WHO IS MADAM M?
Final Fantasy VII is one of the most successful and popular video games of all time, but for many (myself included), Final Fantasy VII Remake was their first introduction to the series. But while it’s advertised as a “remake,” it goes way beyond the scope of the original. There are new missions, new plot elements, and many new characters introduced for the first time. One of these new characters is my personal favorite, Madam M.
Veteran players of the original will remember the Wall Market segment as a quick, but funny side quest to meet and question the crime lord, Don Corneo before returning to the main story. The remake expands upon this with the introduction of Don Corneo’s Trio; three influential business owners in Wall Market whose favor must be won in order to meet with the Don. The Trio includes the cool but stern Chocobo Sam (owner of Sam’s Delivery Service), the flamboyant Andrea Rhodea (owner and lead dancer at the Honeybee Inn), and of course the poised but quick-tempered Madam M (owner of Madam M’s Hand-Massage Parlor).
Madam M's role may be very minor when you consider the vast world of FF7, but her personality and demeanor captivated me, and I felt the need to create something inspired by her. In doing so, I hope to find more fans like me who found her charm and attitude amusing.
After brainstorming for a while, I decided to create a bomber jacket (inspired by Japanese Sukajan fashion) to capture both the retro city vibe of Wall Market, and the traditional Japanese aesthetic of Madam M’s Temomi Ya (or Hand-Massage Parlor). For inspiration, I watched and rewatched all cutscenes featuring Madam M to the point of memorization. During Cloud’s “Luxury Course” option, she utters in an alluring sultry voice that “Stress is poison to the body.” This line had stuck in my head even after my first playthrough, as it is both fitting in the moment, and relatable for just about everyone.
Overall, the jacket features a minimalist color palette of black, white, red, and yellow. The yellow Yuzufever brand logo features on the jacket’s left chest. The back graphic features my drawing of Madam M with her signature fan, surrounded by the chrysanthemum flowers that decorate her shop and kimono. Above her is the Japanese Kanji from her parlor’s neon sign, as well as the text “stress is poison.” To her left is the YUZU logo, and below her is her name “Madam M” and a small bow to represent her kimono’s obi (or decorative sash). The interior of the jacket is also based on her obi. I recreated the red and gold hexagonal pattern with the YUZU logo in the center of some of them.
Model is Lorrie May. You can follow her on IG @phruitbasket & @lo_mayneee
Photography and design done by me.
Madam M is a character in Square Enix's FINAL FANTASY 7 REMAKE. I do not own the character nor is this product official or sponsored by Square Enix. Design is a fanart original done by me for Yuzufever. Some images above are screenshots taken directly from gameplay from Final Fantasy 7 Remake.