A shared love for fashion, a lifetime of stories and a sense of style that speaks for itself.
Known for their distinctive style and everyday outfit videos, Aki & Koichi have become unexpected fashion icons in their seventies. Their new book, Life/Style, takes us beyond the outfits, sharing personal stories of family, culture and a life spent together.
To celebrate the launch, we caught up with the duo and their daughter, Yuri, to talk about life beyond fashion, the memories they've made along the way and the little things that make their everyday life special.
Q: What made you smile lately?
(Aki & Koichi): Our grandson, Luca. He makes us laugh all the time. And we have a new granddaughter joining the family, so there’s a lot to smile about right now.
Q: Your daughter Yuri started sharing your outfits online, and suddenly the world was watching. What has surprised you most about this unexpected chapter of your lives?
(Yuri): I think what has surprised all of us most is how genuinely people have connected with them. I started the account simply because I loved the way my parents dressed and wanted to document them. None of us expected it to become what it has. But I think people respond to something beyond the clothes. They see two people in their seventies who are still curious, still having fun, still expressing themselves, and very much dressing for themselves rather than for anyone else. Seeing how much joy that has brought people has probably been the most unexpected part.
Q: Aki, is there something in Koichi’s wardrobe you’ve always wanted to steal? And Koichi, what about Aki’s?
(Aki): His jackets. I’ve borrowed quite a few over the years. I like things oversized anyway, so sometimes his clothes work perfectly on me.
(Koichi): Aki’s accessories, mostly her cashmere scarves and sweaters. She likes to wear things oversized, so they fit me perfectly.
Q:After all these years together, is there a little habit of each other’s you’ve grown particularly fond of?
(Aki): Koichi makes coffee every morning. It’s such a small thing, but after all these years it’s part of our routine and something I really appreciate.
(Koichi): Aki is always thinking about everyone else. She remembers the little things, what someone likes to eat, what they need, and what would make them happy. That hasn’t changed.
Q: Outside of fashion, what do you find yourselves collecting?
(Aki): I love collecting a magnet from every place I visit. It’s a small souvenir, but each one brings back a memory of where we’ve been.
(Aki & Koichi): We also collect things from our travels, books, objects for the house, music, and little pieces that remind us of places we’ve been. We’re not necessarily collecting with a plan. We just tend to bring home things we connect with, and over time they become part of the story of our home.
Q: Having grown up in Japan and built a life in California, what parts of Japanese culture have stayed with you the most?
(Aki & Koichi): Probably the everyday things more than anything: the food we eat, how we host people, the importance of family, respect for others, and an appreciation for craftsmanship and taking care of things. We’ve lived in California for most of our lives, so naturally the two cultures have blended together. We don’t really think about where one ends and the other begins anymore.
Q: While putting together Life / Style, did you rediscover a memory you’d almost forgotten?
(Aki & Koichi): It was so much fun to look through photos from when we were dating, when we got married, and when we first started having children. It brought back so many memories and felt very nostalgic. We had forgotten some of the small details, so seeing those moments again was really special.
Q: If we asked Yuri to describe the two of you when no one’s watching, what do you think she’d say?
(Yuri): Something I always notice when I’m around them is that they’re always laughing. I think they really are each other’s best friends, and it shows. They have so much fun together, and even after all these years, they genuinely enjoy each other’s company.
Q: What’s something you’re still dreaming of doing together?
(Aki & Koichi): Honestly, we’ve experienced so much over the last two and a half to three years, and we’re just very grateful for all of it. We’re especially excited to meet our granddaughter very soon. More than anything, we’re curious about what comes next and want to continue enjoying new experiences together.
Q: If we joined you for lunch on an ordinary Sunday, what would be on the table?
(Aki): Oh, today is actually Sunday, and we had our family over. I made shōga harumaki, which are Japanese spring rolls filled with ginger and other ingredients. They’re wrapped in a thin pastry and fried until crisp, a little like egg rolls. We’d probably serve them alongside shabu-shabu, with rice. I love having the whole family around the table—and, of course, we would love to have you at our table.
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