LEXUS ambassador and Miss Universe 2007 Riyo Mori and former professional tennis player Ai Sugiyama featured as guest speakers at this talk session. Hosting the event was fashion journalist and art producer Yoshiko Ikoma, who asked the two speakers about their secrets of success as icons of beauty and health on the world stage.

The event began with some background on the two guests and their activities. Ms. Mori learned to dance from the age of four and went on to win the Miss Universe title in 2007, before moving to New York and taking part in a range of volunteer activities around the world. She became an ambassador for Lexus in 2009 and currently works as artistic director of her own dance academy.

Ms. Sugiyama started playing tennis at the age of 4 and at 15 was ranked first in the world junior ranking. She turned professional at 17 and appeared in 62 Grand Slams and four Olympics before retiring from the sport. Following her successful career, she is now active as a TV commentator. Ms. Sugiyama’s husband happens to be a LEXUS owner, so she also gets behind the wheel every now and again. She compared the atmosphere at INTERSECT BY LEXUS to a jump into the world of LEXUS.

The topic of conversation moved on to the LEXUS BY THE BEAUTY exhibition at the first floor garage space. Ms. Mori introduced the photography of the LFA on display and the video footage inspired by that photography. Reflecting on her work as a model, she said, “World-renowned photographer Fadil Berisha, who handled photography for Miss Universe, once described the LFA in one word: seduction. I wore a tightly fitting black suit, representing passion and vibrancy; essentially a personification of the LFA and the pursuit of beauty.”

In the second half of the session, beauty techniques involving cosmetics and skincare were raised. Ms. Ikoma asked the two guest speakers about what triggers them to feel that a person or moment is beautiful, how they cheer themselves up when they are feeling down, and their attitude toward maintaining beauty. In response, Ms. Mori said, “I think all women would like to retain their youth if they could. To do this, training the muscles in your back and maintaining a good posture is important, along with eating well of course and exercise.” She added that moisturizing is also crucial and that you should make sure you take in plenty of water. Ms. Sugiyama said that she is also conscious about clearly separating her work and her down time.

On the subject of the relationship between body and mind, Ms. Ikoma, who has started going to the gym in the past year, described sports as a good way of resetting the mind. Ms. Mori responded by saying that dance is great for blood circulation, she really feels refreshed after a session, and full body exercise works really well for both the mind and body. Ms. Sugiyama, who took up belly dancing and walking after retiring from professional tennis, commented that pushing the body is also great training for the mind, explaining that the two are very closely connected.

Towards the end, asked about the methods they rely on to refresh themselves, Ms. Mori introduced an easy exercise you can do sitting down to stretch your neck and shoulders, explaining that this can really make a difference if you master it. Ms. Sugiyama demonstrated a simple breathing exercise you should do for 30 minutes either in the morning or the evening. The talk session introduced many practical beauty tips, both external and internal, that the guests were able to take away with them.

A detailed report on the event is available at OPENERS.

PRODUCED BY