DAISUKE UEDA
He’s a new icon and in demand by both A-list magazines and famed labels. When he’s not shooting, he’s out shouting at a karaoke bar or at home cooking Japanese delicacies. Meet Daisuke Ueda.
After years in the industry and several magazine covers – for Vogue Hommes Japan, Manifesto and Details Magazine, to name three – as well as big campaigns for labels like Dior Homme, Dolce & Gabbana and (of course) H&M, the now 30-year-old male model Daisuke Ueda has become a new icon. He was born in Fukuoka on Japan’s southern-most island, Kyushu, and started his modeling career with work for Japanese designers, labels and magazines. His international breakthrough came in 2011 when he starred in campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands, which culminated with him being featured on H&M billboards all over the world – perhaps most notably on Times Square in New York.
He describes himself as a “Japanese sensitive skin male model” in his Instagram bio, and after browsing through his most recent photos, it definitely seems accurate since he’s seen wearing face masks in bed, on set and on planes. During Daisuke Ueda’s last trip to Sweden and the H&M Photo Studio in Stockholm, we asked him to let us in on some of his model secrets. Keep reading to find out what popular sauce he thinks he smells like, what classic song gets him going and which industry legend he’s most proud to have worked with.
MY FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHER IS…
“Guy Aroch.”
IN MY CAREER, I AM MOST PROUD OF…
“Having worked with Karl Lagerfeld.”
MY MOST MEMORABLE SHOOT WAS…
“The cover for Vogue Hommes Japan with [photographer] Steven Klein and Nicola Formichetti. My most memorable show was for Louis Vuitton.”
THE SONG THAT ALWAYS GETS ME GOING AT A SHOOT IS…
“Psycho Killer by Talking Heads.”
MY CREATIVE OUTLET IS…
“Cooking.”
MY MODEL ICON IS…
“Lars Swenson.”
MY BEAUTY SECRET IS…
“Coconut water.”
My secret talent is karaoke.
DAISUKE UEDA
I KEEP IN SHAPE BY…
“Boxing.”
MY DE-STRESS TRICK IS…
“To shout it out at karaoke.”
MY SECRET TALENT IS…
“Karaoke!”
I SMELL LIKE…
“Soy sauce?”
MY FAVORITE OFF-DUTY LOOK IS…
“Football training wear.”
RIGHT NOW, I AM OBSESSED WITH…
“Beyoncé’s Super Bowl halftime show from 2013.”
MY FAVORITE HOTEL IS…
“Las Caldas Hotel Enclave in Oviedo, Spain.”
MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT IS…
“Ricardo Steak House in New York.”
FOR BREAKFAST, I ALWAYS HAVE…
“A banana.”
FOR A LONG FLIGHT, I ALWAYS PACK…
“Loose-fitting underwear and cozy socks.”
WHEN I HAVE SOME FREE TIME, I…
“Go snowboarding.”
THE BEST ADVICE I’VE EVER RECEIVED IS…
“Try to make everyone happy – it will also make you happy. From my grandfather.”
BEING A MODEL, I’VE LEARNED…
“The greatness of agents and agencies.”
POST-MODELING, I WOULD LIKE TO…
“Start my own modeling agency in Tokyo.”
MY FAVORITE TV SHOW IS…
“2 Broke Girls.”
RIGHT NOW, I AM READING…
“One Piece (Japanese Anime).”
MY GOAL IN LIFE IS…
“For my family to be happy.”
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source: H&M
