Misako (Misa) Inaoka studied fine art in the United States and Italy, currently living and working in Kyoto, Japan. Her interests arise from the delicate boundaries that exist between the natural and the artificial worlds. She finds hidden beauty even in the most peculiar places: as a cell tower posing as a pine tree, a flock of non-native birds, coyotes thriving in urban parks, hybrid species thriving in nature, tree branches growing through a wire fence, or moss growing in a crack of...

When I started surfing a few decades ago, there were few options for women’s wetsuits. My wetsuit journey by asking a male surfer pal for help. He (begrudgingly) took me to his local surf shop for a try-on session. As I sweated, struggled, and fell in the changing room, I heard him chuckling outside. He finally realized I had twisted myself into a knot and along with having the wetsuit inside out. With a few tugs and pulls, along with a lot of sweat, I was released from the embrace. I later...

What does the name of your store mean? Baba Yaga is a witch from Slavic folklore. When picking names for the store, my Mom and I wanted something unique that represented powerful femininity—the decision to name our shop after a mythological witch felt really fitting for us. Furthermore, I know my Mom feels connected to the theme of transformation in her fairytale and its relation to fashion, femininity, and aging. What is your story? Russia? My background is actually not Russian, though I get...