In 1996, bell hooks released an essay in Orion Magazine called Touching the Earth. In it, she explored how the environment intersects with gender, race and healing, writing, “when we love the earth, we are able to love ourselves more thoughtfully.” It was that line in particular that became the central inspiration for Cou Cou Intimates latest spring campaign, named after hooks’ essay.

Founded in London five years ago, the brand has since become a favourite of internet it-girls such as Lexee Smith, Orion Carloto and Alana O’Herlihy. Often taking inspiration from literature with its multidisciplinary platform Cou Cou Talks, the brand approaches intimacy beyond just undergarments, frequently calling upon different female artists and writers to explore what connection means to them. 

For Touching the Earth, Cou Cou Intimates enlisted photographer Erika Kamono to shoot model, actress and longtime friend of the brand Kiko Mizuhara. Over the years, Mizuhara has travelled home to Japan multiple times for campaigns celebrating Earth Day. This time around, they found themselves on the island of Okinawa, where Mizuhara first found her love for the ocean and learned how to scuba dive. Described as “an ode to this precious earth we call home”, the images show Mizuhara in flower fields and the ocean and are inspired by nature’s healing qualities. 

The campaign also sees the introduction of The Fleur Collection, which features a series of delicate everyday essentials. Inspired by vintage petticoats, the pieces are adorned with delicate Leavers Lace, a 19th-century French lace woven on antique machines. 

Below, Kiko Mizuhara talks about shooting the campaign in Japan and using nature to stay grounded. 

Hi Kiko! What was it like going back to Okinawa to shoot in nature? 

Kiko Mizuhara: I started scuba diving during Covid and got my license in Okinawa. [It made me think] about being kind to the environment by being under the ocean. It’s a very important place for me. I already loved the ocean so much, but just being under the ocean for a long amount of time made me realise how all these fish and creatures that live underwater are similar to us. It was just a really eye-opening experience, and all the colours under the ocean are neon – unexpected colours and patterns – it was just so inspiring to me.

What did you learn about yourself when shooting in the ocean?

Kiko Mizuhara: I just started thinking, like I’m feeling healed every time I go to the ocean, but am I doing the same to the ocean? Am I benefiting from the ocean, but ruining and destroying the environment? That made me think of what kind of person I want to be. I wanted to be equal to the environment because it’s giving me so much healing and peace. The ocean and scuba diving made me understand how to be in this meditative state of mind, because when you’re in the ocean, you really have to be calm.

Touching the Earth speaks to the idea of slowing down and living more intentionally. As someone who meditates a lot, how has taking time to connect with yourself helped you? 

Kiko Mizuhara: I did a ten-day silent retreat last year. Vipassana was challenging because it’s not a normal meditation. It's more of a deep self-discovery. You cannot talk, you cannot look in people’s eyes. You’re not allowed to write or read. You have to keep silent. So, you’re constantly talking to yourself. Your mind is running, and when you try to keep your mind calm, that’s when your mind gets loud. That’s how you learn all your habits, the way you're thinking, your childhood memories, and you just untangle all this stuff that you learned. It’s tough at times, but it’s a beautiful experience to really connect with yourself.

I’m still in practice, and every day is a practice, but it really made me see things from a distance and absorb what’s going through my mind. Just kind of step back and not be in it. Sometimes when these crazy thoughts come to your mind, you immediately want to be hard on yourself or blame yourself. Meditation made me really accept myself and just switch off my brain.

What did you take away from that experience?

Kiko Mizuhara: It also made me realise when you’re on your phone or when you’re with people, you’re constantly absorbing – your subconscious is constantly absorbing – and sometimes you just have to sit down and meditate to realise what you absorb and what you know. There are things that you can let go, and there are things that you can just keep to yourself, and I think you just get much wiser.

What practices do you find essential for grounding, self-reflection and personal well-being?

Kiko Mizuhara: I’m Japanese, so being in hot water makes me feel really grounded and calm, and you can just relax. I like to breathe in and out, and you can feel your body floating and sinking. Somehow, that makes me really calm. I started journaling last year, and I think it’s so important to write down what goes through your mind. Sometimes I read my old journals, and I think, looking back on what you were going through, reflecting on your past and reading the journey that you went through is very important. My life is my journey.

It’s important to have one thing that you do for yourself. I have this habit of doing things for others, and I used to abandon myself to make other people happy. I think that’s an Asian thing to do, like my mom was always telling me, you have to make other people happy to be happy. But then I think I misinterpreted that. Journaling or being in hot water reminds me to connect with myself.

The campaign is inspired by the bell hooks quote, “when we love the earth, we are able to love ourselves more thoughtfully”. Did that resonate with you when you were in Okinawa?

Kiko Mizuhara: I had a chance to swim with the whales, and there was one moment when the male whale started singing love songs to the female. They’re huge, so the whole ocean was vibrating. Obviously, I felt the singing vibration throughout my whole body. I realised that everything is a vibration. When we communicate, when we listen to the breeze or whatever, everything is a vibration. The vibration that you put out is so important, but the vibration that you receive is also very important. That really made me understand the world a little better. 

What are your hopes for your generation regarding well-being and connection?

Kiko Mizuhara: Our generation is acknowledging that healing is important, connecting with yourself is important. We’re learning so much about meditation and healing. I want our generation to really achieve that. In terms of mental health and mindfulness, we’re really entering a good place. I just want to continue that. I want everybody to connect with themselves and help each other. I really believe that that can lead to somewhere peaceful, and we can help each other.

Do you have any favourite memories from the shoot?

Kiko Mizuhara: All the places that we went to were beautiful. The ocean was beautiful. I really enjoyed shooting in the water, and the flower field was so beautiful. But I think the thing that I enjoyed about this shoot was just hanging out with the girls. Behind the camera were seven beautiful girls, and it was just such good energy, and I felt really happy and comfortable. It was like pure girl power, and it just really makes me happy.

Check out the campaign in the gallery above.