The art of collaboration can take you to places you never dreamed of, and for makeup artist Kanako Takase and hairstylist Shingo Shibata, working in the beauty industry has surpassed any barriers that language erected. The couple met while studying at beauty school in Tokyo and have been inseparable since, with a long-distance move to New York City cementing their careers. Through their journey, mentors like hairstylist Bob Recine and makeup artists Pat McGrath and Yadim were instrumental to their education before they organically started working with photographic cohorts like Ethan James Green, Charlotte Wales, and Richard Burbridge. With luxury clients like Saint Laurent, Junya Watanabe, and Loewe, in 2020, Takase became the global creative director of the Japanese beauty brand ADDICTION Tokyo, bringing in a renowned roster for campaigns shot by Wales, Burbridge, Mario Sorrenti, and Elizaveta Porodina. As life partners and creative collaborators, the two have continued to push themselves in new ways, whether connecting with Recine and artist Bjarne Melgaard on surreally daring exhibitions or learning photographic techniques from photographer Yoshimi Ikemoto back in Tottori City, Japan. For the latest segment of the Art of Collaboration shot by Hicham Alaoui, Models.com spoke to the pair in Paris about how they got their respective starts, moving into uncharted waters, and the importance of expressing without words.