Mizushima’s first regular professional assignment came through the introduction of Yusuke Suga,
when he was entrusted with styling the hair of Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador,
for the legendary music program The Best Ten and the long-running talk show Tetsuko’s Room.

He subsequently styled hair for invitation-only haute couture salon presentations hosted by Hanae Mori, the internationally acclaimed Japanese couturier and a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris, at the HANAE MORI Building in Omotesando, Tokyo.
These private presentations were attended by members of the diplomatic community, further expanding his experience within the world of couture.

At the age of 31, he moved to the United States
and worked under Yusuke Suga at SUGA SALON in New York.
Immersed in international high society and the high-end fashion scene,
he cultivated a refined sense of luxury and a sophisticated aesthetic sensibility
at the forefront of the global fashion and beauty scene.

After returning to Japan, he worked with director Keita Asari
on original productions by Shiki Theatre Company,
beginning with the company’s original musical Ri Koran (Li Xianglan).
He subsequently designed and planned the hair and makeup for major productions including
Crazy for You, Aspects of Love, and Prelude to a Kiss.
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He later participated as a makeup artist in KENZO’s homecoming collection in Himeji,
under the direction of Kenzo Takada.

He was subsequently responsible for the makeup design of Parfum de Paris,
a production by the Takarazuka Revue staged to commemorate the reopening of the Takarazuka Grand Theater in 1993,
for which Takada served as costume designer.

Thereafter, Mizushima worked in Korea,
contributing as a hair and makeup artist to Korean editions of
VOGUE, HARPER’S BAZAAR, ELLE, madame FIGARO, and marie claire,
and expanding his practice within the international editorial field.
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For LANCÔME, working alongside Paris-based makeup artist Thibault Vabre,
Yusaku Mizushima was entrusted with hair styling for campaign actresses including
Juliette Binoche, Inès Sastre, Elizabeth Jagger, and Marie Gillain,
for Japan launch events and beauty editorials in leading fashion magazines.

He also styled the hair of Juliette Binoche for MEMOIRE LA BEAUTE, LANCÔME,
a publication presenting Lancôme’s philosophy of beauty.

For ESTÉE LAUDER,
he was entrusted with hair and makeup styling
for campaign model Carolyn Murphy
during official Japan launch events.
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Furthermore, for GIVENCHY collections presented in Tokyo—
which carried forward the creative vision first unveiled at Paris Fashion Week—
he served as Chief of the Hair & Makeup Team
across the respective tenures of Hubert de Givenchy, John Galliano, and Alexander McQueen.

During the Japan presentations of GIVENCHY collections under Alexander McQueen’s tenure,
he worked under the direction of McQueen himself,
alongside the maison’s lead hair and makeup team visiting from France,
serving as Chief of the Japan-based Hair & Makeup Team
and contributing to the on-site realization of the collections.

At ETRO’s 40th Anniversary Collection,
Mizushima served as Chief of the Japan-based Hair & Makeup Artist Team,
working in close collaboration with the Etro family.

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Yusaku Mizushima’s practice began with his work as a hair and makeup artist
and has expanded into an inquiry into how the “presence” of a person or a project is brought into being.

Shifting his perspective from outward appearance to underlying structure,
this process now informs his work in concept creation.

Building on his background in hair and makeup,
he continues to engage in creative practice while expanding his field into concept creation.

Across the fields of fashion, art, and culture,
he moves between thought and practice,
remaining engaged in the act of creation.

In recent years, his practice has expanded to include exhibitions and projects,
where he engages in concept development and creative direction.

JOURNAL

CREATIVE PRACTICE / CONTACT