[2025.11.19] Yuzuru x GUCCI: Harper's Bazaar & Esquire

[Wintek]

[2025.11.19]

 

Harper's Bazaar January-February Combined Issue

P. 198-205

Yuzuru Hanyu makes his first appearance on the cover of Harper's Bazaar's January/February 2026 combined issue [Special Edition] with two different cuts (A ver./B ver.)!

More information:

 

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/jp/magazine/a69145223/cover-yuzuru-hanyu-251113-hb/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socia 

 

ESQUIRE Japan

 

 

 

[Wintek]

*Machine translation from Japanese to Eenglish, inaccuracies exist*

Original interview also available online:
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/jp/fashion/fashion-pr-stories/a69065388/gucci-2511-hbp/

Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20251119163701/https://www.harpersbazaar.com/jp/fashion/fashion-pr-stories/a69065388/gucci-2511-hbp/

 

INTERVIEW & TEXT: AKANE WATANUKI

Photographs by Yuki Kumagai

Styled by Tetsuro Nagase

 

Interview with YUZURU HANYU

 

[Caption under p. 198 photo]

Yuzuru Hanyu, a Fashionable Portrait

His emotive expression and dignified presence.

The man who captivates us and moves our hearts through the camera lens is Yuzuru Hanyu.

Dressed in Gucci's Cruise 2026 collection, he looks fashionable and chic like no other.

 

Two-time consecutive Olympic gold medalist and professional figure skater, even that title feels almost ordinary for someone as universally known as Yuzuru Hanyu. In this shoot, for which he appeared as a Gucci Brand Ambassador, a cool and realistic persona was depicted.

 

Spoiler

“All four looks I wore were wonderful, but the one that caught my attention from the fitting stage was the navy setup. The placement of the logo felt fresh, and the logo design itself had an image that was a little different from before. I felt like I was seeing yet another new side of Gucci. And the slim suit was also excellent. Oversized has been mainstream these past few years, but with a slim cut, it fits the body more easily. Overall, I had the impression that there were more clothes that looked good as a whole, with clean lines.”

He understood the concept of the shoot in a short amount of time and showed a well-matched session even with a photographer he was meeting for the first time. He says that the image he had in mind aligned with the photographer’s, and without exchanging words, they could sense each other through the lens, creating a feeling of overlapping at a single point.

“Once you actually do the fitting and hair and makeup, of course it turns out completely different from the reference materials. That’s why on set, the feeling of creating things together while sensing the mood of the clothes, the situation, and the breathing of the photographer is stronger. I also think that by me entering into it, sometimes a mood or story that wasn’t present in the planning stage can be born. So I hope that by everyone coming together and blending with each other, we can create something new.”

Having been in competition for so long, he has experienced how gathering the strength of everyone involved—coaches, trainers, etc., all the people involved—leads to results and a sense of fulfillment. Because of that, in shooting as well, the feeling that he values creating things together with everyone who supports the scene comes across. At the same time, what can be sensed is his awareness of being the main figure who receives attention and is seen by people all around the world. One cannot help but admire the way he holds both “being a member of the creative group” and “being the one who is looked at,” and the exquisite balance with which he combines them.

“I’m not a model, so everything about how I behave in front of the camera—poses, emotional expressions—is something I developed through figure skating. In photography, your face and body are seen from the side facing the lens, but in figure skating you’re seen from 360 degrees, from every direction. And in an ice show, the spotlight is always focused on just one person, so you have to be beautiful no matter where you’re viewed from. And to be honest, I feel that I no longer have any resistance to being looked at. I think that’s a kind of experience that’s different from what professional models have built up, but I wonder if I’m able to make use of it in shoots like this.”

The sensation of knowing that if he bends his body at this angle, lifts his arm to this height, and extends his ring finger, it will create that shape. One cannot help but be astonished at how highly the point where the moving body and the intention that moves it coincide.

“When it comes to movements, there are many expressive methods I’ve learned on my own through doing figure skating up until now, so perhaps from there I’m able to produce movements that feel ‘like Yuzuru Hanyu.’”

He originally wasn’t very interested in fashion, but the Gucci gradient bag he’s currently using is an exception. He says the fresh color makes even his mood brighten just by using it.

“What I realized once I started using Gucci items is that there are so many things in the world with good design and good quality. By wearing or using those good things, I’ve come to feel just how much they can enrich the heart. Including the items from this shoot, I feel that every time I wear Gucci there’s something hidden within it that connects to confidence. And at the same time, I also feel that I have to create things that don’t bring shame to these clothes and this bag. Of course I always think about wanting to create good things, but now I feel that if I don’t create works that even people who have no interest in figure skating will feel are high-quality, then I’m not worthy of these items. To me, Gucci is like an existence that pushes me from behind, saying, ‘Since you’re wearing this, become this kind of person.’”

