A Second Reason

Since I was little, I have had this weird tendency of holding up intricately designed objects and looking at them really closely. A necklace pendant, a correction tape, a wallet — unassuming things like these get my attention and I would try to figure how they are pieced together to work.
When I do figure out (or sometimes not) that every piece and part makes sense and how genius the invention is, a strong energy builds inside me because it makes me feel like the world is filled with people who have made contributions to the betterment of one’s lives.
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Naturally, humans are tool makers. The pulling of thread, sharpening of blade, hammering of metal, et cetera are abilities our hands have given us. When combined with the pumping of our hearts, we just might edge machines out when it comes to bringing life to a product.
Through senkoubou, we hope to bring back the appreciation of a craftsman’s time, workmanship, and spirit.

 



capsule coll. II : roots 根

 

I remember cycling along Kamogawa in 2014. Stopping by every few hundred meters
to watch the ducks, hear the waters, and to breathe in the mountains transported by
the breeze from afar. That Spring opened my eyes to all possibilities—it was also the
time I met my Sensei and his Wife. Spending that time in Kyoto inspired me to step
away from what was convenient, to chase a dream I have had for a long time.

Titled “roots”, this second capsule collection is a traceback to the feeling of new
beginnings; the chasing of a dream, a hunger for knowledge, and the opportunity of
being able to do something you love without fear of failure. Designs are composed of
shapes with a subtle note of irregularity that resembles the oddity of growing roots.
Each stitch is hammered and sewn together by hand, using natural ramie threads,
reflecting a character and techniques that cannot be replicated by mass industries.

On a journey of self-discovery and growth, we connect deeply to the purity of the
earth silently and slowly, growing rooted like a tree. While it is easy to get
distracted by the fast pace of the world all around—like the weather, the lives you
meet (big or small) or obstructions that might hinder your view, we hope
this collection serves as a reminder to always go back to how it started.

 

 

 

 

Photographer / Ryan Loh
Model / Edna Sun

Photographer for Shop product images / Sherman Seetho

YAHO! Studio Warming

And 2 months have passed since the launch of our little studio!
A big thank you to all who came down, sent flowers, gifts, happy messages, brought cakes and made cake(yes, you wira!); and special thank you to Tomo and Junko for flying in all the way from Geneva and Kyoto! We definitely felt the enormous love and support that came with those gestures and are truly overwhelmed and touched by all.
From the bottom of our hearts, we know we couldn't have made it to this starting line without you. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!  
xx

Credits: 

Main photography by Joshua Tan and Yvonne Tan




Our Primary Material

The leathers we use for our house designs are from Tuscany, Italy, where vegetable tanning is an artisan tradition, handed down from father to son for centuries. Each piece of hide comes with quality trademark, Pelle Conciata al Vegetal in Toscana (Tuscan Vegetable Tanned Leather), which means that the leather is produced in compliance with the Consortium’s Production Regulations coinciding with tradition, Tuscan origin, quality and craftsmanship. Among the different tanning methods, vegetable tanning is currently still the most traditional, and the only one able to give leather its unique characteristics. 

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Vegetable-tanned leather matures without ruining. It absorbs traces of our life and turns into a warm, intense shade as we travel through time.
The practice of vegetable tanning is carried out by the use of tannin, a substance contained in many different types of plants, in the bark, leaves, wood, roots, or even in the fruits depending on the species. Each process taken when transforming raw hides into long-lasting materials is done in full respect of man and the environment.
  
  • No animal is killed for its skin. The raw hides used by the Consortium's tanneries are the discarded by-products of the food industry producing meat for human consumption.
  • Being tanned with natural tannins, the left over chemicals can be easily disposed of at the end of its life.
  • Many of the substances used during the tanning process are recovered, recycled and reused in different fields. E.g. Hair removed from raw hides is transformed into agricultural fertilizer; sludge produced by the depuration plants is reused in the construction field to make bricks, etc.
  • Vegetable-tanned leather, recognizable from its trademark, does not contain any toxic substance such as azo-dyes, nickel, PCP or chrome VI.

 

capsule coll. I : sow 種

 

Our very first collection titled, sow, draws the start of senkoubou.
Inspired by the scattering of seeds on moist earth and the maker’s
experience of farming in the fields of Nagano, Japan, we keep the basic
functions of everyday tools accompanied by little woven details to
represent rice fields and the simplicity and quietness of new beginnings.

  

 

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thought history