『ayumi hamasaki × La Perla』collaboration coming soon!

[lastminute]

I'm obsessed with that pic. ayu, keep slaying me please

[Next_Level29]

i love it!

[SayukiChoco]

I don't like that photo very much. Am I really the only one who thinks that her pose looks a little awkward? It looks like she tries to keep her head up so that blindfold thing doesn't slip down or something like that. It just looks so unnatural. Well, but I don't give hope up yet. Maybe the other pictures will look better.

I think this whole too sexy thing is just a matter of taste. Some find it overly sexy, some does not and I think it's neither of it...

[xLuna&1LOVE]

@Fubuki, even though we are not sharing the same ideas about this photograph, I think your post was very insightful. I think the only way I can convinche you in liking this picture is to change your view on this theme. You saw something captivating and story telling in controversial pictures like LOVEppears cover and the Because of You PV. It might be a bit harder to look for something 'behind the scenes' with the La Perla picture, because it is very commercial. The reason why I love the photograph is that she is playing with a fantasy that is male but above all very female. I really do not think that she is dressed (or undressed) like this because "Japan likes to see her that way" or that she is forced to do anything against her own will. If she posed for such purposes it would be very unlike her. To me she is speaking as a powerful woman caught in her own fantasies and dreams.

Maybe it is a very sexist thing to say about my own gender but... our sexuality, or our identity, is a confidence boast. It is not necessarily promiscious to be open about it. I think that is the best thing you can keep in mind while you look at Ayu in this picture. But if that is something you cannot agree with that is totally fine. The difference between our thoughts keep the balance between what is acceptable and what is not. I respect that.

IMPORTANT EDIT: I would like to rephrase one thing I said in this post, and that is that our gender/sexuality gives us (women) a confidence boast. Naturally, this would be in an ideal world. It was very naive of me to say such thing while there are a lot of girls and women in the world that still suffer from several problems only because they are born female. We cannot simply turn our heads away from that and say it is all good. I have thought a lot about this sentence and decided that this has been a very poor choice of words. My apologies for that. What I meant to say is that our sexuality - in whatever form it comes - is that could give us a confidence boast. Because, sexuality does not mean a gender, but feeling okay with who you are and want to be. And that is something we should not be ashamed to be open about it. So, seeing Ayu being comfortable by who she is and feeling beautiful by doing so, is an huge inspiration!

[Fubuki]

Originally Posted by rainbow_smile

@Fubuki Sorry, I didn't mean to attack you. It's just that, this is not the first time Ayu's doing this

I personally think, for instance, in the Duty cover she could be viewed just as submissive as here. But then again, I don't agree that opening your mouth and covering your eyes with a mask = submissive... That's the problem I have with the society. Whenever something is used in a sexual context, it always gets associated with sex and then everyone sees innuendos everywhere.

And I could never get how her LOVEppears cover is more meaningful than any other nude shots, except for defending the "old Ayu".

Ok, now I see your point better, thanks for that. Yeah, come to think of it, the first time I saw Duty (it's not long since I became a fan), I thought: "Oh, she's so sexy here!", and it amazed me, because generally I don't like tight clothes. And as I said, I know that she's always been doing that kind of photos, actually I never thought of her as an "innocent child" as many seem to have done before seeing her topless shoots of 2010, and I think that when she wants she's still just as cute as she was in 2000, what I don't like is more the way she's doing it, but as I said, I hope that by being countered I'll gradually change my mind, because it's not like I can get frustrated and upset any time I see her doing something sexy, otherwise I'll become like those people you told about, and it's the last thing I want!

Originally Posted by pepper

I always liked Ayu because she was controversial in her own way. (Ladies Night, DUH? do you even know what she is representing out there -.-?"""" but I LOVE it.) I never thought she was vulgar, even in Sparkle. (she wasn't even erotic for me, she was kinda cheesy )
this photo is amazing!~~

Thanks for answering. Actually I think more or less the same, even if I happen to find Sparkle pretty erotic (but in a good way this time). I don't think of her as a vulgar person by herself, just that she's being pretty direct to me, but as I'm saying for the 100th time, I know that I'm the one who's wrong, just that I couldn't change my mind by myself. When I first heard "You & Me", for example, I remember that I felt some kind of sexuality in a line and I thought: "What a cute way to express it". Now it may be just because I'm more used to her ways and they look too sheer, but I didn't feel too good and I'm sorry.

