[Translation] Sweet January 2006

[isaac hiew]

Ayumi in her favorite brand’s latest Spring/Summer fashion


Ayumi in her favorite brand’s latest Spring/Summer fashion
The sole decorator of 2006 is got to be her!
Therefore, the very first cover girl of the year 2006 is our Princess Ayumi.
This time, she turns to black color styles and straight long hairstyles, transforming herself into an upper-class lady, while she chooses her favorite 3super fashion brands for her new characterized, graceful and vivid look!


D&G

Since I dyed my hair to black color, I started to dressed in black too

“After seeing all the lavish array of new fashion stocks of Spring/Summer 2006, I realized that those products that have strong personality in their design really captures my heart. Among these I think D&G’s coat and long pants set suits me the most. I usually like half-long pants. The goodness of these trousers is that when you wear it, it can thoroughly show your body curves. By the way, since my hair was dyed black, I started to turn to those dark-colored dresses. Little did I know I started to purchase those dark-colored accessories…(Laughs) But then during the times when I was a blonde, my stuffs were mostly bright and shiny.”

Black coat: 85050 yen, Long pants: 34650 yen, Belt: 10500, Bra: 4200 yen


Emanuel Ungaro

The cutting shows a sense of mature
So to let the dress won’t be too sweet looking

“Originally I very liked ungaro’s series of fashion accessories products. Personally I frequently wear its clothes, therefore, I would be paying quite some attention to their good regardless of types and styles. It should be quite cute looking if you wear this during the Spring/Summer, the cutting work lets you constantly letting off a kind of female radiance, even when it’s printed with flowers, it didn’t look that childish or overly sweet. Without me knowing it, dresses became one of my most-favorites. The feeling of being free is great, isn’t it? In my heart, dresses might become another phenomenon earlier than I expected.”

Lace dress: 520000 yen. Others were Ayumi’s personal items

Paola Frani

This Paola Frani’s dress seems to have cleverly using its material and opacity.

“The cutting work and the shape is very good, and the high-waist type of lining can also expressing the body curves. Although this is my first time wearing Paola Frani’s products in Sweet magazine, in truth I liked this brand very much, no to mention wearing it. This Paola Frani’s dress seems to have cleverly using its material and opacity. Because of this photo shooting, the photographer captured various sides of me, and the experience was great. Even though this is my first working with Mr. Kitajima, the photographer, but it is really funny to see that his body language during the photo shoots different to what I have been imagined all this while. It’s very interesting. (Laughs)”

Red dress: 241500 yen. Others were Ayumi’s personal items



Ayumi Hamasaki: Special Interview

Personally my way of dressing is that I follow the proposed style of the designer, but without make-up

You do not have to be terrified by the oncoming change of fashion. The reason of why Ayumi Hamasaki can still maintain her edge in attractiveness was probably her fearless and challenge-accepting attitude virtually towards anything coming her way. You have confirmed right, she has changed her trademark-blonde hair into dark color, which certainly gives us a brand new sensation with its edge in fashion sense!

“Instead to say that whether I am fully accustomed to my dark hair, I rather say that I was in a shock when I compare mirror image to my photo image taken during my blonde era! (Laughs) At that time I would personally using the default way of dressing as proposed by my fashion designers, but I won’t put on any make-up but instead using various colorful, shiny and bright little accessories. Imagine when you have a very golden bright hair and you don’t put on any make-up! Instead of saying that no make up suit better for dark hairs, I prefer like that because dark color hair gives you a feeling of balance. So to me it is rather it is not restrictive.”

In order to match the hair color, recently Ayumi ‘s casual wear also tends to choose dark-colored accessories, abandoning the hype of denim-styled looks, and solely choosing dresses to portray herself as a lady. The change of her mood can be seen a little bit from the lyrics in one of her latest songs, “Delicious” composed by Geo, SweetBox’s R&B producer. It seems that in the song, we can sense the fresh hybrid of her voice and the R&B music that tries to spread “the truth”.

“I won’t have the mindset of “do something new and let everyone feel amazed”. Of course in my way of thinking I must strive for new creations and new ideas. But I do not change for the sake of changing when I release this single. It is because of good causes from various sides that fulfils it. My collaboration with SweetBox is also the same, I always tend to listen to their songs. I remembered long time ago on one day, I told my staffs that I wished to sing songs composed by Geo, then, without my knowledge, they really tried to contact him and just before I forgot it completely, they suddenly passed a 12-song demo tape to me. (Laughs) Geo is a perfectionist and he has a very creative mind. When I said “I want to interpret this section of the tunes into this kind of feeling”, he gave me very good answers. So this time Ayu isn’t just only interpret SweetBox’s songs, but we all do it together in same perspective.


Right now I have a strong message to send to all the women

“Bold & Delicious” and the beautifully performed “Pride”. Both of these new releases tries to express the views of Ayu regards to those women who do not give up easily while moving forward against the harshness of reality. It has become the theme of both songs.

“I always tend to be straining myself while forgotten how to enjoy my life to the fullest without knowing it. However, the lyrics of “Bold & Delicious” and “Pride” illustrated n environment of enjoying our lives. In the past, I tend to defy pessimistic way of thinking, while I also gone through hard times where I have to pretend to be confident, while I have none at that time. Comparing to last time, there is nothing left for me to fear, eh? So it is alright even if I’m now discouraged. I know it’s impossible to be without confidence, but if I have thoughts like ‘If I have this personality, what kind of adults will I be?’ Then no matter where do I start or how do people view me, I would feel “fine”. ”

Having such thoughts, Ayumi sends the messages through various genres of music such as R&B, rock, eighties pop and forge them into her latest album, “(miss) understood”.

