A conversation with...
Thomas Ishii
Sometimes all it takes is one meeting to point you in the direction that suits you best. Thomas Ishii was studying management at IFM when Agnès Barret and Eric Tong Cuong inspired him to turn to design. Today, Thomas is Vice President - Creative Director for Kilian Paris and Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, where he oversees image, visual merchandising and store design for both brands.
Do you remember your first discovery of beauty or fashion imagery?
I discovered fashion, beauty, and especially perfume campaigns, through Vogue Paris magazines that my mother had delivered to Tokyo when I was a child. I was absolutely dazzled by the beauty and the magic of those images.
Was there an encounter in your career that changed everything for you?
It’s hard to think of only one encounter, as it was a series of encounters that changed everything for me. But if I had to mention just one, it would be Agnès Barret, founder of Agent Secret. She was the one who encouraged me to pursue a creative path, even though I had just completed a Management degree at IFM, and she was absolutely right! That was the starting point of a journey I’m still on today. And I know I still have so much to learn.Could you share a moment that particularly stood out to you during your time at IFM?
My time at IFM was the most defining part of my entire education. Back then, the school was still located on Rue Jean Goujon, in a private townhouse tucked behind the Prada boutique. The setting was intimate and everything we were learning was fascinating. What struck me the most were probably the workshops, when we worked alongside fashion design students on launching their brands. I was completely energised, everything felt so beautiful, exciting and full of possibility!
What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a creative director in beauty?
First of all, find your niche within beauty: skincare, make-up, fragrance? These are very different worlds, each with its own codes, language, imagery and storytelling. You need to explore and discover what resonates most with you. Then, since beauty is an extremely competitive industry, it’s vital to stand out. That means becoming specialised, understanding the market and trends, and developing your creative eye. And finally, you need to be adaptable: the market is highly volatile. The talents who persist are those who know how to adapt to change, to speed, to constraints and to innovation.
Interview by Sophie Dajez (IFM MS 2023)
After studying social sciences and communications and gaining professional experience in the art world, Sophie Dajez completed the Fashion and Luxury Management Masters at the Institut Français de la Mode in 2022. Sophie now writes for brands, fashion houses and magazines and is co-founder of Backstage Fashion Talks.
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