Matsui Rena interview from MELANTRICK photo book, Mirror (out 22/12/2015) Q - Are you one to be constantly minding the way others look at you? Rena - My ON and OFF modes are clear-cut distinct. I'm the exact opposite when I stand on stage or when I'm in front of the camera, but normally I'm the kind of person who would want to live cloistered in a corner of the world. (laughs) Crowds make me restless... So I internalize a lot, I keep it all inside and release everything in my work. I think that ON and OFF tempo matches my personality perfectly. Q - Where do you usually go shopping? Rena - I like to see how clothes, but also shoes and bags that caught my eyes, look on me before purchasing them so rather than buying them online I prefer going to shop in town. Since I'm always trying my clothes and accessories on and that I like going from one shop to another I'm mostly shopping by myself. I have two distinct ways to pick my clothes, one being to buy what I know will last and the other is impulse buying when I come across something I can't resist. Those two categories are clearly divided in my closet too and I like to choose myself how to coordinate them in the best way possible. Q - Do you have any sort of influence apart from the obvious search for elegance? Rena - I love the manga 「Honey and Clover」and since I first read it I always admired Yamada Ayumi-chan. She is friend with the protagonist and her fashion trademark are her knee length skirts. Nowadays I have a large number of such knee length skirt in my closet, probably because I still associate them with "Ayu-chan". Q - What else inspires your fashion? Rena - The character Anne Hathaway, an actress I really love, plays in 「My Intern」. I was deeply impressed by her introduction scene in the movie! She appears on screen with a white knitted sweater, black miniskirt and heels, a very basic coordinate that you'd encounter hundreds of times if you were walking in Shibuya and yet the way she is wearing it is remarkably chic. This smart clothing with a preserved touch of cuteness blew me away. Q - Have your fashion habits change over time? Rena - To put it simply, I used to want to look cute while now I'd rather be seen as pretty. I fancy simple and practical, or tasteful material, over the more common girly clothes. Like Anne Hathaway I want to dress in a way that reflects who I am.