The Quiet Confidence Of Mika Hashizume

The actor, model, and singer-songwriter discusses his personal style, the evolving relationship between fashion and identity, and what continues to inspire him creatively.

By Windy Aulia - published 17 Jun 2026

In an industry increasingly captivated by measured restraint and understated elegance, few figures embody the spirit of contemporary style quite like Mika Hashizume. The 27-year-old actor, model, and singer-songwriter has built a reputation not through spectacle, but through a distinctly modern sensibility—one that feels thoughtful, effortless, and entirely his own.

Born in Hawaii and raised between America and Japan, Hashizume first came to prominence as a model, before becoming a member of a boy group in China after graduating from a hit Chinese reality competition programme. With a growing portfolio that spans fashion campaigns, editorial appearances, and his pursuit of a singing career, he has emerged as one of a new generation of talents whose appeal lies in a rare combination of versatility, authenticity, and global perspective.

That sensibility was on full display in Seoul, where we met Hashizume, who stood out amidst the crowd of celebrities, creatives and industry insiders for the COS spring/summer 2026 show. Against the backdrop of the Korean capital’s ever-evolving cultural landscape and its own East-meets-West charm, the presentation celebrated refined silhouettes, architectural tailoring, and a considered approach to dressing, values that resonate naturally with Hashizume’s personal aesthetic.

There is an effortlessness to the way he occupies the fashion space, which he attributes to growing up between different cultures. Whether appearing on screen, fronting campaigns, or taking his place in the front row, he brings a sense of sincerity that feels increasingly rare in an era defined by constant visibility. His style is neither performative nor felt trendy; instead, it reflects a certain kind of ease, and quiet appreciation for proportion and individuality.

As the COS show unveiled a collection rooted in modern utility and understated sophistication, Hashizume’s presence felt particularly fitting. Both the brand and him share an affinity for restraint, which in turn lies in precision.

The day before the show, we sat down with Hashizume to discuss his personal style, the evolving relationship between fashion and identity, what continues to inspire him creatively, and why he hasn’t found his true sense of self, yet.

You’ve grown up between different cultures; Hawaii, China, and Japan. How has that shaped the way you see yourself today?

Constantly moving between different locations and countries has made me able to adapt. That’s one quality that I really admire about myself; that I’m able to adapt to different cultures, different settings, different languages, different working styles. I think that’s what has made me able to endure a lot more when it comes to this industry, but also realise what I have to change about myself in order to stay relevant, or to keep moving forward.

Besides that, by experiencing different cultures, I notice a lot of different fashion, different trends when it comes to different areas. That inspires me a lot when I go to different countries for all of these events that I have the opportunity to attend. I definitely look at what the people wear in those areas, and at the end, it also brings inspiration to myself, and what I can do and what I can wear.

Do you feel like you constantly have to redefine where home is?

I didn’t feel like I was ever really at home after I left Hawaii when I was a kid. But recently, I have this sense of belonging and this sense of home, and me being in Shanghai right now, I feel like I have a very comfortable lifestyle and I can live there forever. I feel like I’m at home. I finally figured out that home isn’t a location; it’s more about your feeling when you’re in that place, your emotions and how happy you are, the memories that you’re making and what you’re doing day to day.

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What usually goes through your mind right before you step onto a photo shoot set or into a recording studio?

They are all very different—when it’s a photo shoot like today or brand events, it really depends; but I’m so accustomed to it now that when I go to all these different countries, I feel no sense of embarrassment, even when there’s all these people taking pictures and stuff. I just feel like it’s my job now. But I also feel really lucky, because when I was a kid, I used to always see people that I looked up to doing that, and I used to always think, well, I want to do that. That’s so cool. So to be able to do it now, and I think back to when I was a kid, I feel really happy that I’m able to do what I wanted to do back then.

When it comes to making music and recording, I always feel this sense of happiness because I have to escape reality to do that. I don’t like to make music when I’m in my day-to-day work life, I have to take time to blank my mind and to not work. So next week, literally, I’m going to L.A to free my mind and then make music. During those times, I definitely feel a sense of bliss, a sense of, like, serendipity, where I really feel like I’m myself, and I feel free. That’s different from the photo shoots. It’s a different way of expressing yourself. When I’m making music, I feel more fragile. I feel a bit more emotional, whereas when I’m in a photo shoot, you can’t really be like that, and you have to have that confidence and that boldness in order to change your emotions and change your look.

What puts you in the zone?

There are a lot of different things. There’s a sudden sense of inspiration when I listen to other artists that are either really new to me, or artists that are really different. Whenever I hear artists like that, it gives me this sense of like, okay, I have to push myself. And if I didn’t have those moments, I feel like I’d just be stagnant.

I’m really into alternative music right now, so that has been influencing the music I make. My most recent project was called ‘Homesick’. It was a bit more personal, a bit more emotional. Whereas now, it’s not like that; it’s a bit more similar to my fashion sense, where it’s a bit more bold, a bit more confident. I like that direction that it’s moving [in].

How would you describe your relationship with fashion right now? What does dressing up mean to you?

I think it’s a sense of character or putting on confidence. It’s a way for me to show how I feel that day. It’s a way for me to dress, who I want to be. That’s how I viewed fashion since I was a kid, where every day my outfit would really range depending on the emotion that I had that day. It definitely influences my personality and my character and who I am, but I also feel like it’s a way for me to be somebody who I’m not. Because I can wear something so bold, I can wear something that’s the opposite of me, but after I wear it, I feel like I’m changing. So that’s the special thing about clothing and fashion, is that it can do things and change who you are. It can help me to express myself. I really like those qualities.

In an industry that often asks you to transform, how do you hold on to a sense of self? What grounds you?

That’s a really good question. I actually don’t know. I don’t have a ritual. I don’t have a method to be grounded. But I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. In this industry, you have to transform, you have to adapt, and you have to keep learning, because everything changes so quickly, not just in fashion, but in music as well. And I think that I’ve become so accustomed to having to adapt and having to change and having to change myself and push myself to do different things, that I don’t really have this sense where I feel like, okay, like this is who I am. I have to stick to this. I feel like I’m always willing to do new things, to change things, in order to find my sense of self. That comes with negative sides too, but, I feel like, it’s still okay now. I’ll definitely find it naturally, eventually, when I’m way older. But I’m still young. I still want to learn more and still change.

In collaboration with COS.