“Thank you for asking me for this interview.  I’d like to meet with you when I return to Japan.”  

I received a mail this morning from Natsumi Ito who is currently overseas.  Active in Japan and overseas, Natsumi is an up-and-coming graphic designer and art director.  Her designs and illustrations, as well as her oil paintings and ceramics are amazing and bringing a in a new era of design.  “You should collect the things you like” and the gay peals of laughter will relax you.  This time around, she is the subject of the pictures.  With every picture, I felt as though she knew exactly what expression I was looking to capture as is natural to a creative type of person.

The soft feminine side and the quiet creative side Natsumi is the epitome of the theme of ARTIDA OUD, “Raw Beauty – the natural beauty of a woman”.  The words “I like” will be seen often in this interview so it’s safe to say you will get to know Natsumi Ito as she really is. 



Naturally understand what’s in the heart, freelance


―――How long have you been a freelance graphic designer and art director?

It’s been about 6 years now.  I went to a high school where they teach music so I was studying music, but when I began thinking about what I wanted to do, I thought about design and illustration and decided to go to a design school for college.  After graduation, I worked in the editorial department of a magazine company but realized that what I wanted to do was to design something to cherish, regardless of the scale.





―――So, you saw that as an important feeling to hold on to and quit your job.  Weren’t you scared once you made that decision?  

I wasn’t scared, I was more excited about what was to come.  I started as a freelancer making business cards and direct mail for fashion brands in my network, and as I increased my workload, I thought that maybe I could do not only design, but also direction.  When I put the word out, companies started to come to me for work, and the rest is history.

―――Right now, what is the bulk of your work?

Right now, art direction and photography take up most of my time.  I also do some creative brand direction from time to time.




ART DIRECTION BY ITO NATSUMI



DESIGN BY ITO NATSUMI 


It’s been several years since I started doing photography seriously.  When I was in high school, I used to take photos with my mobile phone and would update my photo diary blog on a site that was similar to Instagram.  My father gave me a camera and from that point I started to take pictures and also started to get work… It’s fun to find something new to master. 




BOOK DESIGN BY ITO NATSUMI



PHOTO BY ITO NATSUMI


―――You are now living overseas, what was it that made you make that move?

Out of the blue, I was asked to be the art director for an advertising company.  I can’t speak English so I wondered if I would be ok…but I wanted to take the challenge of working overseas.  Even with the language barrier, it all works out. 

I recently went to Europe for some photography work.  I’ve gotten a lot of requests lately to do shoots that encompass sensual and visual concepts.  For example, one was for a photo of only a leaf.  They wanted me to capture the softness of the leaves and express the world view of the brand.  I’m happier getting orders where I can do work the way I like it versus the atmosphere of art direction.  




PHOTO BY ITO NATSUMI



PHOTO BY ITO NATSUMI



I really feel like my title should be “Natsumi Ito”


―――The work you do has a strong, creative “Natsumi Ito” character to it.  Is this something you consciously think about?
You’re right.  When I do work in Japan, there always has to be a title of what you do so on my business card, my title is Graphic Design and Art Director, but in reality, I want my title to be “Natsumi Ito”.  If someone asks me what I do, I can tell them that I am working as an artist.





―――Do you find it a hard balance to being you as a creative person and you as a director? 

I thought about the balance in the beginning.  There were people at big companies that told me “you are a director who gets in and gets their hands dirty, that’s rare”.  But if I think about how much I can get involved and the balance, I feel like I won’t be able to do what I want to, so I believe in my sensibility and make suggestions.  With clients, I often take the approach that I am making something in my own image while of course, considering the intentions of the client first.






My source of inspiration is what is “important to me”


―――Is there a creator that you would like to work with?

While surfing the internet, I found Scott West in Los Angeles and am quite fond of him.  They do graphics, art direction and photography and seem to be doing art direction for a brand called Sophie Buhai as well as art direction for a select shop called The Row.  They were recommended as a top creative company in “COS”
I think that the photo texture and typography choices are very similar to mine.   Actually, I’m already in contact with them (laughs).  I told them, “When I go to LA, I will make a visit and if you come to Japan, please let me know”.

―――With regards to what you produce, do you have any sources of inspiration?

Every day, whatever I see around me inspires me.  I have a habit of collecting things so I have lots of things.  I brought a few of those things with me today.
Pine cones, stones and paper.  Also, stamps, stationery, tableware, boxes, art books and American comics… There are so many things I like and collect.  When I come back from overseas, half of my suitcase is often filled with paper or stones (laughs).

Natural things like stones and leaves are used for photos and are illustration motifs.  Things that people throw away regularly like clothes tags and camera film are also an inspiration for me.  Because they are things that focus on you.  I think you value the world as you see it from your own perspective.







―――Tell us about the things you want to try in the future.

