What underpins the brand is the sincere craftsmanship of its artisans. It has 20 artisans on staff, led by master-class craftsmen in their seventies, but because it also invests in training, many are young or women. What is more, most of them gained experience in the stores before taking up the craft.
That is because, above all, the brand values its worldview. There are plenty of artisans who can simply make beautiful things. But unless they have stood behind the counter and properly understood that worldview before they make anything, the finished piece can sometimes feel somehow off.
Also worth noting is the brand's conscious effort to make things from the user's point of view. Even a single inside pocket is placed only after careful thought about whether it is needed in modern life and whether it is easy to use. This is no doubt because the brand believes that a bag or wallet only becomes a true product when it is comfortable to use.
The balance between detail-driven devotion and craftsmanship
SLOW's products are essentially simple, yet, as if the quality of a thing resided in its details, the attention paid to them is remarkable. That said, craftsmanship is not crammed in indiscriminately. Take the “bono” tote bag, synonymous with the brand. Look closely and you will see that the opening is left with a raw cut edge, even though this is a part where the leather would fray if not properly finished. This is a finish made possible only by using leather richly infused with oils, and as it ages it changes as if it had been polished.
Wallets and the like, by contrast, showcase highly skilled edge burnishing to the full, which also helps heighten their visual beauty. Offering a well-balanced range of pieces to be enjoyed for their materials and pieces to be enjoyed for their craftsmanship is another hallmark of SLOW.
Craftsmanship born of conversations with customers
These days, anything can be bought easily online. Precisely because of this, SLOW says it values conversations with customers. Serving customers face to face is also a way of learning what designs and what functions people are looking for right now.
Of course, the brand has firm convictions about its own craftsmanship, but it takes a wide range of opinions to heart and actually reflects them in its products. Rather than proposing things one-sidedly, it is, one might say, a sense of everyone, customers included, nurturing the brand together. This flexible attitude is the very charm of SLOW, and no doubt the reason it has fans who visit again and again from overseas. Shopping while enjoying a conversation with staff well versed in leather goods: SLOW is a brand that makes you want to return to that original pleasure of shopping.
A long-selling masterpiece packed with everything SLOW stands for
The “bono” tote bag is the item synonymous with SLOW. Its full vegetable-tanned leather, specially ordered from Tochigi Leather, is now finished thinner than before. While retaining its firm yet soft feel, it has evolved to be lighter in the hand so that it can be adopted more casually. Keeping the hardware to the bare minimum also helps enhance the lightness.
Another feature is that natural dye penetrates right to the core of the leather, producing an ink-black hue that is all its own and catches the eye. The opening gapes wide for excellent visibility, and the deliberate absence of dividers lets the bag adapt flexibly to the user's lifestyle and circumstances.
SLOW bono -new tote bag-
Material: Cowhide
¥55,000 tax incl. Reference price
