Naomi Watanabe wears [**LRS STUDIO**](http://www.lrs-studio.com) coat, [**DIOR**](https://www.dior.com/en_us) pearl necklace, [**FENDI**](https://www.fendi.com/us/) gold necklace, and [**FARIS**](https://www.farisfaris.com) earrings and cuffs.
[Order Naomi Watanabe’s cover of Flaunt Magazine's #ThePhoenixIssue #170 HERE](https://flaunt.com/store/issue-170)
From the mindless double-tapping of colloquial thirst-traps on our Insta feeds to inadvertently jumping onto the bandwagon of nuanced beauty trends (cue highlighter-dotted dewy-skin, Kylie Jenner lips, and the ever-perennial boy-brows), the pressure to uphold an augmented standard of beauty is not only abound, but is perhaps the single greatest bane of the post-dot- com era.
These seemingly benign everyday interactions with the digital world, and the media that we consume to stay informed, are being weaponized against us, sometimes even against our will, in an effort to mold our inner narratives. Creepily person- alized ads coerce us into shopping the latest designer drops. Perfectly-staged and heavily-filtered obligatory OOO swimsuit thot-shots instill in us a crippling FOMO, and subsequentpangs of self-loathing. These are psychic injuries, and they accumulate over time to wreak havoc on the framework of our self-identification on a subconscious level.
Aside from being the universal starter-pack for body-dysmorphia and status-anxiety, the touted positive impacts of social media somehow manage to balance out the pernicious aspects by compensating in monumental ways as a universal platform for challenging the status quo, forging real-time connections, obligatory meme appreciation, cautionary narcissist abuse self-help accounts, ASMR wormholes, staying on the pulse of all things media, intersectional means of self-expression, et al.
When controlling the algorithm is out of our control, we have the option of mitigating some of the anxieties surrounding its unsavory perils by joining the insurgence of progressive socio-political movements sweeping social media that are hellbent on dismantling the self-perpetuating toxic culture that is keeping up with the carefully curated Jones’. Hailing from Tokyo and raised in the countryside of Ibaraki, Japan, Taiwanese-born Japanese comedian, actor, and fashion designer extraordinaire, [Naomi Watanabe](https://www.instagram.com/watanabenaomi703/), has lifelong bore the brunt of body-shaming in a nation that glorifies petite figures. She has taken social media by storm as a crowned jewel of the body positivity movement with her penchant for subverting dated body-shaming traditions. For those not in the know of Watanabe, she more commonly widely regarded as the “Japanese Beyoncé,” since making her foray into the main- stream limelight in 2008 when she debuted on the Japanese variety show _Waratte Iitomo!,_ impersonating a hyperbolically sultry and unforgettable caricature of Beyoncé to the title song from _Dreamgirls._
Naomi Watanabe wears [**GUCCI**](https://www.gucci.com/us/en/) jacket, [**UNIVERSAL STANDARD**](https://www.universalstandard.com) top, [**LANDLORD**](http://www.landlordnewyork.com) pants, stylist’s own gloves, and [**ANNA KIKUE**](https://annakikue.com) earrings.
With a knack for belting out jokes as the class clown, as an only child raised by a single mother, Watanabe, like a vast majority of Japanese children, would be left home to her own devices until wee hours of the night. “I would have to find ways to entertain myself so I would watch a lot of television, namely comedy,” Watanabe tells _Flaunt_. “Come to think of it, television raised me.”
Watanabe is now revered as the single most famous per- son on social media in all of Japan with a whopping 9 million follower count on Instagram alone. Unconventionally stunning, vivacious, and exuding show-stealing streetwear swagger head- to-toe, the showbiz Renaissance-woman of sorts attributes her rite of passage into the hard-fought dominion of self-love and acceptance to a series of rebirths. Rebirths that in more-ways- than-one warranted psychic liberation from negative self-talk, which gradually taught her to also drown out any hateful remarks others hurl her way.
