紹介した商品を購入すると、売上の一部が VOGUE JAPAN に還元されることがあります。
Inquisitive; passionate; pioneering—just three words that could be easily used to describe Sho Hirano. Already well-known in his native Japan, the young entertainer’s star is now on the rise globally, and with it will come a number of new challenges. We sat down with Hirano to learn more about going global, his knack for style, and his plans for the future.
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──In our shoot, you’re wearing a few looks from Louis Vuitton’s autumn/winter 24 men’s collection. What did you think of the clothes?
Sho Hirano (SH): Everything was so beautiful that I couldn’t decide on my favourite, but I was particularly impressed by the cardigan with flower embroidery. I thought it was incredible—impactful, but also elegant and cute. It was like I discovered a new part of myself when I put it on.
──You were at the Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall ‘24 show in Hong Kong last year and the Paris Men's Collection for Autumn/Winter ’24 this year, right?
SH I was really happy to actually touch and wear the clothes that I’d seen on the runway at the shows. I didn’t realise how the fabrics felt until I tried it on, and the idea of putting turquoise blue studs on a tracksuit is so unexpected. There were pieces that felt more chilled out and casual, and others that made me feel sharper and smarter. Depending on what you put on, your feelings can totally change.
THE ROLE OF AN ENTERTAINER
──What was it like meeting Pharrell Williams, Louis Vuitton Men’s Creative Director?
SH Pharrell’s level of creativity is amazing, from writing music to designing clothes. I can't believe that after so many years of his career that he’s still got this deep well of talent to draw from. I feel like he can pull anything out of his pockets—is he Doraemon!? Ultimately he’s an entertainer, making music across a variety of genres, and then making clothes in the fashion world too. From the venue to the detailing of the clothes, you can really feel that he wants everyone to have fun. What else can I say, he’s just a cool guy.
──Do you relate to that, the sense that the role of an entertainer is to make people happy?
SH He’s exactly the kind of entertainer I want to be myself, so I learned a lot from him. Pharrell isn’t just thinking about creating cool clothes, he’s also imagining how the wearer will feel when they put them on.
──The shoot for VOGUE JAPAN also took cues from the western theme of the collection—was it fun stepping into that world?
SH I was so happy! The show venue had a western atmosphere, and I thought that if I had the chance to wear the collection one day, I would like to wear it in that kind of scenario too. So as soon as I walked into the studio and said good morning to everyone, I saw a lot of straw on the set and thought, ‘Okay let’s do this!’ (Laughs) Seeing all the straw that had been prepared for the shoot got me in the mood for the shoot and made me feel like I could wear the collection. So I’m grateful to the straw (laughs).
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──Is there anything about the Western or cowboy spirit that resonates with you?
SH I feel like it’s something I want to channel. I try to do things that no one else is doing, and I’m always thinking about how I can express myself in new or challenging ways while still being authentic to who I am. I get excited when I try something new, but sometimes I don’t know where I’m going with it (laughs). Like when I write songs, I have all kinds of fantasies flying around in my head—‘I like this line, but what if I took it in this direction, or tried this out instead?’ I guess getting lost like that is also part of the fun.
──How do you plan to challenge yourself going forwards? Do you have an idea of who you want to be in the future?
SH I don't really have that kind of mindset—it's not so much that I’m moving towards a goal of being the kind of person I want to be in 10 or 20 years’ time, but rather that I plan to continue doing what I’m happy doing, being the best I can be, and see where it leads me. But I think I’ll probably still be saying the same thing 20 years from now (laughs).
──How would you describe your personality?
SH I always try to be honest and grateful. Sometimes when you’re honest it can lead people to think you’re strong willed, or even selfish. But I want to live my life without compromizing, while always maintaining a sense of gratitude. I can’t lie to save my life, it shows on my face and is immediately obvious, so I have no choice but to live honestly (laughs).
WHAT’S IN A HERO?
──You’re in a position where a lot of people look up to you as a hero. What kind of person is a hero in your mind?
SH think that everyone who is older than me is my hero. When I try to think about how I will be living when I am 40 or 50, I just can’t imagine it. I’m the kind of person who struggles when I go to the public office by myself, so I consider all adults who know where to go who are able to do things by themselves to be heroes. (Laughs)
──So you have respect for people who do everyday stuff without having to think too much about it?
SH Yes, exactly. I’m not too good at life admin (laughs), so the people who can do that stuff are my heroes. I’ve never had a part-time job or worked for a company, so I feel like I haven’t become a proper member of society yet.
──How do you release stress?
SH I have a lot of hobbies and interests, and I think stress-relief comes naturally from that. I've always loved motorbikes and cars and I’m into plants too. And shopping—I bought a new pair of Louis Vuitton shoes the other day that made me feel good, I’m going to keep them forever.
──At what point do you think you’ll have reached the top of your career?
SH I’m still at the bottom! I’m around 8 floors underground. I don’t know exactly what I need to do to get to the next level, but I hope I can gradually work my way up by seeing what works and taking my fans with me. I don’t want to take the lift, I’ll take the stairs and go step by step.
FRIENDSHIP & THE FUTURE
──You performed live at Coachella 2024—did that feel like a big step?
SH It was so much fun. Also the air was very dry there (laughs). It seems that a lot more people got to know our music after Coachella, and we ended up making the top 10 in the overall iTunes chart in the US. So yeah, it felt like we took a great step forward, but of course there’s still plenty more work for us to do abroad.
──After returning to Japan, you wrote on [Japanese talent agency] TOBE’s official LINE, ‘Singing in a place where people didn’t know us lit a fire in us, but it also made me really grateful for how it feels to perform at home’.
SH It’s embarrassing, but I really did feel that way. [Prior to Coachella] we’d always performed in places where we get a really warm welcome and feel at home, so standing on stage and being looked at by people who didn't know us gave me a very strange feeling. It made me realise how amazing and gratifying it is to have the support of our fans in Japan. But at the same time, as I wrote in the post, it also made us realise that we need to work harder.
──Do you plan to travel more often (with bandmates Yuta Jinguji and Yuta Kishi)?
SH When I started working with Louis Vuitton it was a turning point for us—it’s obviously a travel brand, so it gave us a good opportunity to reconsider what travel is all about. It’s of course exciting whenever we go somewhere, I try to think of it in a way that the work we do is about the journey, not the destination.
──What do your two fellow bandmates mean to you?
SH We see each other more than we see our families, so I don't really know (laughs). But we inspire each other, and I’d be lost without them. We’re a team and have promised that we’ll take on whatever comes our way, so we want to surprise ourselves, our fans and the people who listen to our music. We want to take out some time to focus on the music, have some time for ourselves, and work to become an even better group.
Photos: Kizen Styling: Katsuhiro Yokota Grooming: Kazuomi at Lotus Prop Styling: Yusuke Ishii Interview: Mika Hosoya Adaptation: Ashley Ogawa Clarke Editors: Gen Arai, Yui Sugiyama
Contact／Louis Vuitton Client Service 0120-00-1854
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＊Louis Vuitton 2024FW Men's Collection's sales is planned to start on the 4th July and 8th August
＊Please note that the Vogue Digital cover (top header image of this article) is a social media and Vogue.jp exclusive cover. This image appears inside both the physical print edition and e-magazine edition.
Both the physical print and e-magazine editions feature the gold Vogue logo and Sho Hirano wearing a beige jacket.