“My only desire was to be a footballer.”
Fashion model JOY meets GOAL STUDIO
“Goal Studio” continue their series of
celebrity interviews this week with fashion model JOY, another star with a huge
passion for the beautiful game. Born to a British father and a Japanese mother,
he opened up about how his passion for football and love for fashion. JOY put
his heart and soul into the sport as a youngster – and he was a very talented
player, too. But alas, JOY finally chose to make a career on the catwalk rather
than the pitch. So why didn’t he go for football? And what captures his
imagination in the world of fashion?
JOY, a regular presence on TV in Japan, opened
up on why he became a model, recalled his first encounter with football, discussed
his current relationship with the game, and revealed his favourite footballers.
-You were modelling before turning
professional, right?
“I was a reader model, so I still had a long
way to go before turning professional. However, I have been fond of fashion
since I was young. My elder sister was a model, so I was able to learn lots
things from her. Later, I started to work for magazines, and I have made a lot
of fashion-minded friends. I’ve learned a lot from them.”
-You used to play football?
I threw myself into football before graduating
from Junior High. Afterwards, I stopped playing as I started a modelling career
for magazines. That said, after becoming an adult, I set up my own team so I
could play again. We joined the annual “Onshuhai” competition, which is for people
in the arts and music industry - we won the title this year.”
- Did your father get you into football?
“My father is British, but he is not
particularly interested in football. That is rare, isn’t it? As I was so lively
and energetic, he thought, ‘This kid should play some sport’. He took me to a
football school when I was three years old. From then on, I was hooked. I did
not study at all because my only desire was to become a footballer.”
- You had high hopes of making it?
Yes. At one point, I joined Arsenal’s youth
academy for a short period. I was a fan of the club and really admired Dennis
Bergkamp. The way he played was so cool, so he was a role model for me.”
- Do you have any favourite players?
“One of my favourites is Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
His style of play is cool, as is what he says. I like a player who can create a
chance and single-handedly lead a team to victory. He is beyond a colossus, as
he already proved with his countless achievements.”
- What about Japanese footballers?
“I like Shoya Nakajima at the moment. He looks
like he had a great passion for football as a boy and managed to retain that
into adulthood. He says that he always tries to enjoy football. I hope he remains
like that. He is a very exciting player. Another one is Takehiro Tomiyasu, a
defender. Regarding him, one of my close friends, Tomoaki Makino of Urawa Reds called
him, “A great young player to emerge.”
- Do you talk with Makino about fashion?
“Makino is stylish and cool. I sometimes go
shopping with him.”
JOY’s Fashion
With so many opportunities in the fashion
world, we expected to JOY to have very particular taste. However, when we asked
him about his favourite brand and his wider thoughts on fashion, he provided
some surprising answers.
- What is your favourite sports brand?
“It is Nike. I used Nike spiked trainers as a
child. That is partially why I like Nike. I am 190cm tall, so it sometimes it’s
hard to get the right size in Japan. However, Nike always stocks my size.
Another reason is that I travel to a lot of business meetings by Shinkansen (a
bullet train) or by plane. I want to be comfortable during the journey. Denim
pants make me tired, so I go for athletic clothing as it’s functional and allows
me more freedom of movement. Recently, a lot of Kappa products have been quite
fashionable, too.”
- How about another fashion brand?
“It is SAPEur, which some of my acquaintances in
Nagoya established as a street fashion brand. Among their line are some very
famous T-shirts with the basketball player Dennis Rodman. I also like the loose
silhouette Also, I always wear sneakers and it goes well with them.”
- Are you particular about
fashion? What is crucial in fashion for you?
“I don’t think about it, but I prefer loose
clothing as that allows me to move my shoulders easily, as I don’t want to feel
tight (laughs). On top of that, I don’t wear many accessories because too many
items all over my body doesn’t feel good.”
- In terms of fashion, who is your role
model, if you have one?
“When I was young, my role models were all
fashion models from magazines. However, nowadays, [all models] are more
accessible. I look at shop staff overseas or users on Instagram for reference.
When I go out with Makino, I sometimes get some inspiration.”
JOY talks “GOAL STUDIO.”
Finally, we asked JOY to provide his honest
opinion on each item in our 2019 Spring/Summer Collection.
- What is your first impression about
items of the lifestyle brand, “GOAL STUDIO”?
“This is my favourite sort of style as I like
a loose fit, so I like this brand. It is not tight, but fashionable, posh and
it is easy to wear. The tracksuit pants and jacket combination is fab. The
length, covering the back of the hand is good. The pullover looks very nice. The
design is also simple, so this brand doesn’t look to fussy.”
- Here are the bags and accessories. What
do you think of them?
“This bag is nice. When summer arrives, if people
want to add some vivid colour to their look, it will work well. Also, it goes
with a white or black T-shirt. Look at this football kit - does it mean that
people wear it in town? That’s a new idea. It looks effortless in which to move
around, so it could be good. All in all, this brand is excellent and cool.”