Ayumi Perry: Josei of Many Hats

For the past three months since I’ve started my Keo Arts Photography blog, I’ve been doing a lot of networking at so many events here in Philadelphia. If I haven’t already mentioned this by now, my city is such a BEAUTIFUL place. It's the biggest city in Pennsylvania, full of rich history, and will forever be known for its iconic architecture. But of all things, it is a true melting pot of undiscovered, often hidden, talented people. Last month, I actually met a very gifted fashion stylist, who I also interviewed and photographed, during the Philly Fashion Week showcase. And better yet, this young lady was the main host of this special affair. On all four days of this week-long event, she brought nothing but her BEST energy to the red carpet -- her wits, charm, talent(s) in fashion, and her dazzling beauty -- Her name is Ayumi Perry, and this is her story:

Ayumi was born and raised in the small city of Albany, California (most notably, the San Francisco Bay Area). As a little girl, she was no stranger to the arts, for her mother embodied an array of talents herself, that being, dancing, singing/song writing, and even playing the piano. In witnessing all of this, Ayumi was a natural at developing her own talents. From creating art projects on the floor to playing piano and singing to her heart’s content, she was a young force to be reckoned with. And given the fact that music was her first passion and motivation, this would mark the beginning of an exciting new journey for her.

When Ayumi turned 14 years old, she really began to find her singing voice, working endlessly to perfect it. She sang at festivals, nightclubs, cafés, joined her first teen singing group, eventually performing at prominent venues, meeting and collaborating with different record labels and musical artists, and more. Slowly, but surely, the fruits of her labor would soon come to fruition. While traveling on the road and living out her dreams as a young singer, now being well into her 20’s, a new talent in Ayumi emerged. She suddenly found herself becoming a personal stylist on her own, putting all of her attire together for upcoming gigs. With her newfound love for styling and fashion, she finally made her big move to Philadelphia, where she would make her official debut into the fashion industry.

The moment she set foot on the East Coast, Ayumi landed her first fashion stylist job at Joan Shepp, a luxury clothing store located in Center City, Philadelphia. During this time, she drew her fashion inspiration from well-known Japanese Fashion Designers, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto. For Ayumi, the way in which they present their fashion pieces, it goes beyond just wearing a tight t-shirt and jeans. It’s ART...It speaks to her SOUL...It’s her LOVE LANGUAGE. But ultimately, they tell a story through the clothing that they produce, which makes them stand out amongst the rest. And for that, Ayumi has always admired their style of fashion, especially after being formally introduced to their line of work at Joan Shepp. Because of Kawakubo and Yamamoto’s strong influence, her perspective on fashion will never be the same.

With all of the knowledge and experience Ayumi gained working at Joan Shepp, meanwhile also developing herself as a stylist, she eventually branched out on her own. This became even more apparent during the brink of the COVID-19 pandemic. Spending most of her time indoors really pushed Ayumi past her creative limits. Having no one else around, she used herself as a model to express her brilliant styling ideas. Then, immediately took to her Instagram, posting photographs of EVERY outfit that she would put together whenever she attended important events, meetings, photoshoots and outings all over – as well as tagging Philly Fashion Week’s IG page every time – Not too long after, Ayumi’s work would get the attention of Kevin Parker, creator of Philly Fashion Week, which led to the opportunity of her becoming the host of his Philly Fashion Week showcase and other major fashion events thereafter.

Finally making a small name for herself in the fashion industry, Ayumi stumbled onto the acting scene in 2020. The first role that she took on as a new actress was in a short film called See Us in The Wildfire, which explored Asian-American identity through art and fashion. Not only did she star in this film, but she also was the co-producer and key stylist on set. Having this under her belt, along with so many other things, Ayumi is still far from where she wants to be and is only just getting started.

As of today, Ayumi continues to honor the words of her mother, who always taught her to “live in the moment and not rush life, or live in the past.” -- hence, the meaning behind her Japanese name, Ayumi, “to walk life, and to be in the present moment.” -- While her heart is in editorial, she also dreams of styling celebrities for red carpet/tv appearances, as well as getting more opportunities to further her singing and acting. In the future to come, Ayumi plans to leave Philadelphia, after having spent nearly a decade learning and cultivating her craft. In a recent Instagram post, she stated, “this city has taught me so much about myself, and in ways, helped prep me for where I will be going. Philly will forever be close to my heart. It’s not a goodbye yet...but I feel change in the air.”

With all of that being said, Ayumi wants everyone to take these words of encouragement from her story:

“Things happen for a reason. Don’t be afraid to try something new. You never know where your creative arms/talents could reach. If the higher power, God, whatever you believe in, presents an opportunity for you, don’t fear it if you don’t know it. Take a moment, take it in. And if it feels good to you, and it’s something you’re curious enough to try, do it. Don’t hold back. The worse that could happen is...okay, it didn’t work out, that’s not something I want to do. But, try....Also, you don’t always have to have the experience. You just have to have the charisma, the drive, and alittle talent.”