Delicate yet ferocious
| Item Number | tk006205 |
| Item Name | Wall (white) M / Wall (white) L |
| Price | Wall (white) M: 39,900 yen |
| Limited | Wall (white) M/L: 20 each |
| Size | Wall (white) M: |
| Material | Leather (cowhide) |
| Payment Methods | Paypal |
| Shipping | Shipping costs will be emailed after order (all items ship from Japan) |
| Time to delivery | 2 months |
| Notes | Returns are not accepted. |
| Buyer | Matsuo |
The ruins of the white wall
Despite it being a bag it looks like a white wall.
Did he just want to paint on leather? No, in fact, painting the bags is a pain staking process which results in the rough feel of the white Wall series.
The outside of the bag is painted in layers until shadows arise. The bag becomes even thicker with the paint, forging it into a solid form, which it keeps as its used. If you like a rough, tough feel you will love this bag. The paint is for outdoor walls, so of course the bag gains water resistance. If you're a little tough, the bag won't shrink from you. Or droop. If it gets dirty, wipe it off. This bag will wear the years well, each developing its own individual flavor, if that's what you like.
On one side of the bag there is a gusset for accent. Without any on the other side, the bag develops a straight edge, and if you're one that likes asymmetry in design this bag pulls it off with balance and style. If you point the tapered end forward (this is the proper way to carry the bag according to the designer) it practically pulls you ahead. Because of the way the leather was cut and reinforcing done, the bag almost leans into your side when you carry it from your shoulder.
But not everything is a walk in the park.
In the same way outdoor paint deteriorates, so will this bag. The painting is done from the outside in, so the edges are the first to roughen. However, as the designer likes to say, this rustle is part of the feel. To quote him, "In front of a deteriorated mortar wall lit by a dirty white florescent light, this bag look like ruins of old, part of a memory past within all of us". What? We are going to walk around carrying ruins? Was that image ever part of how we perceive bags? Well, let's hope he repaints the bag like a sakan craftsman (sakan refers to a craftsman who would paint for royalty often repairing the interior of castles and shrines).
The inside of the bag is treated for water and heat resistance, but is not lined so if the objects in the bag rub against the sides the leather's color will change and the texture roughen. If you want to keep the color even, or if the rustle from the rough texture bothers you, this bag may not be for you. I fell in love with the shape of the bag, but I have to say this single point does bother me. I see what the designer means when he says the bag has the look and feel of ruins. If I'm really worried about the inside of the bag, or the objects in it, I make small white cotton bags to hold the objects inside. A simple wipe removes any dirt. If you're a clean freak, you might want to take the same approach. I haven't mentioned my methods to the designer, but in the end its up to the owner of the bag.
This downside of this bag, in a way, is its highest beauty. When you walk around town with Wall, it really gives you a unique look which brings you to life. If you lean it against a wall somewhere it blends in in the most mysterious way. I feel Wall is designed from how the designer thinks bags ought to be. The tension between rough and minute, the characteristics I wrote about that you will love or hate... a bag of moving ruins.
It all seems rather poetic, but in the end, as the designer says, use it however you wish.
Redefining the raw in raw materials. With a bite.
Point the tapered end in the direction you're going.
Is the outside of the bag a wall?
The smaller of the bags is sharper. Left: Wall/L, Right: Wall/M
A venomous mass which would not be tamed
You could call it an organic crumpled mass, but it's more accurate to think of as an unraveled lump.
This bag is just about the exact opposite of the Wall series I just introduced. Although animalistic, the designer has created a uniquely wild and yet somehow delicate and biting bag with the Skin series. The shape of the bag changes as you fill it so it's difficult to say exactly how much it will hold, however, I can say it isn't the best bag for delicate things like documents you want to keep pristine. It's great for holding lots of small objects. Sort of like a mini-hive. Perhaps after awhile the objects will remember their warm new home and return rather than going to the land of the lost. I love the feel of putting things in and taking them out again; good for those of us who are disorganized.
To be honest, in my own stereotypical way, I think this bag is best for women. The ominous nature of the bag will add a layer of mystery, drawing out the beauty of a woman. I can imagine a lady pulling a fancy new handkerchief from this grotesque bag... there is something charming about those opposites.
To quote the designer, "Because leather comes from a once living being, of course there is a tension between beauty and death. We often forget this after an animals skin is transformed into leather. With this series I'm trying to keep the reality of the original skin as intact as possible."
You may think more thought has been put into this concept instead of convenience, but Skin is the designer's preferred bag for everyday use. The bag certainly gives him an aura.
There are two types in the Skin series: a shoulder bag with a cover, and a tote. Will you fill the den under your arm with venom, or will you keep it subtle? Depends on the owner...
This bag knows who it is. There is no brand logo or mark, instead the leather itself represents its origins.
Kagari's bag easily exceeds our normal ideas of what a bag should be. Ridding the bag of all ornamentation, he has achieved a poetic moving space. I feel this bag best represents designer Kagari. This bag has such a dark look, but he does an excellent job balancing it just right.
Wrinkled from the start. And impossible to tame. (Skin/shoulder)
Beyond the idea of a bag. Rethink what you carry. (Skin/shoulder)
You're carrying a lump of space. (Skin/tote)
Keep your hand from becoming the baggage. Left: Skin/tote, Right: Skin/shoulder
Experimentation and Planning in East Kanda
pilot program gallery (p2g) opened in June, 2007, and is both gallery and atelier for Kagari Yuusuke and unit Mokiri. It gets its name from the experimental nature of the space. The gallery has its origins in CENTRAL EAST TOKYO, an art event space which used the warehouse before its conversion to p2g.
Prior to p2g the space was used as it was originally built: as a warehouse. With the owner's permission and the help of several friends, over 4 months the space was transformed into its current state. The no longer necessary wooden tiles were broken up and used as the dividers for shaping the poured concrete, the wall, ceiling, and anything else was painted white. In the process of painting a sewing machine was sacrificed, clogged by the paint. As someone who was aware of the renovation process, I was even more amazed by the results. You get a good idea of the their characters by looking at the finished space.
Their choice in space for an atelier was also unique. They are surrounded by businesses related to textiles in East Kanda. The spot is perfect for getting the materials they need, but also wonderful because it is in the middle of a shopping strip. The white of the their shutter, when closed, certainly has impact and is a good image to propel their art and design forward. Their arrival also signifies a breath of new life into the surrounding area, the choice of location representing the kind of sharp observation these designers are good at. The number of fashion related galleries and stores in the Kanda area are rising. They were first, so they will undoubtedly shape the area's future.
Rather than think about such things they go about creating, at their own pace.
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The gallery. Almost all DIY.
The atelier. You can smell the atmosphere in the bag.
The storage room was completely transformed.
You can feel the possibilities. This town is going to change.