Lula Japan×SEEEU 2025｜Weaving together art and fashion to inspire the senses.
Rooted in the UK-born fashion magazine Lula Magazine, Lula Japan has evolved with a distinctly Japanese sensibility. Standing apart from the fast-paced flow of information, the magazine brings together the unique visions of diverse creators to craft each issue with meticulous care. Expanding beyond print, it now embraces digital media, publishing, and exhibitions, opening up new expressive territories where art and fashion intersect.
For this feature, we spoke with Lula Japan’s Editorial Director, Kazuo Suzuki, and Editor Hitomi Yamashita, the main media partners of SEEEU 2025.
Fusion of Fashion and Art
A defining feature of the magazine is that each issue is built around a single theme based on one of Japan’s traditional colors. Lula Japan explores the meaning and cultural background of that color from multiple angles, curating artists around the theme and, at times, producing new works through collaborative creation. Each issue also features fashion stories and interviews that delve into the theme from diverse perspectives, allowing the entire magazine to unfold as a cohesive world of its own.
The theme color of Lula Japan Issue 23, released in October 2025, is ruri-iro (lapis lazuli blue). The issue features a cover by internationally renowned photographer Viviane Sassen, accompanied by both a special story and an alternate story inspired by ruri-iro. It also includes a feature on SEEEU 2025.
Editorial Director Kazuo Suzuki explains: “We aim to balance artistic expression and commercial sensibilities while pursuing creative directions that are difficult to achieve within the typical constraints of Japanese media. Although Lula Japan is a fashion magazine, we want it to function as a medium that also embraces the expressive potential of an art book.”
Yamashita: “For each issue, we curate artists based on the theme color. Photography, drawing, painting, collage, sculptural work—the genres vary widely. It’s not simply about choosing creators whose existing works happen to use that color. Rather, we ask, ‘What would this artist create if they interpreted this color?’ We collaborate with artists whom we trust will generate something new from that perspective. At times, we have even facilitated collaborations between artists to bring new works into being.”
Art Initiatives — the Publishing Project “Lula BOOKS” and the Support Program for Young Creators, “Encounter”
Lula BOOKS vol.3 "Non"
Masaya Tanak "Duality" Exhibition
The activities of Lula Japan continue to expand far beyond the boundaries of a traditional fashion magazine.
Its publishing project, “Lula BOOKS,” launched in 2021, delivers books as a platform where photography, art, fashion, and language intersect—rooted in the magazine’s editorial sensibility.
So far, the project has published a wide range of works, including a photo book by the actor and artist Non, as well as diverse collections by various creators. Beyond publishing, the initiative extends into organizing exhibitions and producing collaborative items with brands, continuously forging connections between art and society in multiple forms.
Lula Japan Web "Encounter"
In addition, “Encounter”, a feature on Lula Japan Web, presents the works of emerging creators from Japan and abroad whose sensibilities resonate with Lula Japan’s worldview. Each feature is edited and published bilingually, accompanied by an in-depth interview. The platform has become a notable space for young creators to showcase their work, with many contributors going on to secure new commissions or international collaborations as a result of their appearance—fulfilling Lula Japan’s role as a medium that amplifies young talent.
Yamashita: “Encounter has been a popular series since the early days of Lula Japan Web. We have now published more than 500 features, making it one of the platform’s signature projects—something rarely seen in Japanese media. Beyond Encounter, Lula Japan Web also offers curated news articles, interviews with artists and designers including emerging talents, and a series that presents fashion items as art pieces. Altogether, these features allow readers to engage with art in a more everyday, accessible way.”
The Resonance Between Lula Japan and SEEEU
Editorial Director Kazuo Suzuki explains why Lula Japan felt a strong affinity with SEEEU. “I was deeply drawn to SEEEU’s approach of presenting European photography and culture within the context of Tokyo—connecting these cultural experiments to this particular urban setting. I felt that this perspective resonates strongly with Lula Japan’s own ethos. It’s not simply a photography exhibition. SEEEU brings European visual languages, histories, and philosophies into dialogue with the cityscape of Tokyo, curating and presenting them in a distinctly site-specific way. I found this highly ambitious and compelling. Their willingness to take on such challenges aligns closely with the editorial direction we pursue at Lula Japan, and that is why we feel such a deep connection.”
From SEEEU’s perspective, Lula Japan is a media platform that continuously pushes creative boundaries, armed with an artistic approach and a distinctive aesthetic vision. In that sense, Lula Japan’s commitment to expanding beyond the conventional framework of fashion—toward introducing new, elevated forms of artistic expression—deeply aligns with SEEEU’s own mission.
Moreover, while rooted in its European origins, Lula Japan re-edits culture through a uniquely Japanese lens, collaborating with creators from around the world to share diverse forms of expression on a global stage. Its commitment to fostering “dialogue” between the distinct sensibilities of Europe and Japan resonates powerfully with SEEEU’s aim to cultivate cultural conversation between these two regions.
Future Outlook — Creating Platforms for Young Talent and Bringing Culture to the World
Editorial Director Kazuo Suzuki shares his thoughts on the future. “We are planning a renewal of Lula Japan Web in 2026. In Japan, opportunities for young creators to present their work are still limited, despite the fact that there are so many truly talented individuals. We want to actively spotlight these emerging talents by creating new forms of content. Specifically, we are developing new projects across a variety of creative genres, including initiatives that will introduce young creators without being constrained by category or medium. Through these efforts, we hope to build a platform that can share culture overseas from a perspective distinct from other media.”
Furthermore, on January 15, 2026, Lula Japan will release a special issue themed on CHANEL’s fragrance “CHANCE” — Lula Japan CHANEL CHANCE Issue. Inspired by the fragrance’s concept, “Take your Chance!”, the issue brings together a diverse group of creators who will express a singular visual world through newly commissioned visual stories and original artworks.
Please look forward to the future endeavours and challenges to come from both Lula Japan and SEEEU.
Lula Japan
Lula Japan was launched in the autumn of 2014 as the Japanese edition of the UK-born fashion magazine Lula Magazine. Each issue is built around a single theme drawn from Japan’s traditional colors, and the magazine is published twice a year, in April and October. With an art-driven editorial approach and a distinctive aesthetic sensibility, Lula Japan is dedicated to creating work that retains its value—something that remains timeless, never fading with the passing of years
