A fashion journalism video exploration of individuality as it is stripped away through socially “employ-able” / “hirable” visual standards as young university graduates in Japan seek to enter the workforce under strict standards for their appearance. Using fashion and transformation, the project visualizes the emotional pressure behind conformity in Japanese job-hunting culture.

Of all the constraints embedded in “shūkatsu”, the one journalist Millie Aoki found most suffocating (in her own experience) is the moment a student dons bland, conformist two-piece black suit, typical of Japanese office culture, for the first time. Uniqueness is a weakness at the very moment when individuality should matter most to stand out as a candidate. Young Japanese job seekers are required to dress the same, style their hair the same, and attend interview rounds in unassuming makeup. Any deviation carries a silent label: someone who cannot conform, someone who cannot be controlled, someone who will not follow the company’s lead is not suitable for the job.