Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day: an annual day of celebration to praise the significant achievements of women around the globe and recognise their overwhelmingly positive contribution to society at large.
In honour of the occasion, we caught up with one of our favourite female creatives, Reina Koyano.
Reina has made a name for herself in the sneaker scene with her imaginative endeavour Sole Fatale, where she reinterprets iconic sneakers into powerful women that channel the heart and soul of their famous footwear inspirations.
On the occasion of Women’s Day, we interviewed: Reina Koyano
Matt Williams (M.W.) – What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
Reyna Koyano (R.K.) – In an ideal world, every day is International Women’s Day. But, today is a day we dedicate to celebrating the beauty and power of being a woman. I’m sure men have their own set of challenges, but being a woman isn’t easy – at least in my experience! No matter what country, culture or society I was in (I grew up moving from country to country), I felt that there were always lists of expectations that we were constantly put up against.
Open any app and we’re constantly bombarded with products to ‘fix’ us. Signs of wrinkles? A new stretch mark? Better fix it before it’s too late! It’s as if we are ‘expired’ or ‘marked down’ otherwise. I come from Japan, where women are generally brought up with a notion to ‘be selected’ by men. So, naturally, we are conditioned to obsess over someone else’s approval. And, if we aren’t ‘selected’ by a certain age? Yikes, guess you’ll have to sit in the sad ‘leftover’ section!
For me, today is a day to remind ourselves that appearance and age aren’t what define a woman’s beauty. The very fact that we are a woman is enough. If you’re single, don’t even fret – it’s their loss! Our bodies are already works of art. Our voices are impactful. And, most of all, our belief in ourselves is what makes us incredibly strong.
M.W. – What does it mean to be female in this industry?
R.K. – What makes my work meaningful in this industry is the opportunity to present my perspective on sneakers. I grew up moving back and forth between Japan, the US and Hong Kong, so my environment was constantly changing. As a result, I’ve grown to understand that everyone is different, yet similar. When you practice seeing the world from another perspective, there’s always something new that you end up learning, which expands your knowledge of the world and, ultimately, teaches you more about yourself.
Sole Fatale is sort of the definition of how I see the world. Sneakers and women are two completely different things, but when you take the time to study and appreciate the two, you end up seeing interesting similarities. And, finding connections between two seemingly unrelated things is what I value in life. It’s what I believe makes us smarter as humans, drives inspiration and makes the world a better place.
What I strive to contribute in this industry is my unique perspective on sneakers as a female, an immigrant and an artist. Matt Halfhill from Nicekicks once said, ‘what’s cool about sneakers is that you can place a pair of Jays in the centre of a round table and each person sitting there would have a story to tell.’ My hope is that, when I do have a seat there, I have something impactful to contribute.
M.W. – The core of Sole Fatale is giving a female identity to legendary sneakers. Do you view certain sneakers as feminine?
R.K. – I’ve been drawing these women for four years now and recently I’ve started to really think about ‘who’ these women are and why I draw them. When I first started drawing, it was simply because they looked sexy and cool. Visually, I found interesting similarities between sneakers and the female body, so drawing was just enjoyable. ‘It’s a hot girl and hot shoes mashed up together – it’s a no-brainer,’ someone once told me during one of my exhibitions. In my earlier works, you’ll notice that the outfits are skintight and far more revealing than the ones I draw today. The more skin and curves the better!
I have over 40+ pieces now. While I was reminiscing over my early designs, everything started to make so much sense. It taught me a lot about self-worth and self-respect as a woman.
Here’s a question for you: if a pair of sneakers could get a man (or woman) to line up for 15 hours in the scorching heat, or in the pouring rain, or the freezing night… how could it be possible that a living, breathing woman can’t do the same?
If these sneakers could talk, she would be saying, ‘you want this? You want all of this? Then you better be ready to work for it.’ Doesn’t matter if it’s a male or female – people only value things that they’ve worked hard for. The proof is in every man and his ‘favourite sneaker story.’ He reminisces about the times he had to camp out, or how he entered every single raffle available online. He may have a closet full of shoes, but the ones he truly cherishes are the ones he fought for.
It dawned on me: do I treat myself like someone worth fighting for? I grew up in a society where the line between ‘humble’ and ‘self-degrading’ is often blurry – for example, when someone compliments you, you’re supposed to deny it, to be polite. That kind of mindset led me to become this person obsessed with pleasing others, even if that meant costing my own wellbeing.
Similarly, confidence was something I associated with arrogance and selfishness. But being confident actually has nothing to do with either of them. In Japanese, confidence is ‘ji-shin’, where ‘ji’ means self and ‘shin’ means belief. Confidence is believing in your own worth.
The women I draw know that they’re the shit. They are powerful, level-headed, and wouldn’t be shaken by others. They might be hard to get, but they know that people are willing to line up around the block for them. They can flaunt their bodies, but they don’t even need to show any skin to drive the world wild. That’s why they are ‘Fatal’.
They are my ‘ji-shins’. Perhaps they’ve been telling me all along to stop caring what others think and just believe in myself. Sole Fatale taught me that I deserve respect, and it starts from the inside. The more I started to love myself, I realised that the world was treating me with respect as well. It took me this long for me to realise this simple concept, but this has been a really valuable point in my journey with my art.
“What I love about Nike sneakers are the stories behind the designs” – Reyna Koyano
M.W. – Nike is clearly a favourite of yours in your work, especially retro Jays and Air Max. Are there certain qualities in a shoe that trigger your creativity?
R.K. – What I love about Nike shoes are the stories behind the designs, and how integrated they have been in sports, culture, music and even art. Unpacking those stories and reconstructing them into something new is what gets my creative energy going.
M.W. – This week marks one year since you released your first 3D sculpture: Air Mag Girl. Do you have any more sculptures on the way?
R.K. – You’ll have to wait and see 😉
M.W. – What’s next in the pipeline for Sole Fatale?
R.K. – I have a lot of ideas piled on my desk that I need to draw! The immediate ones I’m trying to get through are based on the Nike ‘On-Air’ collection that’s releasing in April. I love all the designers’ concepts, so I’m excited to draw them. I’m also really excited to collaborate with more artists this year. Painting a mural with JC.RO was so awesome, and I wanna do more of that to grow even more as an artist. Speaking of collaborations, my art will be featured in 2 events this month in LA. So, if you’re in the area, stay tuned!
Be sure to check out Reina‘s website to see more of her amazing work and make sure you follow her on Instagram to be the first to see what’s coming next!