I haven’t done it yet, but I want to try and capture the “I think I can do it” expression.  I recently started oil painting.  Also, I made some items out of pottery and displayed them at an exhibition.  A friend of mine told me that they wanted to try making pottery with me, and that was the trigger that got me started. I do graphics, illustration and photography, and as far as pottery goes, it sounds like a difficult skill but I am quite clumsy.  I think my friends who are good at it are helping me a lot (laughs)






The important thing to do is to continuously update yourself


―――Do you have a motto about work?

Always have fun.  It may seem that you are narrowing your scope by only surrounding yourself with things that you like or are interested in, but you’re not.  I’ve even worked with race cars (laughs).  Whatever you think “sounds fun”, keep a positive outlook, have fun and try it.

―――When is it that you feel most at ease？

When I’m with family or with my boyfriend.  I live with my family so we sit around the table and talk and that is a lot of fun.  My boyfriend is someone who likes history and geography and is a very serious type of person.  When we go on a date, we go to a store that I really like and sometimes go to a museum, which he really likes to do.  I’ve been to a Formalin museum (laughs).  I also feel at ease when I go to Karaoke.  It doesn’t sound like me, but I like to sing Anime songs (laughs).  I really like American comics and pop culture.




―――Is there anything you keep aware of in order to keep your work professional？

I never forget to be curious.  If you can see the road ahead of you, you can feel at ease.  But if that is the case, it is difficult to stay creative and keep coming up with new ideas.  For example, when I see something that is made by someone with less experience than me, I think “why did they make such a strange thing?” (laughs) and that’s fun, or if I see a picture that I don’t like or a design I don’t like, I think “why is this so popular?” and try to continually keep aware of my own senses.






I am who I am because of my mother


―――This brand is based on the theme of “Raw Beauty = Natural”, “the natural beauty of a woman”.  With that understanding, is there a woman who you think is beautiful?

I like women who appear in the Studio Ghibli as depicted by Hayao Miyazaki.  The leader may be Nausicaä, but I think that she is tenacious and her benevolent nature is amazing. 
A lot of my friends worry about the future, but when I start something, I try to not think too deeply about it.  I take the stance, “it looks fun, so let’s give it a shot!”  I think that kind of easy thinking is important. 





―――Mental maturity is also a major factor that draws out ones’ charm, but what do you think made you who you are today?

As a person, my mother without a doubt.  In everyday life, I feel my mother’s influence in my life and because of that, I am who I am.  My mother does not do any kind of creative work and without exaggerating, I trust her way of thinking.  If I have something I am working on and am unsure about, I go to her for advice.  My mother and grandmother both have good sense and both like the same interior shop.  For miscellaneous goods or accessories, they have the same reaction by saying “that’s cute!”, and so I think I was influenced by both and am doing what I do today because of them. 





―――Do you have a favorite ARTIDA OUD item?

All items of the “grain” series are simple and cute with rounded points and are beautiful.  My earrings are in my ear cartilage, a bit of a weird place to have an earring, but I like the ear cuff as it is simple and easy to stack.

―――"grain" is made in the image of a desert, and the motif is a grain of sand that shines under the sun.

That’s beautiful.  Lately, I have been attracted to dry places like Morocco and the desert, and the fact that I picked the “grain” series makes me feel as though it was destiny.  Knowing the motif and concept makes it look even more attractive.

The key to wearing jewelry is to not appear to be too masculine.  I avoid large things in order to avoid

looking too strong, and add delicate items so as not to appear too plain.  The ARTIDA OUD items are attractive because they are delicate and have a wonderful shine. 





―――Do you have a message for all of the hard-working women in the world?

Sometimes making time to “do nothing” is important because it relaxes your body and mind.  For example, when I am overseas I set a specific time that I use my PC.  By doing that, I am able to avoid feeling pressured and am more productive with my work.  That being said, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t stay busy.  But by making some “do nothing” time, it is good for your mind and body and is good for balance.














PROFILE
Natsumi Ito




Graphic designer and art director.  She focuses on the design of advertisements, books and paper products.  She is active in Japan, mainly in Tokyo, and overseas.  Her cool and edgy outlook on the world is expressed through her work and her fashion
http://natsumiito.jp/


Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/natsumiito.p/




PHOTOGRAPHER／YUYA SHIMAHARA

MOVIE／SHO MATSUKI

EDIT／RIDE MEDIA&DESIGN
　TEXT／HANAKO FUJITA




（Left Hand・Middle finger）
"sirius"K10 モチーフ メレダイヤリング 24,840yen (with tax)
（Right hand・Pinky finger）
"grain"K10 グレープイヤカフをリングとして着用 11,880yen (with tax)



（From the left）
"grain"K10 スタッドミニフープピアス 7,560yen (with tax)
"grain"K10 マルチスタッドミニフープピアス 10,800yen (with tax)
"grain"K10 スタッドスウィングリング 9,720yen (with tax)
"grain"K10 マルチスタッドミニフープピアス 10,800yen (with tax)



"sirius" K10 モチーフ メレダイヤ ネックレス 32,400yen (with tax)



grain"K10 マルチスタッドミニフープピアス 10,800yen (with tax)
"lotus" ダイヤモンド イヤーカフ12,960yen (with tax)