Originally Posted by Lady Dynamitez

^ Let me quote myself for a second here


Generally, I said. Generally. Because this isn't just a single case where women are criticized for showing skin. My quote continues with 'or calling her raunchy' which you did.

And well to be fair the way you commented here:

DOES sound like if you don't change your opinion on sexual themes, then you'll lose respect for her or don't admire her as much or something along the lines, is what I'm getting from that. "I don't like someone I care about using it [her body] that way" as if you own her body and get to control how and what for she is using her own body? Eh, I unno.

To be honest, I don't even really get any really sexy vibes from the image, not really. Someone somewhere mentioned that they didn't even notice her chest was covered with her arms and while I had noticed that, it didn't shock me like that. I really like the image though

They're just boobs, so what!!!

Thanks for answering and sorry for misunderstanding you. In any case I didn't want to say that she's become a raunchy woman, just that this photos (as well as the other ones she took earlier for the same brand) are to me more raunchy than all the others I've ever seen of her (I'm not a native speaker, sometimes I could write something I don't mean). You could say that a cat is more vicious than a rabbit, but this doesn't mean you can't take a pet cat because it will eat you. I don't want to control the way she uses her body, but as she's someone I really look up to (despite being more or less her opposite socially), I got disappointed seeing this, because in the environment I grew up in, we never even mentioned sexuality, it's something I found out on my own, and mine has always been like a secret to hide from everyone who isn't involved. I know that I'm wrong and I think I'm the one who must change, not Ayu. But I need to change inside, because my brain already knows the photo is ok! I need to change so that I can watch it again and think about how good (as always) she looks, not about how far she'll go with showing her body to everyone or other things that don't concern me. I hope I've been more clear this time.

That said, since this is not the topic of this thread, I'll like to repeat that I think this photo will be somehow involved with her new A BEST. As I said, it's basically very similar to the original one: she's naked (in the other one she was maybe wearing something, but we can't see it because she was too close), the black&white filter used is very similar (I'm talking about other aspects, such as the opacity) and the angle is similar too. Reflecting about it, I realized that whatever is covering her eyes in the new shoot could be pretty interesting to compare with the original A BEST cover, because I think that her eyes there were the most dominant part (she's crying and they're more or less in the centre of the attention, at least to me).

About her eventual new studio album, which I think will come out too, I admit that I have no clue. The PV of Winter Diary ends with "To Be Continued...", so maybe she'll make another "Diary" song, maybe "Spring Diary", that would be maybe a little predictable, but she can still amaze us with everything. This is just a supposition, though, because "Angel" finished with "To Be Continued..." too, but I don't know of any possible continuation, even if I have some rough ideas (I'm not very well-informed, so please correct me if I'm wrong).

[My Rainbow]

She looks great and y'all betta deal.

[pepper]

I also love when people are complaining about boring photoshoots and then she is doing something diffrent and its "baaaw boobs/weird/etc"

[Minttulatte]

I was expecting some drama over these tbh. I know some people hates it when Ayu uses a sexy image for a change. Where are all those funny people?

I'm not going to say who that black and white photo reminded me at first because it will piss some people off for sure lol.

[~angel*ayumi~]

Originally Posted by drdolce

I was expecting some drama over these tbh. I know some people hates it when Ayu uses a sexy image for a change. Where are all those funny people?

I'm not going to say who that black and white photo reminded me at first because it will piss some people off for sure lol.

Check the New Album Thread

[NintendoHTF1242]

Originally Posted by drdolce

I was expecting some drama over these tbh. I know some people hates it when Ayu uses a sexy image for a change. Where are all those funny people?

I'm not going to say who that black and white photo reminded me at first because it will piss some people off for sure lol.

Honey, after Party Queen we ain't got shit to say no more lmao. Besides, these photos are gorgeous.

