Yuka Mannami is the 24-year-old Japanese model with hair down to her waist and a mischievous look in her eyes. With an undying love of vintage clothes, the ex-ballerina is completely adorable! Whether sheltering a cat from the rain under her umbrella, catching butterflies on her birthday or wild swimming with family back in her hometown rivers, there’s something special about Yuka.
Like many others, we first set eyes on her walking the Fendi spring/summer 16 show, and headed straight to her Instagram where we fell headfirst into her world. Expect: shots of her hanging out with her best friends like the candy floss pink-haired Aussie Fernanda Ly and fellow Japanese dream girl Rina Fukushi. Just over a year later, her career has skyrocketed, sending her across the globe and onto the covers of not just Vogue Japan, but the second ever issue of i-D Japan too! Shot by Mario Sorrenti and styled by Alastair McKimm, Yuka is every bit the fresh face of Japanese youth, ready to take on the world.
Read: Introducing The Heart-to-Heart Issue, the second from i-D Japan!
When did you first get into vintage clothes?
16.
Which is your favourite vintage shop in Tokyo?
The Foureyed.
What are you obsessed with right now?
Muscle training!
What is your go-to karaoke song?
Any old Japanese song.
What are your favourite foods?
Eggs and fruit!
What has been your career highlight so far?
The Fendi show.
Which shoot was the most fun?
I went to Bulgaria to work for UNIQLO and it was the first time I went to a foreign country to work.
Who is your best friend in the fashion world?
Rina Fukushi.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Veterinarian.
What is the best place you have travelled to?
Milan!
If you had to have somebody else’s hair, who would you pick?
Fernanda!
If you could live in a fictional world, which would you want to live in?
Pokemon World or Final Fantasy!
What music are you listening to at the moment?
Sentimental songs.
What makes you nervous?
English ;(
If you could wake up tomorrow with a new skill, what would you pick?
English, of course!
What is the last dream you remember having?
Returning to localness and living with my grandparents.
What are your future plans?
To become a vintage shop owner.
Explore: Yuka’s full cover story, over on i-D Japan!
Credits
Text Frankie Dunn