Both Sides

I met Reichel in Koenji, one of those Tokyo neighborhoods with galleries tucked into alleys and everyone trying to figure out how to survive. She was wearing blue overalls and a white shirt—aggressively normal, the kind of outfit you don’t think about. Turns out she models. Not just models; she models for both women’s and men’s brands, and she’s cracked the code on how to be convincing in both. Different wig, different agency, different version depending on the job.

Tokyo’s creative industry is indifferent to people who don’t fit its categories. Reichel’s answer is practical: become what the market needs. One week you’re booking women’s fashion, next week you’re men’s. The wig swap, the wardrobe change, it’s all just part of the mechanics of staying booked in a city that doesn’t reward purity or consistency.

I asked if she preferred one side over the other. She smiled in a way that suggested the question didn’t make much sense. Not defensive or philosophical about it—just practical. This is what works, so this is what she does. That was the interesting part. No internal conflict. Just someone who looked at the market, saw the gaps, and figured out how to fill them.