When asked what images come to mind for the holiday season, Hanyu smiles and says that because he is focused on skating, it is a period when he can deliver performances to many people. And talking about 2026, he says he wants to spend it re-examining his foundations once again, pursuing and digging deeper toward something even better, and trying to improve every day, every second, like a gradient, without drawing any lines or boundaries.

“Even looking at things historically, what continues for a long time is what many people consider good. Gucci began in 1921 and continues as a brand to the present day because it has preserved its tradition and originality while also repeatedly updating itself, continuing the act of leaving behind the good things, which is why even people living today can use and love it. I think I, too, have to constantly keep polishing myself so that I can become like that. That’s why I’m going back to look at the foundations.”

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Profile

Yuzuru Hanyu
Born 1994 in Miyagi Prefecture.
Won gold medals at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, and became the youngest individual recipient of the People’s Honor Award in history. Turned professional in 2022, and in 2023 achieved the first-ever solo figure skating performance in Tokyo Dome in skating history.

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Hair: TAKU at VOW-WOW

Makeup: NOBUKO MAE KAWA at PERLE MANAGEMENT

Model: YUZURU HANYU

Cooperation:

BACKGOURNDS FACTORY

Editor: KAE HAYASHI

 

[Wintek]

[2025.11.20]

 

Esquire Japan -BEYOND WORDS

 

Source: https://www.esquire.com/jp/fashion/fashion-promotion/a69452579/gucci-yuzuru-hanyu-beyond-words/ 

Archive: 

https://web.archive.org/web/20251121014913/https://www.esquire.com/jp/fashion/fashion-promotion/a69452579/gucci-yuzuru-hanyu-beyond-words/ 

 

Gucci × Yuzuru Hanyu — A Gift Collection that Conveys One’s Thoughts

A heart-lifting holiday season. This season, too, Gucci has many items that lift the spirits not only of the person receiving them, but also of the one giving. The one who conveys that charm is Yuzuru Hanyu, who continues to challenge the limits of expression through figure skating.

By Kei Osawa
Published: 2025/11/20

BEYOND WORDS

“Of course, first and foremost, it’s everyone’s support.”

When we asked, in line with this project’s theme of “GIFT,” about the invisible gifts that have supported his life in skating, Hanyu answered gently.

“I’ve received many letters and gifts both on and off the ice rink. But the number one driving force that has kept me active as a skater up to now is, without question, everyone’s support. When I was little, I heard professional baseball players say, ‘Thanks to everyone’s support, I was able to hit a home run,’ and I thought, ‘There’s no way that’s true.’ But now, as I continue my activities, I truly feel it. Support, with just the slightest shift, can turn into pressure, but it’s precisely because that pressure exists that it makes me feel, ‘I have to do my best.’ And when I overcome a wall and I can see the expressions of everyone being happy, for me there is no greater reward.”

 

Spoiler

During this photoshoot, while he actively communicated with the photographer about situations and poses, he also lightheartedly chatted with the staff when the equipment was being set up, taking the lead in brightening up the atmosphere. Sincere, earnest, kind, humble… What kind of experiences must one accumulate to behave with such refreshing grace? Throughout the shoot we caught glimpses everywhere of the very reasons why “Yuzuru Hanyu” is a star, and before we realized it, he had captured our hearts. When we conveyed that, with that signature smile, he responded, “Thank you very much,” again bowing politely.

“When I heard that the theme of the shoot was ‘GIFT,’ I thought about what a gift is to me, what is it that I want to give. And in my mind, a gift is something that warms the heart of the one receiving it, something wrapped in the love of the one who gives. So in today’s shoot, I tried to be mindful of creating photos that would warm the heart. Also, the studio we used today is one I’ve been familiar with for a long time, a special place for me, so in that sense as well, my heart felt warm.”

Since becoming a brand ambassador for Gucci, he says he has come to rethink his own fashion, which he had been indifferent to until then. And now, he even uses Gucci bags in private life. Speaking while admiring his trusted partner:

“This, its blue gradation is beautiful, isn’t it? When I use it, as if in response to the bag’s refined and elegant design, I somehow find myself feeling gentle and clear-hearted. Until then, I hadn’t been interested in fashion, but after becoming an ambassador, I began to feel fashion’s appeal in my own way. Gucci’s delicate craftsmanship—down to the finest details—is exceptional not only in texture and design, but also in usability. By using high-quality things, what you might call ‘good things,’ I realized for the first time just how much it can enrich the heart. With a high-quality bag at my side, I grow into someone worthy of it. For me, in a way, it’s something that gives me a push toward the direction I should go.”