When she is not featuring in large-scale TV commercials and media campaigns, engrossed in sketch-comedy projects, or starring in miscellaneous Japanese films, Watanabe, both literally and figuratively, has her hands full with designing body- and age-inclusive silhouettes for her streetwear brand, _Punyus,_ which puts the “k” in kawaii, and takes the street style fashion cake. Read below for more on her career, inspirations, and collaborations––old and new––straight from the source.
**How has this seminal rise into the mainstream limelight shaped your career since?**
ctually, that wasn’t my first time doing a comedic act. I started out primarily dabbling in sketch-comedy, and then once I started performing solo, my Beyoncé impersonation just happened to be one of the many that I was doing at the time. Once I became focused on performing it more on TV, it blew up. And I was honestly taken by surprise when it got the level of media attention that it did. I started appearing on _Waratte_ the first year of my public career, so it was a quick transformation from there. Not going to lie, I felt a lot of pressure to continue to do the Beyoncé bit, and keep dancing and singing, when what I wanted to be doing more of instead was sketch-comedy.
However, I actually got to perform my Beyoncé impersonation in-front of Beyoncé herself, and she was the one who coined me the “Japanese Beyoncé,” and that stuck I guess.
It was very exciting for me to meet her in the flesh and have her on the show. _Waratte_ is really popular in Japan; even Will Smith came on it, and I had the pleasure of performing in front of him, too. He returned to the show six months later, and introduced me to his friend as the “Japanese Beyoncé.” I was delighted that he remembered me, and came back to see me perform again. Beyoncé, on the other hand, hasn’t returned to Japan since. I may have pissed her off after all \[laughs\]. I still do my Beyoncé impersonations, but mostly investing in sketch-comedy.
Naomi Watanabe wears [**ADAM LIPPES**](https://adamlippes.com) top and pants, [**ONITSUKA TIGER**](https://www.onitsukatiger.com/us/en-us/) shoes, [**FENDI**](https://www.fendi.com/us/) mini bags, and [**KATE SPADE**](https://www.katespade.com) earrings.
**Were you always vocal about body positivity, or was it spurred by a monumental revelation that you would like to share with us? And was there ever a time when you didn’t feel as comfortable in your own skin as you do now? If so, how did you come to avert it?**
When I was in my teens, I was definitely way more self-conscious about my body largely due to the fact that it was so challenging to find anything stylish in my size, which made me feel like I shouldn’t try to be fashionable. So once I started to make public appearances as a comedian, I started experimenting with wearing different color hair extensions, and statement pieces as a form of self-expression. People still relentlessly dissed me for being overweight. They passed harsh comments like, “Why are you trying to be so stylish when you’re so big?” I slowly adapted to a more positive mindset thanks to the overwhelming support that I received from my fans who cheered me on. That being said, body positivity is still a notion that needs to be universally accepted.
Japanese people to this day prefer skinny figures, and regard being petite and thin as the ideal. But my understanding is that it’s not solely Japan that adheres to this dated kind of thinking. When I collaborate with US-based brands, often on social media, I still get messages from people asking the brands to not use someone plus-sized like me. So yeah, even though body-positivity is getting recognition as an important and necessary movement, discrimination and unrealistic beauty standards are still rampant. This is not just a Japanese issue, it’s a worldwide issue that must change.
Naomi Watanabe wears [**CLAUDIA LI**](https://claudia-li.com) coat and [**GCDS**](https://gcds.it) necklace.
**On a lighter note, how does it feel to be endowed with your own Instagram filter, which is the equivalent of winning a Nobel Prize in social media clout?**
When that opportunity presented itself, I was very grateful. I wanted to be able to create a fun app that lets users wear my eccentric hairstyles such as my signature buns. This gives everyone the chance to be me! Am I the one being narcissistic now? \[Laughs.\] Jokes aside, I work very closely with Instagram Japan, and I’m flattered by the large volume of collaboration leads. It’s through their support and encouragement that I continue to thrive.