[AyuFan2008]

Originally Posted by xLuna&1LOVE

@Fubuki, even though we are not sharing the same ideas about this photograph, I think your post was very insightful. I think the only way I can convinche you in liking this picture is to change your view on this theme. You saw something captivating and story telling in controversial pictures like LOVEppears cover and the Because of You PV. It might be a bit harder to look for something 'behind the scenes' with the La Perla picture, because it is very commercial. The reason why I love the photograph is that she is playing with a fantasy that is male but above all very female. I really do not think that she is dressed (or undressed) like this because "Japan likes to see her that way" or that she is forced to do anything against her own will. If she posed for such purposes it would be very unlike her. To me she is speaking as a powerful woman caught in her own fantasies and dreams.

Maybe it is a very sexist thing to say about my own gender but... our sexuality, or our identity, is a confidence boast. It is not necessarily promiscious to be open about it. I think that is the best thing you can keep in mind while you look at Ayu in this picture. But if that is something you cannot agree with that is totally fine. The difference between our thoughts keep the balance between what is acceptable and what is not. I respect that.

It is a confidence boost because so many women are used to judging themselves by what others think, which is sad.

Being promiscious is not a bad thing if it is the womans choice. If that is what she wants to do, she has that right.

Also, nudity does not always equal sexuality. I don't like nudity when it is used to sexualise or for exhibition but Ayu's pictures are always artistic and shot with class and elegance.

I think she looks beautiful and I wish she would pose nude for an art shoot, it would be stunning.

[orbitalaspect]

I think the La Perla photo is the most original thing Ayu has done since GUILTY.

BRING.
IT.
ON.
AYU!

Frankly, she needs to drop the cutie act. She's a middle-aged woman now, and the La Perla photo only enforces that Ayu is comfortable with her age, her body, and her lifestyle. My GOD would I be 100% in support of this being an album cover. I think she needs people to respect her as a commercial artist and untouchable icon again.

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

I love the photo.

Ayu has incorporated SM into her career for years now. Like...at least since that GQ photoshoot. I can't think of any examples before that? But my name's WOMEN saw her really embrace it.

[orbitalaspect]

Yeah... The second photos... In the red...



It wasn't cute when Seiko did it... and I remember explicitly saying I was worried Ayu would, at some point, do something so corny looking as Seiko did.

I think the BW photo is amazing, very artistic. The other two...

[tenshi no hane]

Love the photo! Sexy and classy.

Although I find it ironic she's not wearing any lingerie while promoting lingerie I guess the eye thingy is one of their products? edit: Ok, it's a garter.

[280301]

IMO Ayu has depicted both submissiveness and dominance in terms of sexuality in her career. I think if there was another figure featured in this image, perhaps I would say what she is trying to portray is submissiveness, but I don't know, I feel that Ayu is also 'owning' her own (well, lack of) 'gaze' in this photo. It is powerful. I feel as if she is calling out to me, rather than me simply absorbing a raunchy image (if that makes sense).

[LiDaYu]

Originally Posted by tenshi no hane

Love the photo! Sexy and classy.

Although I find it ironic she's not wearing any lingerie while promoting lingerie I guess the eye thingy is one of their products?

How you are innocent!
So you don't know what is a garter? In wedding, husband have to pick it off with his teeth... And it's a little more sensual on eyes for sm act...
And this one cost 300€ and is for sell
http://www.laperla.com/fr/cfilpd0021249.html

Come on guys? Can't you stout stop to open your mouth for bullshit when you just don't know???

Anyway it is from merveille collection and seems the photoshoot pictures used the same collection !!

[Aderianu]

I checked photos at Alvin facebook. Seems he really like to cover face of his model, that's his "thing".

LiDaYu, slow down

[koumori]

Originally Posted by LiDaYu

Come on guys? Can't you stout stop to open your mouth for bullshit when you just don't know???

Yeah, this was rude. The way you worded it did make me laugh... but tone down accusing others of bullshit when they just happen to not know something. Being able to educate others on lingerie is a rare, fun occasion, right? Or maybe that's just me, never mind

[tenshi no hane]

I know what a garter is. Excuuuse me for not immediately recognising something that's supposed to go on her leg. You could've explained without being rude.