The attendees: Tomo Koizumi, 34, was joined by the publicist and consultant Ayako Maruyama, 38; the photographer Packychong Song, 36; the model Keishan, 25; and the drag queens Maxim, 31, Babie-No-Bitch, 47, Izumi Sexy, 39, and Takanenohana, 39.
The food: Koizumi mostly follows a gluten-free diet and usually bakes bread with rice flour when guests come over. Tonight, however, he ordered delivery. “It was all very simple,” he says. “Karaage [fried chicken], French fries and takoyaki,” which are round grilled cakes stuffed with octopus, often topped with scallions, bonito flakes and a special sauce.
The music: K-pop and J-pop. “I like Perfume, a Japanese group famous for their dancing; Blackpink; and Twice,” he says. “But my all-time favorite is Björk, who wore one of my dresses last year.”
The conversation: “We talked about how difficult and costly it is for young designers to put on a show in Paris,” says Koizumi. “I try to be optimistic: If the clothes are really attractive, then everything will be OK.”
Favorite party game: Yamanote, which is named after the main train loop in central Tokyo, involves saying the names of the stations on the line in order, so if one person says, “Shibuya,” the next person has to say, “Ebisu,” and so on. “If you make a mistake, you have to drink,” Koizumi says. “It’s fun to play when you’re drunk.”
This interview has been edited and condensed.
