Itano Tomomi holds press conference as Samantha Thavasa’s “muse”

On January 25th, AKB48 member Itano Tomomi was officially named a “muse” for Japanese bag brand, Samantha Thavasa!

Muses of Samantha Thavasa generally promote the brand and sometimes collaborate, creating exclusive lines of bags and promoting the product with their image. Past muses have included huge non-Japanese stars such as Beyoncé Knowles and Penélope and Monica Cruz, as well as popular model and actress Ebihara Yuri. Itano’s connection to the brand will be the first time that a Japanese artist will be endorsing the brand.
In order to commemorate her new endorsement, Itano held a press conference on the same day at Samantha Thavasa’s DELUXE Omotesandou GATE store. When asked how she felt about becoming a muse, Itano replied, “Since I’ve loved Samantha Thavasa for a long time, I’m so happy that I could become a muse at the same time as my solo debut.”

During the interview directly following her press conference, reporters asked many questions about the upcoming release of her debut single, “Dear J,” which will be available for sale on January 26th. “It’s very stressful, but I’m really happy about it because it’s been my dream ever since I was little,” Itano said of her first work as a solo artist. “I personally felt that the song wasn’t ready, but since (Dear J) is my first song, it’s fine. Akimoto (Yasushi)-sensei told me, ‘Dear J’s good,’” she continued, smiling.

Reporters also asked the AKB48 member to explain the mysterious title of her solo song. “I’ll leave that up for those who listen to it to decide. (The J in Dear J) could mean ‘Japan,’ it could be people called ‘J,’ it can be whatever you think it means,” Itano answered. She also revealed that “Dear J” has become her nickname among AKB48. “It’s embarassing, but whenever they tell me, ‘I saw your poster!’, and send me a picture of it, I get so happy,” the idol replied with sheepish grin.

The bag Itano was shown holding in a video clip screened at the event will be auctioned off at a later time during a charity auction. Until the auction, the bag will be on display at Samantha Vega in Shibuya 109 from January 26th until the end of the month.