TOPICS 6 Masterpiece, now in its 26th year, expands the scale of its own factory, BASE OSAKA.
master-piece" celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, and this year, its 26th year, the brand is more active than ever, relocating and expanding its own factory "BASE OSAKA" in Osaka, and introducing a new logo. When we asked Koki Furuya, the newly appointed director of "Masterpiece," about the reason for this, we found that he is filled with thoughts that are typical of "Masterpiece," which continues to focus on made-in-Japan products. We also asked him to introduce some of his recommended bags for this season, so be sure to check them out.
FURUKAE and MIZUNO Michio, the two founders of the bag brand "NUNC," have been appointed as directors of "Masterpiece. Congratulations again.
Old house: Thank you very much. Masterpiece" celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, and I was asked to join the company at that time. The first thing we did was to unify the logos. Originally, Masterpiece had about 30 different logos designed to match the bags. However, because of this, there were cases where the bags were not recognized as "Masterpiece" bags. That is why we unified the logo this season. In order to have people accept the design, we have dropped the logo into a pithy, understated assertion.
What is the brand's goal for the future?
Old house: As the next step in providing high quality bags made in Japan, we are pursuing "Masterpiece Quality". This is the functional beauty that results from the pursuit of ease of use in urban life. We also want to establish our position as a total bag brand. We are thinking of offering products that will make life more comfortable for everyone who uses our bags, and we are considering a new approach that is different from the past.
BASE" was established in Osaka and Toyooka in 2008, and "BASE OSAKA" moved and expanded in February of this year. What was the reason for this?
Old house: Since the early days of the brand, when the number of products produced was small, domestic factories have cooperated with us, and Masterpiece continues to insist on "Made in Japan" production. However, our skilled craftsmen are aging. In order to pass on their sewing skills to the future, we have increased the floor space of "BASE OSAKA" and hired more craftsmen to work there.
Have there been any other changes since the renewal?
Old house: Previously, there were separate floors for each process, but now everything is consolidated on one floor. This has been a great improvement, as each craftsman now has more opportunities to see each other and communicate more smoothly.
Old house: Here, we have craftsmen ranging in age from their 70s at the top to their early 20s at the bottom. They are as far apart in age as father and son, but during breaks they get along like junior high school students (laughs). Masterpiece" bags have a lot of parts, and there are some parts that are out of the conventional bag-making theory, but even the older craftsmen are flexible and have a young sensibility because they are able to handle it. Besides their amazing skills, I think they also have a unique side to them.
Q: What bags do you recommend for this season?
Old house: Starting this season, we have divided our lineup into two lines: "Prime Casual" and "Neo Work. We want to offer the best bags that can be made in the "Masterpiece" price range, in order to give people an extra special feeling in both casual and business situations.
Backpack ［W30×H45.5×D14cm ］¥25,000+TAX
(mspc 06-6265-2677)
Old house: Picking up from Prime Casual is the "age" series backpack. The looks are colorful like a masterpiece or a combination of different materials, but the most noteworthy feature is the removable front pocket. It is equipped with a hook to which a plastic bag can be attached, allowing you to separately store trash and dirty items from your outings. This gimmick was created to reduce the stress of going out as much as possible.
2-way bag［W29.5×H40.5×D10.5cm］¥38,000+TAX
(mspc 06-6265-2677)
Old house: From "Neowork" is a series called "time. It mainly uses a fabric called "Mastertex 06" developed in-house, which has excellent water repellency and durability. It is a small thing, but we often see businessmen using backpacks inserting plastic bottles or folded umbrellas into the side pockets. For us, we want them to carry their bags in a cool way, but we feel that this doesn't look good. That's why we devised the pockets. The inside is gusseted so that the sides do not bulge out when filled with luggage, making it look sleek. Another key point is the use of antibacterial material for the interior.
MSPC
Phone: 06-6265-2677
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