WABISUKE's philosophical dialogue on what "beauty" is
Wabisuke's philosophical dialogue on what "beauty" is
Replace it with "beauty."
It refers to visible shapes and colors. Rather, it is in the invisible that we can sense deep beauty. It is this "tangible beauty" that WABISUKE deals with every day.
By the way, when you open the clasp of a purse, you hear that "click" sound.
Beauty is in the memory
We sometimes hear the following comments from customers who have used WABISUKE products.
"It reminded me of the clasp purse my grandmother used."
"These colors remind me of the scenery I saw as a child."
This is no mere coincidence. What we value is touching memories and emotions through objects. In other words, beauty has the power to quietly resonate with someone's memories.
For example, off-white canvas that evokes the soft light of spring. Or a soft, pale brown fabric that seems to have come straight out of the world of Choju Jinbutsu Giga. The colors have a nostalgic, quiet warmth, like the margins of an old picture scroll or sun-bleached Japanese paper.
The selection of certain colors and materials is not just based on the senses, but also on memories and the changing of the seasons. The moment you see a color, it gently opens the "door to invisible memories," as if a scene deep in your heart suddenly rises to the surface.
The beauty of imperfection
Many modern products are uniform, waste-free, and efficient. That is beautiful in itself. However, WABISUKE aims for a slightly different kind of beauty.
In the past, the slight variations in the weave of fabric, the individual differences in the shade of a print, or the slight differences in the position of the clasp give the appearance of being handcrafted.
This may be the same feeling we feel in the wabi-sabi of the tea ceremony. It is precisely because it is not perfect that there is space and room for imagination.
Beauty grows within the person who uses it
The purses and bags you make are not "completed" the moment they are completed. Rather, that is the beginning.
In our daily lives, we pick up, use, and sometimes scratch our items, and as a result, they acquire a unique beauty.
A customer once showed us a purse that she had been using for 10 years. The fabric had softened, the corners had become rounded, and there were small scratches on the clasp.
In this way, we have come to the realization that beauty is not something that is finished, but something that "develops."
Beauty is thinking of someone
WABISUKE products are often chosen as gifts, whether for Mother's Day, to celebrate coming of age, or to commemorate a milestone for yourself.
The giver takes time to imagine the life of the recipient when selecting a gift. Beauty already resides in that imagination.
For example, "This color would go well with that person's kimono," or "This size would fit that person's hand just right." The accumulation of such imaginations gives warmth to the object.
In other words, beauty is something that exists in the heart when you think of someone.
Beauty is the power to feel
Finally, let us leave the answer we have arrived at quietly.
Beauty is not an attribute of something, but rather the sensitivity to discover it.
Even when looking at the same thing, some people will find it beautiful, while others will not. That is why WABISUKE places importance on leaving room for people to feel beauty, rather than forcing it upon others.
A quiet presence. A sense of security when you hold it in your hand. A memory that suddenly comes back to you. Gently handing over these "invisible values." This is the philosophy of WABISUKE, and the thought that lies at the root of our manufacturing.