The word “GIFT” also carries the meaning of “a gift from God,” so we asked him what he would wish for if God could grant him one gift. Without hesitation, he replied: “Wings for flying in the sky.” It was a story very characteristic of Hanyu—like a dream world where reality and fiction coexist—calling to mind his picture book GIFT published in 2023.

“I want to fly and look at the world from directly above. There are many things happening in the world, and amidst that, so many people live desperately while carrying worries and hardships. But it’s not always difficult, within that daily life there are also happy things and moments that bring smiles. I want to properly see with my own eyes ‘the present,’ where happiness and unhappiness coexist, as people live their lives.”

Gucci and Hanyu, though belonging to different genres, are the same in the sense that both are creators who express their creativity on a world stage. We asked what influence such a presence as Gucci has on him.

“This overlaps with what I said about the bag, but no matter how times change, ‘good things’ always remain, don’t they? Since its founding in 1921, Gucci has been supported worldwide for over 100 years because it continues to protect its traditions while constantly updating and creating ‘good things’ suited to each era. I’m still nowhere near Gucci’s level, but as an artist, I want to polish myself so that I can become like that. In that sense, I receive a positive kind of stimulation.”

Then, prefacing his next words with, “Also, this is something I’ve felt even before I became an ambassador”:

“I’ve come to feel even more strongly that I want to carry out activities that won’t make me get pointed at behind my back. I have to live each day so that when yesterday’s me looks at today’s me, he won’t say, ‘Hey you, get it together!’ I want to be the kind of person who can proudly stand behind every one of my actions and explain the reasons for them — I’ve come to strongly feel that again. And to do that, it’s simply a matter of polishing myself as ‘Yuzuru Hanyu.’”

The phrase “as Yuzuru Hanyu” appears frequently in his words. His books and past interviews also contain this expression often. When we asked what “Yuzuru Hanyu” is to him, he laughed wryly and explained:

“‘Yuzuru Hanyu’ is the person who appears in everyone’s eyes as a skater, something that has existed for the sake of the fans. The origin of that, as I mentioned earlier, is the feeling that because I receive so much support, I should put my own emotions second and respond to expectations as ‘Yuzuru Hanyu’ and bring smiles. But I never felt like I was pretending or stretching myself,  it was a driving force, and holding that awareness actually felt comfortable. Lately, though, those feelings have become vague, and now I can mostly just be as I am. In a way, that feels even more like ‘Yuzuru Hanyu.’”

Not “as Yuzuru Hanyu,” but as his natural self. He says that this naturally-arrived change of heart was also largely due to the support of the important people around him.

“Because of my job as a skater, I have many opportunities to be in the media, so information about me spreads more easily than for other people, things like when training is hard or when I feel pressure. But that isn’t something limited to me; everyone carries those things. There are times when you get so nervous at work that your stomach hurts, or times at school when you feel like you just can’t take it anymore. Even amid those situations, everyone has still been sincerely wishing for the happiness of ‘Yuzuru Hanyu.’ When I realized that, it made me feel as though I had drawn closer to the fans, and that made me happy, and at the same time, it made me feel that it’s okay for me to be me.”

Two consecutive Olympic victories, two World Championships, four consecutive Grand Prix Final titles, the countless dazzling achievements are unmistakable proof of his stature as a star. They are a “GIFT” to himself, earned by grinding himself down and training with all he had, and also a “GIFT” to the important fans who continued to support him. He is a rare artist who has left behind tremendous accomplishments, yet he measures himself in an unadorned, down-to-earth way, as Yuzuru Hanyu, just as he is.

“When someone is born, parents always exist, in that sense, everyone receives a ‘GIFT’ the moment they are given life. After that, by living each day earnestly, being kind to others and being shown kindness, we give each other ‘GIFTs,’ feel warmth in our hearts, and smiles increase. Including myself, everyone in the world is both the giver and the receiver of ‘GIFT.’ If the circulation of ‘GIFTs’ makes everyone feel warm inside, there’s nothing that would make me happier.”

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PROFILE

Born in Miyagi Prefecture in 1994, he is one of Japan's leading figure skaters. He won back-to-back gold medals in the men's singles at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, becoming the youngest skater in history and the first Asian skater to achieve this feat. He was awarded the People's Honor Award in July 2018, making him an undisputed national star. He became a professional skater in 2022, focusing on ice shows. He has become a Gucci brand ambassador from March 2024.

 

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Model / Yuzuru Hanyu

Photographs / TISCH

Styling / Tetsuro Nagase

Hair / TAKU(VOW-VOW)

Makeup / Nobuko Maekawa

Interview / Kei Osawa

Text / Ryuta Morishita

Videograph / Tsuyoshi Hasegawa

Video Produce / Tomonobu Yamamoto(HEARST)

Editing / Mikiya Otsuka (Esquire Japan)