“Right now I have a strong message to send to all women. Aren’t nowadays all modern females have a strong will of independence? Instead of saying that I am trying to shape out a feeling of a new born feminism, How about saying that I am trying to spice up their lives? On the other hand, I also wanted to give them my good wishes while watching them from a far place.”

Therefore in the album, it sort of sending a message from a woman’s perspective, sort of a kind of “girl’s talk” while aiming to give moral support to each other to produce a sense of “strong will” with a pinch of gentleness.

Even if you’re a woman with powers, sometimes you will feel weak and low too. Right?

“This phrase means, the strong-will that the album wishes to convey. And that strong feeling is about the complete comprehension of all the suffering and bitterness. It is not about escaping and denial. Even if it is painful we still have to bear with it. How to put it… kind of ‘as long as you have the ability, you can get anything’… that sort of thing. For men, it’s positive. But for women, it might cause fear and worry sometimes. So what I wanted to send (in the album) was that, if you could just totally practicing your belief or principle, you can say things that you really meant. Not only encouraging yourself, this proves to be useful to other women who were working hard in other parts of the world. Maybe a lot of women will look at me and say “I must keep it up” to themselves. On the contrary, when I see these women of the new era working so hard towards their goal, it gives me the courage to move on, too. The strong will of “(miss) understood” must be originated from that time.”

Note: you can look for the scans at here

Translated by Isaac Hiew
24th January 2006
From Sweet Magazine International Chinese Edition
January 2006

This article cannot be used by/on/at any other platform/media except Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai forum. If you want to use this article, please send me a PM as well as give me the credit for translating the article. Thank you.

All prices shown in this article is based on the time of printing and may subject to changes. The author and the AHSF management do not have fault should the prices change. All further enquiries should be referred to respective fashion brands.

The author claims translation rights. All original texts belong to Sweet Magazine International Chinese edition.

[Alexander de Aaroy]

Thank u so much for the translation!

[isaac hiew]

Little background knowledge:

1) Sorry dudes! I missed out the colour nails section!
2) I got the book in KLCC (Petronas Twin Tower) Kinokuniya. Direct Taiwan Import and it cost me RM38. Ouch! But worth the pain.

3) Sorry for being away for soooo long! This is my New Year's gift to every one in AHS. To those who haven't seen me before, I'm Isaac Hiew, one of the administrators of AHS. Nice to meet you (bows).

I used to translate articles from common magazines as far as 1999, when Ayu's still in her debut. Then as her popularity declines in my country, the source of info gradually vaporizes..... *sob* now I'm hunting for her exclusive appearance in one of these fashion magazines.

So I'm looking forwardto serve you all. You guys are welcome to voice out your ideas about this translation. But if you just wanted to say "thank you", please just PM me will do. Thank you.

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

thank you!!!! XD

[AyuGAME]

many thx..i read it now

[evechoco]

thanks for the translation

[Queen Bee]

Thanks for the translation

[HanabiChick]

Thanks for the translation. It's interesting the way she describes the thoughts behind the album.

[ohsixthirty]

i haven't read the sections on each fashion designer because i'm at work right now, but i enjoyed reading the interview section. she's all about women's empowerment, makes me feel left out since i'm a guy, hahahaha! seriously though, i really like the message, especially when she says she isn't trying to shape out a new feminism, but she's just trying to "spice up their lives." i'm such a feminist myself (even though i'm a guy), so i think its really respectable of ayu to try to send out this message.

and thanks so much for the translation.

[Qt Mashi]

wow~ i'm really glad that this album is mostly from a women's perspective, it makes me want to read the lyrics more~

i relly like the way how Ayu represent women, other artists always make women as sex slaves or something...

[Sweer]

thx so much for this translation

[sexysaucestar]

Wow, awesome =) Very enjoyable article.

[nmskalmn]

Thanks isaac.

[isaac hiew]

I can see that she is quite a feminist. So the theme of (miss) undertood is basically a big ganbatte! to all the women around the world.... sweet.

[Raleigh]

Your translation is always an exciting event. It's interesting how Ayu's style has changed with her hair colour and with regards with her album.

[Mirai Noah]

Interesting to read about Ayu's ideas on fashion, and also (miss) understood. I think that it's funny that her style changed with her hair color. Thank you for translating.

[Cyria]

Thank you for the translation! I liked reading what she thinks about style.

[PrismaticTears]

Originally Posted by Qt Mashi

i relly like the way how Ayu represent women, other artists always make women as sex slaves or something...

I was a bit disappointed with My Name's Women in that regard, she was using sexuality in the PV to show dominance over men.

Other than that, I love the comment about how with dark hair as opposed to light hair she doesn't feel the need to use a lot of make up. I've noticed that with her recent magazine shoots and I'm absolutely loving her looking more real and fashionable (to me at least, I don't care much for the really wild "let's toss it all together and see what comes out" sort of Japanese fashion she used to wear a bunch to be cute) rather than a cutesy, cak-makeup, over-accessorized, almost coquette sort of image.

Thanks for the translation!

[Namie]

what is she talking about? she still use a lot of makeup, for exemple on the new york photoshoot and all her bold/pride performence.

[black*cherry]

thanks a lot for your translation!