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Now Casting: Leah Ogawa
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Leah Ogawa grew up in Japan before heading stateside for boarding school. It didn’t talk long for her school’s acting teacher to notice that she was model material. After one introduction to a casting director, her modeling career hit the ground running. Now she’s living full-time in New York and has an unlikely side gig. You’ve heard of the model/waitress or the model/actress, but Ogawa doubles as model and a part-time professional puppeteer—as in the art of manipulation puppets. It was a hobby that she picked up while studying theater in college, which led to her discovery of Bunraku, a traditional form of Japanese puppetry that she’s hoping to revive. Here, we catch up with Ogawa about her unique passions, her odd beauty routine, and life as a model/puppeteer:
Can you explain your work as a professional puppeteer?
“Puppetry is the art of object manipulation. For example: Making a hat come alive and understanding what that means through movement. I liken my style of puppetry to contemporary dance, but with objects. I was first introduced to it via Bunraku puppetry, which is a traditional Japanese style of performance. I love dance and movement, so I’m trying to combine puppetry and that into one thing.”
What do you hope to achieve as a puppeteer?
“As an art form, Bunraku is dying so I’d like to keep that tradition alive and maintain it. That’s my main goal: To not forget the past and to continue to develop as I go. There’s so much stuff happening in the world right now, so we need to keep on supporting the right people. I don’t know what I see myself being able to achieve in the long-run, but I guess I’m trying to figure that out too.”
Do you have any role models?
“Cameron Russell is my role model because she’s really outspoken. She’s talks about global issues and also about female rights and she champions designers that support women in different countries. She’s using her platform to do something in this world and in the fashion industry.”
What are your career goals?
“Sometimes I question why I’m making art and why I’m in the fashion industry. I’m still trying to figure it out, but I think when you perform you connect with the audience and something in the audience will change how they view the world. If I can do that to one person then as an artist I’ve done something. If I can do something, I would like to influence other people in a positive way.”
What’s been your favorite modeling moment so far?
“Working with Savanna Ruedy. She’s a female photographer and I just did a test shoot with her. I like female photographers and what they’re doing. I love working with people who are open-minded and trying to break out of the stereotype of what photography should be in this industry.”
How do you stay in shape for your job?
“I do movement and puppetry and that’s pretty physical work, so I don’t work out. Whenever I’m stressed out, I run. It’s the only thing that seems to help me cope.”
Do you have a favorite beauty trick?
“Instead of mascara, I put Vaseline on my eyelashes and eyebrows. I don’t like the gel that much, but Vaseline makes them look much darker. To highlight my face I also use Vaseline. I guess that I’m a little obsessed with Vaseline!”
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prev link: https://www.crfashionbook.com/fashion/a10017758/now-casting-leah-ogawa/
createdAt:Tue, 13 Jun 2017 18:10:30 +0000
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section:Fashion