Rinka Kumada look.1

Japan is a place where the four seasons are palpable. In June, you can listen to the sound of rain in a quiet room and do some soul-searching. Model and actress Rinka Kumada, who loves fashion, wears the latest collection from Onitsuka Tiger.

Look 1 has Rinka dressed in a pale blue polo shirt with a vibrant yellow accent on the collar and a skirt in a similar tint of yellow. The key feature of the skirt is that it is denim from the DENIVITA series. DENIVITA is coined from two words “denim” and “vita” which is Italian for life. The name reflects the designers’ spirit of living a vibrant and colorful life in denim. Use of Japan-made denim is another allure. Rinko Kumada is championing this spirit.

“For my own wear, I ordinarily don’t wear garb with a hem. But I think this ensemble which combines all of these upbeat colors is sweet and a new discovery for me. I don’t often have the chance to throw on denim in such muted yellow so it was a fun switch! I wear a lot of short skirts for work and play and this get up got me into a summer season mood! My shoes are mostly on the simple side, but these black sneakers with crystal studs accents the ensemble. I want them for my own fashion!”

Rinka has been employed as a model from a young age so she stays attuned to diverse fashion trends. She came to the photo shoot dressed in collaboration items by Onitsuka Tiger and Parisian brand PATOU. She waited in line to buy these extremely popular limited edition collection items!

“I was thrilled about the Onitsuka Tiger and PATOU collection. After finishing a modeling gig, I went straight to an Onitsuka Tiger shop and waited in line for quite a while (laughs.) I got this sweat hoodie with grosgrain ribbon, the WS short socks, and a cap! I have been wearing sneakers more these days and Onitsuka Tiger apparel has a fashion sense that can be mixed and matched with sneakers. It goes with my sense of fashion too!”

Rinka’s modeling career started up in grade 6 when she won the grand prize for the nicola exclusive model audition, but fashion was part of her lifestyle even before this. She told us about her elementary school days when she was dreaming about mixing and matching cheap garb.

“Even before I began modeling for work, fashion was a close part of my lifestyle. I was the type of kid who searched for new garb along Takeshita Street or if there was a study camp I would get excited thinking about what to wear (laughs.) I have always enjoyed spending time thinking about garb so that I eventually made it into my job! I am truly blessed to get to wear different get ups as a model.”

Rinka is also an actress who has appeared in numerous films and TV dramas. She plays student Hana Yurikawa in the teen horror entertainment film “Mieruko-chan” scheduled to be released on June 6th.

“I was kind of hesitant about doing this film because I don’t like watching scary movies, but the director was upbeat and it was a lot of fun; people were laughing out loud during production. It is a funny-scary movie so even people who don’t like scary movies can watch it. But when I saw the stills for the first time they were of course terrifying (laughs.) Watch this new film if you have the chance!

It is ironic because back when I was a student, I wanted to hurry up and graduate so I could take off the uniform! But now I am glad to have any opportunity to wear a school uniform for a gig as many of the roles I have played have been students.”

During the shoot, Rinka strikes poses and expressions naturally and tries to get a read on the mood of the set. How does she meet the challenges of her job as a model and an actor on a daily basis? …to be continued in the next Look 2 interview.

→ For Look 2, I ask Rinka Kumada about her work as a model and actress.

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Direction : Shinsuke Nozaka
Photo, Movie : Masato Moriyama(TRIVAL)
Stylist: Kosei Matsuda
Hair & Make up: Saki Hidaka(ilumini)
Text : Saki Shibata