**While on the topic, in 2018 you were additionally inducted into** _Time Magazine’s_ **“Most Influential People on the Internet” list. How has this impacted your life?**
I honestly don’t feel that there’s been a noticeable difference. But I try to be more mindful since of the content I post, like not showing my nipples. \[Laughs.\] I’m not a nudist, or anything like that, but I try to be more conscious of not posting content that would be considered inappropriate (even though I’m obviously a staunch proponent of body positivity). As an influencer, I try to be as informed as I can be. Since Japan is prone to a lot of natural disasters, I make it a note to post about evacuation procedures and share relevant information with my audience. Since this development, I guess there has been an onslaught of collaborations in the pipeline, and that’s mostly it.
**Have you ever experienced rebirth? What was the context?**
Looking back on my life, I’ve experienced rebirth many times starting when I was 18 years old. That’s when I made my move from the countryside of Japan to Tokyo, which was a huge culture shock for me. Another major rebirth for me was when I moved to New York City at the age of 31. I find adapting to different worlds to be a form of rebirth in its own right. And as a person who is constantly chasing a proverbial “rebirth,” I hope I can continue to find it through my encounters with new people who both challenge me and root me. Regardless, I find all people to be fascinating, and a huge part of my journey.
Naomi Watanabe wears [**SIMONE ROCHA**](https://simonerocha.com) dress and earrings.
**You’ve launched your streetwear brand,** _Punyus_**, which means “pudgy” in Japanese. What drew you to the fashion industry when comedy and acting have historically been your wheelhouse?**
I was inspired to start my own clothing line simply because I have had such a hard time finding anything cool to wear that’s in my size. The plus-size options have always been limiting. I wanted to create a brand that would not only be a platform for fashion-centric self-expression, but also be size-and age-inclusive. _Punyus_’ inventory runs the gamut from dresses to key streetwear staples for the whole family and all your friends. I design each silhouette by my own aesthetic standards, you know clothes that I personally would wear. So they are always super fun, trendy, and unique. _Punyus_ started back in 2013, and to set the record straight, it is not just a plus-size brand, we carry all through sizes small and 6XL. You may be skinny, but your friend may be chunkier, but you can still shop together and coordinate outfits. _Punyus_ makes that a possibility. This jumpsuit that I’m wearing is actually _Punyus_, and it’s Japan-themed, as you can see. But most of the prints that are typically food-themed, you may have an oysters print on one, or a pancake pattern on another. It all varies. We have actually done a collaboration with Disneyland Tokyo due to a high volume of teenagers customarily showing up in coordinated _Punyus_ outfits. It was happening so so frequently that Disneyland reached out and proposed the collaboration.
**Tell us about your 2020 campaign with fashion behemoth, Kate Spade. How did this major collaboration come about, and what were you most excited about as a first timer?**
It’s crazy, the ads are all over New York already, not sure if you’ve seen yet. This was an incredibly exciting collaboration for sure. Fans in Japan were very thrilled to hear about it, too. You know, I speak minimal-to-no English still, and moved out to NYC less than a year ago technically. Not to mention, I have only spent six months out of the year here. And the fact that this collaboration came about is honestly a huge surprise. I’m so grateful for it.
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Photographed by: [Dalong Yang](https://www.instagram.com/dalongdalong/?hl=en).
Flaunt Film Directed by: Bell & Gabriel.
Styled by: [Rika Watanabe](https://www.instagram.com/rikawatanabe318/?hl=en).
Hair: [Nero](https://www.instagram.com/nerohair/?hl=en) using [Bumble and Bumble](https://www.bumbleandbumble.com).
Stylist Assistant: Rika Kaneko.
Hair Assistant: Risako Itamochi.
Produced by: Cory Couture Productions with FTL Moda
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