise and held an exhibition of her work in
the VACANT gallery in Tokyo. She also released her 7-inch single
London my town in the same year and in 2012 Italian fashion
label Red Valentino featured SHOKO's song
In the darkish city for their campaign which was filmed by Tim
Walker for their Autumn/Winter collection.
2012 also saw the release of SHOKO's first book,
London Guide for Girls - THE LONDON BOOK (Bunka Publishing).
In 2013 SHOKO was asked by the New York fashion label
Kate Spade Saturday to do a four-day live painting performance
in the shop window of their Harajuku store - their first flagship
store worldwide.
In 2015 SHOKO released a limited edition collaboration bag with
London's luxury bag label meli melo - also loved by Catherine,
Duchess of Cornwall - which became the talk of the fashion world when
they sold out through pre-orders in both London and Tokyo on the day
before the release.
SHOKO has been writing blogs on ELLE Online and
So-en Online for over 10 years, and since 2015 she has a column
in .fatale where she has interviewed senior figures in the
industry including manga artist Momoko Sakura, singer Maki Nomiya and musician
Atsushi Yanaka from Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. In 2016 SHOKO
started SHOKO's songbook on the web magazine memorandom,
and she is currently in her 9th year of illustrating the regular
astrology feature of the magazine Numéro TOKYO.
2015 was also the year in which SHOKO made her major debut with the
release of her music album from avex entitled
A Love Letter to London. The songs and music videos were
produced by her work and life partner, musician Hideki Kaji. At the
same time as the album release,
SHOKO's London Fashion Style Book (DU BOOKS) was also
published, and in January 2016, her 7-inch vinyl single
Hope and Anchor was released in limited numbers.
In 2016, SHOKO launched her own fashion label in London -
S for Shoko - a label of high quality items made from textiles
featuring SHOKO's illustrations as well as beautiful colourful tweed
materials produced in Europe. A new collection is announced every
season and SHOKO has an atelier and shop in Higashi-Azabu, Tokyo.
In 2017, SHOKO's artwork was exhibited and sold in the main gallery of
Tsutaya Bookstore's Daikanyama branch, and in both 2015 and 2017
SHOKO's Pop-up Store was part of the UK Exhibition Fair at
Umeda Hankyu Department Store.
In 2018, at the suggestion of agnès b., SHOKO carried out a
talk show with Anna Karina, the actress who has been a
life-long inspiration for SHOKO. The show was held on 22 September,
Anna Karina's birthday, at the agnès b. Ginza store in the
presence of a crowd of fans.
In 2022, SHOKO launched a new clothing label Amitié which
features detachable collars with blouses. Since 2018 the Isetan
Shinjuku Department Store has been holding pop-ups featuring SHOKO's
designs twice a year.
In the summer of 2022, SHOKO held her first workshop for children at the Isetan Shinjuku Department Store. It included sales of paintings and children's clothing and has attracted a lot of attention.
In 2023, S for Shoko flagship shops opened in Aoyama and Daikanyama, in Tokyo!
In the future, while continuing to operate the labels S for Shoko and Amitié, SHOKO plans to continue her work as an artist across a wide range of activities including production, collaborations and music.
S for Shoko Website www.sforshoko.com
Amitié Online Shop https://amitieamitie.official.ecs
SHOKO、東京出身。ロンドンと東京を拠点に活動するアーティストであり、ファッションブランド「S for Shoko」「Amitié」デザイナー。
16歳から雑誌「mc Sister」(婦人画報社)
専属モデルとして活動し、文化服装学院卒業後、渡英。セントマーティンズ・ロンドン芸術大学でグラフィックデザイン&アート科を卒業後、同大学院コミニュケーションデザイン修士課程修了。
アート作品は、ドローイング、ペインティングを中心に、イラスト、インスタレーション、音楽、パフォーマンス等様々な表現に及び、ロンドンと東京で数々のグループ展や個展を開催。パリのアニエスベー、NYのケイトスペード、ロンドンのmeli meloなど数々のファッションブランドとのコラボレーションや、資生堂ザ・ギンザやロンドン地下鉄のポスターデザインなど広告アートワーク、ミュージシャンのCDジャケット、ELLE 、装苑、NYLON、Figaro、FRaU、Numeroなど、毎月ファッション雑誌や媒体へもイラストを提供している。
2008年フランスにてアニエスベーとコラボレーション、アーティストTシャツプロジェクトに参加し、アートワークを手掛けたTシャツ2型は全世界で発売され、初日に完売を記録、同時にアニエスベー・ギャラリー2箇所にて展覧会を開催。2010年は2シーズンを通して「To b. by agnès b.」とのコラボレーションでアートワークが数々の商品となり、イベントにも参加、商品の完売が続いた。
2011年、アートワークと音楽による初の作品集「When the sun will rise」をリリース、原宿のギャラリーVACANTにて個展を開催。同年7インチシングル「London my town」をリリース。またオリジナル楽曲が「レッド・ヴァレンチノ 」2011-12年秋冬コレクションのイメージビデオ(ティム・ウォーカー監督)に起用される。
2012年、初の著書「女の子のためのロンドン・ガイド〜THE LONDON BOOK〜」(文化出版局刊)を執筆。
2013年、NYのファッションブランド「ケイト・スペード サタデー」の世界第一号店である原宿のショーウインドウでライブ・ペインティングが4日間実施される。
2015年、キャサリン妃も愛用するロンドンの高級バッグブランド「メリメロ」との限定コラボレーション・バッグを発売。発売日前日に、ロンドンでも東京でも予約完売するという実績を残し、ファッション界で話題となった。
ELLEオンラインと装苑オンラインでブログを執筆、2015年よりハニカム「.fatale」では業界で働く先輩をインタビューする連載ページを持ち、2016年よりウェブマガジン「メモランダム」にて歌の連載「SHOKO's songbook」、雑誌「Nurero TOKYO」では2015年より毎号アストロジーのページにイラストを描いて8年目など、数々の連載ページを持つ。
2015年10月、avexよりCDアルバム「A Love Letter to London」でメジャーデビュー。同時に「SHOKOのロンドンファッション・スタイルブック 自分らしくいるための、おしゃれなセンスの磨き方」(DU BOOKS)を発売。2016年1月、7インチレコード「Hope and Anchor」を限定発売。
2016年はロンドンにて自身のファッションブランド「S for Shoko(エス・フォー・ショウコ)」をスタートさせ、オリジナルで描いたテキスタイルや、カラフルなツイード素材のアイテムをメインにして毎シーズンコレクション展開中。港区東麻布にアトリエ兼ショップを構える。
2018年にはアニエスべーのオファーにより、SHOKOの人生の憧れの女優であるアンナ・カリーナとの対談を成し遂げる。アンナの誕生日である9月22日に、アニエスべー銀座店にて開催され、多くのファンで賑わった。
2022年は新たに、付け襟と専用のブラウスのブランド「Amitié(アミティエ)」をローンチし、伊勢丹新宿店では、2018年から現在に至るまで、年2回のペースでポップアップショップを開催し続けている。夏には初めてのキッズ向けワークショップを伊勢丹新宿店にて開催。
今後もブランド「S for Shoko」と「Amitié」を運営しながら、アーティストとして制作活動やコラボレーション、音楽活動など、多岐にわたる活動を展開予定。
S for Shoko ウェブサイトwww.sforshoko.com
Amitié ウェブショップhttps://amitieamitie.official.ecs