Nagura：During the shoot, you tried KANEKALON CLEAN and AQUATEX, and today you’re wearing KANEKALON ULTRA LIGHT . Which one is your favorite?

Raimu：It’s a tough choice, but CLEAN left the strongest impression on me. I felt it was as soft as real hair. I also think its antibacterial properties make it great for enjoying your style for longer. I’d definitely like to keep ULTRA LIGHT as well though, as it’s lightweight, comfortable, and so natural that I could wear it all day without any discomfort.

Raimu：I've never done that before because I didn’t know that different extensions have different functionalities until I started working with the team at Kaneka.

I think it’s good to use extensions that fit your lifestyle, because it doesn’t only help you look good and enjoy new styles, but they also bring comfort to your everyday life. I’m sure there are many people out there who tolerate heavy extensions or struggled with scalp odor for so long. I wish I had known about this much sooner!

Raimu：Exactly. For example, I was an athlete for 10 years, and during that time I would have prioritized lightweight options. Someone who loves going to the beach might prioritize water resistant options. I think it’s important for more people to realize that they have these kinds of choices to fit their lifestyle.

Raimu： My hair and scalp tend to dry out easily, so I’m careful not to over-wash and avoid heat whenever possible. I rarely use a hairdryer with my natural hair, as it gets almost completely dry by towel drying.

When I shampoo my natural hair, I towel dry it and then divide it into several sections. I apply a moisturizing cream or gel to each section, twist it, and put on a hair cap before bed. The next morning, all I have to do is untwist the sections, and I’m ready to start the day with tangle-free hair. However, this whole process takes as long as two hours after shampooing.

That’s why I prefer braids or cornrows whenever I can. It eliminates the need for the kind of hair care I just mentioned, making things much easier.

Nagura：I think it’s a really efficient way to save time on hair care while still enjoying your favorite hairstyle. I imagine that drying braids after shampooing still takes a lot of time, though.

Raimu：Exactly. After my morning shower and shampoo, my braids usually take so long to dry that I can’t leave the house right away. It’s frustrating.

But with AQUATEX, my braids dried much faster, so I could head out without any worries. Normally, when braids stay wet, you have to deal with water dripping. In humid weather, they can start to smell, and in colder weather, they can make you feel chilled, which can even affect your health. That’s why having braids that dry quickly was such a relief.

Nagura：So, there are many benefits to quick-drying hair! Do you ever feel any discomfort when you put your braids up?

Raimu：KANEKALON CLEAN didn’t hurt; I think it’s because of its soft texture. With stiffer extensions, the freshly braided sections can be painful, so I usually avoid putting my hair up until they grow out a bit. Sleeping with them can also be quite uncomfortable.

Nagura：If you have pain when you sleep, it can affect not only the quality of your sleep but also your overall quality of life.

Raimu：That’s why I think it would be great if people could easily choose extensions not just based on style but also on materials that best suit their individual needs.

Raimu：Actually, I had my hair chemically straightened from the time I was 4 until I turned 20. Growing up in the countryside in Japan, I became more sensitive to how different I was from others, so I wanted to look like my friends. On top of that, caring for my natural hair was difficult—it would get tangled, and it was painful when my mom tried to comb it out. All of this led me start straightening my hair at a young age.

But when I turned 20, I decided it was time to start making my own decisions. I wanted to embrace my natural hair, which is a part of my unique identity, so I tried braids for the first time. The experience was truly eye-opening.

With chemical straightening, I was choosing not to stand out—it was driven by a lot of negative feelings. But braids were different; I chose them for myself. I felt like I had finally become the person I wanted to be. It was the moment I truly took ownership of my decisions.

Raimu：I think it’s something that gives me a different kind of confidence compared to makeup. My natural hair is curly, so growing it out long is a real challenge. But with extensions, I can change the length or color, and with a wig, I can have smooth, long hair whenever I want. Being able to experiment with the looks I want gives me a new sense of confidence.

While fashion and makeup are often about blending in with your surroundings, I see a hairstyle as something that allows you to transform yourself to match who you want to be.

Raimu：It truly changes you. A hairstyle is something you choose to match your own style, and I believe it’s one of the most powerful ways to spark inner change and reveal a new side of yourself.

Nagura：For example, short hair can give off a cool vibe, while long hair can appear more glamorous, so it definitely changes how others perceive you. It also makes me feel more positive and changes my behavior when I try out a new hairstyle or color.

Raimu： I completely agree. Changing your hairstyle can be a really big deal—in fact, you might even say it can change your life.

Raimu：I started as a child model, but at the time, I was self-conscious about being mixed-race. After graduating from university, though, I began to embrace it as a unique part of who I am. I wanted to inspire kids in similar situations. At the time, there weren’t many mixed-race models in Japan, so I thought by pursuing modeling, I could be a role model for kids who shared the same insecurities I had. I wanted to show them that someone like them could also succeed, and that’s what motivated me to take modeling more seriously.

Raimu：I started both ventures with the desire to apply my experiences in new ways and connect them to something meaningful. I launched the modeling agency because, as a model, I realized there were opportunities to improve things for both clients and models, and I wanted to bring those ideas to life. As for the accessory brand, I was already a fan of the designer’s work and wanted to help share it with a wider audience, so I took on the role of producer.

Having worked in marketing during my time as a corporate employee, I feel like my experiences are really coming together. While working on these projects, I also enjoy a slower pace of life in Switzerland, taking time for walks and runs in the beautiful natural surroundings—quite the contrast to life in Japan.

Nagura：The more I hear about your journey, the more I see how your past challenges and experiences have shaped what you’re doing today. At KANEKALON, we want to support people like you who are continually expanding their life stories, which is why we’ve embraced the brand message, “EXTEND YOUR STORY.”

Finally, could you share what "EXTEND MY STORY" means to you?