Marking the 15th anniversary of Kis-My-Ft2, the costume exhibition Kis-My-Ft2: The Couture has opened at Ikebukuro PARCO in Tokyo.

As the first stop of a nationwide touring exhibition, the show revisits the group’s trajectory through stage costumes—reframing 15 years of performances as a three-dimensional archive of style and identity.

Courtesy of PARCO

Costume as a Parallel Form of Expression

For Kis-My-Ft2, costumes have long extended beyond performance attire.
Since 2018, member Yuta Tamamori has overseen costume direction, steering designs away from conventional idol templates toward a more fashion-oriented language.

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The venue is conceived as an “atelier-like” environment. Unreleased design sketches and reference materials are displayed alongside worn pieces, making the creative process—normally hidden—legible to the viewer.

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A Near-Zero-Distance Encounter with 15 Years

Approximately 48 costumes are presented across two phases—Part A and Part B—with the lineup changing midway through the run. This structure encourages repeat visits, offering a layered reading of the group’s evolution.

From early debut-era looks to recent tour costumes, each piece carries the atmosphere of its time, activating memories of specific songs and performances.

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A defining feature is the proximity: visitors encounter garments at an almost “zero distance.” While untouchable, the closeness allows for a detailed reading of materials, construction, and finish—an intimacy rarely afforded in exhibitions of this scale.

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Idol Costumes, Reframed as Fashion

A central thread of the exhibition is the redefinition of “idol costume.” Freed from fixed tropes, the styling foregrounds each member’s individuality, granting the garments an autonomy that approaches fashion in its own right. The evolution of costume parallels the group’s broader creative shifts. Presented spatially, the exhibition becomes a framework for reading Kis-My-Ft2’s practice beyond performance.

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A Space Connecting Memory and the Present

This is not a retrospective in the conventional sense.

Costumes function as triggers: each piece calls up a song, a tour, a moment—merging with the viewer’s own timeline. The experience is further layered by a screening area featuring live footage, and a preview listening zone for the new track Couture.

Visual, sonic, and mnemonic elements intersect, transforming the exhibition into a multi-layered experience rather than a static display.

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The Present of 15 Years

In 2026, Kis-My-Ft2 marks its 15th anniversary with new releases and a nationwide tour.

Within that context, The Couture operates as both a point of reflection and a device for moving forward. Through the lens of costume, what emerges is not merely a shift in style, but an accumulation of time itself.

Quietly, yet decisively, the exhibition renders those 15 years visible.

Courtesy of PARCO