Model, talent and fashion designer Uno Kanda

2025.02.08

Work creates gratitude and opens up new worlds

Model, talent, fashion designer　　Kanda Uno(Kandauno)

■ Profile
Born on September 1975, 3, in Kanagawa Prefecture.
She made her modeling debut at the age of 14, and was later chosen as a model for the magazine Petit Seven at the age of 17.
Since then, she has been active in a wide range of fields, from variety shows to dramas, movies, and commercials. In 2001, she began producing stockings, wedding dresses, jewelry, and more. In 2004, she exhibited her wedding dresses at Paris Fashion Week.
In addition, starting in 2021, she announced the production of the cosmetics brand "Peau de Bijou UNO," and is involved in a wide range of production work.

Kanda Uno has been active in a wide range of fields, including ballet, modeling, variety show talent, and product production. She talks about her childhood experiences, the society she encountered through her modeling career, and the strength she gained from her many challenges. Her heartfelt message for university students is also a must-see.

■Starting as a little ballet girl

I was born on March 28th, about three weeks earlier than my expected date. I was always a head shorter than everyone in my grade, and I felt like I was surrounded by older brothers and sisters during my school life. I couldn't do anything, so my friends would often take me by the hand and look after me, saying, "Uono-chan, do this, do that," and I naturally became a character that relied on those around me.
My parents had me take up a variety of lessons, but none of them worked out very well. But ballet was the only thing I enjoyed and took seriously, practicing so much that I wore out my pointe shoes so many times. I heard that as a result, my parents decided that they should let me take up ballet.

■ A new world I came into contact with as a model

I was scouted by various talent agencies, but my parents were against it all. When I was 14, I was scouted by a modeling agency. As a fashion lover, I knew I wanted to try this job because it would allow me to wear lots of beautiful clothes. Since pointe shoes for ballet are consumables and expensive, I convinced my parents that I wanted to earn enough money to buy them myself, and I was finally able to start modeling. This decision would later become a catalyst for a major change in my life. My parents thought I'd quickly get bored of the job and quit, but I found it increasingly enjoyable. At the time, I only knew about school and the world of ballet, so I started modeling casually, but it was here that I first learned about the workings of society. I discovered many professions I had never even known existed, such as photographer, hair and makeup artist, and magazine writer.
It wasn't easy to work as a model while prioritizing ballet. Modeling work mainly involves shooting on weekends, and the schedule often overlapped with ballet performances and rehearsals. Even after passing the audition, ballet came first. My ballet teacher was strict and told me not to miss lessons, so I was frustrated many times when I couldn't do the work I wanted. Still, I gained a lot from learning about a new world and meeting many new people through modeling.

■ Conflicts as a variety show talent

After graduating from high school, I started working in variety shows. The president of my agency introduced me to a producer, saying, "This girl sounds like a talking Barbie doll, she's funny," and the producer took a liking to me, and I was suddenly cast as a show host. At the time, I was working on it innocently, thinking, "My grandparents in the countryside aren't watching, so I can just say whatever I want," but my comments were edited, which led to more misunderstandings, and I started receiving more and more criticism. I once directly told the president that I wanted to quit being a talent and go back to modeling, but I couldn't quit because I had already booked over a dozen regular shows.
So I negotiated with the president, saying, "Please at least reduce my regular programs to single digits," and he reduced the number of regular programs from over a dozen to nine. At the time, this was the bare minimum I could tolerate, and I somehow managed to continue working. When the criticism intensified, my friends in the same industry encouraged me by telling me not to worry about it, which was a great support. I think that through this experience, I learned about the harshness of society and the importance of finding a compromise.

■ Challenges and rewards as a producer

When I was 25, I appeared in a stocking commercial, and when a company saw that I was always wearing stockings and tights with foreign patterns, they approached me with a request for a stocking design. This was the trigger for me to start working as a producer.
So I tried something new: applying Swarovski crystals to stockings. It involved a lot of hard work, including conducting experiments to verify durability, but the product ultimately became a huge hit, and I received gratitude from many companies and customers. I was so happy when I saw so many women walking around town wearing the stockings and tights I had designed. Unlike the recognition I received for my modeling work, the experience of creating products based on my own sensibilities and seeing customers happy gave me a great sense of accomplishment. Then, I started getting requests to design lingerie and wedding dresses. Designing the dresses was quite extensive, and I had to make the headpieces as well, which was very difficult, but I felt a great sense of accomplishment every time I received a letter of thanks from the bride and her family. I think this experience helped me develop the belief that "work generates gratitude."

■Message to students

I believe that student life is a special time when you can learn about society while being protected. I myself entered the workforce early, so I never had the chance to experience anything like university life. However, this period in which you are now able to balance learning and having fun is a chance to gain many experiences. The encounters and challenges you face will surely be of great help when you reach your 30s and 40s. It is also important to have the flexibility to accept the opinions of others while also having the ability to express your own. The skill of being able to respect others while having your own opinions will be the foundation for creating a better society. Don't be afraid of failure, and try many things. This will be a great asset for your future self.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on June 16, 2024 by Yurie Watanabe, second-year student at Josai International University