"Mag," a joint exhibition of clothing, interior goods, and miscellaneous goods, was held in Kita-ku, Osaka City from March 4th to 6th. The Tokyo exhibition will be held in Daikanyama from March 12th to 14th. This marks the third time that Mag has been held, and 24 companies exhibited at the Osaka exhibition. 51 companies are scheduled to exhibit at the Tokyo exhibition. We introduce the efforts of five exhibitors selected from this Osaka exhibition.
Fukue, a leather bag sewing factory, exhibited its original brand, "Artigiano." They offered bags made from 28-ounce ultra-heavyweight denim fabric produced by Kuroki, a global denim fabric manufacturer, as well as Kuroki's indigo-dyed dobby woven bags. They also introduced an all-leather bag with a hand-painted camouflage pattern developed in-house. This hand-painted camouflage all-leather bag is already on sale at Tokyu Hands. While Fukue previously specialized in the manufacture of leather bags and wallets, the success of their Kuroki bags has led them to consider expanding their collaborations with domestic fabric manufacturers.
In addition, Reich, which develops the scarf brand "Bage Craft," launched the sweatshirt brand "Subtract" this spring. All of the sweatshirts are made in Wakayama. Wakayama-made sweatshirts are known for being made using "loop loop knitting," but for this fall/winter collection, loop loop knitting machines are not used, and instead fabrics made using a different method from regular circular knitting, such as terry cloth, are used. Meanwhile, all of the scarves for the 2014-2015 autumn/winter collection are made from 100% cashmere and manufactured in a factory in Nepal.
Decaux de Tissus is an up-and-coming men's designer brand founded a year and a half ago, with an atelier and a directly managed store in Nakazakicho, Kita-ku, Osaka. They specialize in classic, orthodox designs. They will also be launching a women's line this fall/winter. The line features a subdued style using the same fabrics and coloring as the men's line. There are 12 women's styles, but they plan to add more in the future.
Strange Stretch Records is a brand that recycles damaged records that can no longer be played into miscellaneous goods. They apply heat to the records to transform them, turning them into tissue cases, business card holders, card clips, table clocks, pen holders, cash trays, and more. All of the work is done by hand.
Bon Bijou, which operates the women's accessories brand Bon Bijou and the antique goods brand The History, is currently focusing on The History's new brass bow tie. Made using antique brass parts, the tie is entirely handmade in a domestic factory. Brand leader Hisahiro Torii says, "When I thought about accessories with an antique image, I came up with this idea. Not only can it be worn unisex, but it can also be used as a bracelet."
