OPI has launched a new color collection for spring, called Tokyo — and to celebrate the launch, the brand partnered with muralist Kent Yoshimura to create a vibrant new space in the downtown Los Angeles neighborhood, Little Tokyo.  

LA’s Little Tokyo neighborhood is full of Japanese American history and culture, has seen a lot of growth since its inception in the early 1900’s.

Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI co-founder and brand ambassador, comments, “We decided to focus on Little Tokyo, a historically important area of Los Angeles that has been the center of Japanese-American culture, and lately has seen a surge in new business, new building and community revitalization.”

Yoshimura’s mural mixes Little Tokyo’s past and present with color and nuances from traditional Japanese folklore. Taking from the iconic landmarks and history of the neighborhood, the mural incorporates many key culturally important symbols for a modern, fresh and colorful addition to the cityscape. 

Yoshimura says, “In this piece, I wanted to explore something that, I hope, will be appreciated beyond our community. I want the vibrant colors, along with the imagery of hope, legacy and various inspirations from ancient Japanese heritage to become embedded into LA as a whole.”

Color is the Answer

The symbolic mural, titled Through the Blossom, is a part of OPI’s ‘Color is the Answer’  initiative, which aims to embrace the power of color, showing communities how color has the ability to evoke transformation and inspiration. 

Weiss-Fischmann says, “The goal of Color is the Answer is to show that color is even bigger than expression; it has the potential to transform you and others around you – even the world around you. We’re excited to do just that with the help of Kent Yoshimura, whose talent in expressing color is a perfect fit for OPI.”

OPI Employees Volunteer for the Unveiling

The mural was unveiled to the community on March 28, 2019 with a community celebration of food, music and manicures. OPI employees volunteered the day of the unveiling to clean up the surrounding area and re-paint a central community kiosk that sits in a major walkway next to the mural. 

OPI’s New Tokyo Collection

The new OPI spring collection, Tokyo, features 12 vibrant colors inspired by the city. The emerald green nail lacquer is called “Suzi-San Climbs Fuji-San,” a name inspired by the brand’s founder and Mt. Fuji. 

Also shown above is an electric pink, “All Your Dreams in Vending Machines,” which is the brand’s Infinite Shine formula, which provides a gel-like shine and up to 11 days of wear. 

Other colors in the line includes lots of pinks, purples, and a lime green.