The name Kōki (or Mitsuki Kimura) might not be familiar to you just yet, but those of her parents, Takuya “KimuTaku” Kimura and Kudō Shizuka, will certainly ring a few bells.
After making her cover debut on Elle Japan earlier this year and a surprise appearance at Chanel’s Haute Couture Spring 2019 fashion show, the 15-year-old daughter of the SMAP star (a.k.a. the most successful boy band in Japanese history and the best-selling band in Asia) is already taking significant steps towards her goal of becoming a top model. Her latest achievement? Joining the Bvlgari family to become not only the youngest ambassador the jewellery house has ever appointed, but also the first from Japan.
Speaking of her new role as a Bvlgari ambassador, Kōki says, “My dream is to become a model who can captivate audiences by portraying a wide range of characters. I realise that this is not a dream that is easily achieved. But as a member of the Bvlgari family who warmly welcomed me, I will boldly open the doors to this dream and continue rising up to the challenge.”
Though shielded away from the limelight for the majority of her childhood by her famous parents, Kōki started working hard towards her modeling dream since she was young, taking up English, French and Spanish classes all while learning flute and piano to hone her musical talents.
“Kōki engages in honest self-reflection and constantly strives to become who she needs to be for her new dream career. With these qualities, it is only natural that we welcome her as a member of the Bvlgari family,” says a statement issued by the jewellery house. With all of these significant achievements established so young and so early on in her career, we can only assume that we’ll be seeing a lot more of Kōki from here on out.