Simply outdoors the centre of Paris, within the Faubourg Saint Antoine district, there may be an establishment referred to as Cour de l’industrie: a set of courtyards that homes round 50 totally different artisans.
As a house of business it traces its historical past again to 1673, however the trendy establishment was created in 2004 when a gaggle of artisans campaigned towards redevelopment, convincing the Metropolis of Paris to purchase it and hand administration to them.
Often known as 37 bis, the house is gorgeous – an actual shock while you stroll off the road. The courtyards are cobbled, the massive buildings timber-framed. One studio has a backyard of unique pot vegetation outdoors; one other shows a row of model heads within the window. There are goldworkers, a guitar luthier and a bowyer.
Within the second courtyard, on the third ground, is the leather-based craftsman Satoru Hosoi. Ex-Hermes, he makes a few of the most stunning luggage wherever – I’ll clarify later fairly how far he goes with the craft.
Nevertheless, the factor I feel actually makes Hosoi attention-grabbing is that this mixed along with his eye for design.
Starting his profession in Japan, Hosoi moved to Italy after a few years to undertake an apprenticeship in modelling. He then went to Hermes, working in each the workshop and design centre for 11 years, earlier than going to Moynat.
In 2020 he left to arrange his personal model, which was not the very best timing. Paris went into lockdown three days later.
Hosoi can smile about it now – and does. He has a full order ebook, a brand new fee in the present day would take a couple of yr, and he’s free to focus on making the 20-25 luggage a yr he has capability for, working totally on his personal.
You received’t see his smile right here, nonetheless, as a result of Hosoi would not like to point out his face. He prefers to maintain his privateness and solely present the product.
That is an attention-grabbing angle in our personality-driven age, however I feel it is one that might change into extra common if it really works. All prospects go to Hosoi anyway, so there’s no lack of particular person connection, and I do know many manufacturers that might love to flee the treadmill of social media if they may.
So what makes Hosoi’s luggage so particular? Effectively, we’re on the earth of hand-sewn leather-based right here – saddle stitched, two needles held in two palms, looping via the seams. That is stronger in some methods than a machine, and much more time consuming. (See breakdown of bag high quality right here.)
Hosoi is on the prime even amongst this group by advantage of the hand stitching he does in additional locations, a few of them totally hidden. For instance, on the Tolbiac case (above) there’s a hand-sewn seam on the within of the zip, carried out purely in order that – for aesthetic causes – nothing reveals on the skin.
Then there are different kinds of handwork, akin to the very fact the ft on the bottoms of the baggage are fabricated from three layers of leather-based, somewhat than leather-covered metallic or plastic.
However most importantly, Hosoi makes his personal {hardware}. He makes buckles, poppers and fastening mechanisms to his personal design, reducing wax fashions after which having them forged (under). That is disproportionately costly and time-consuming, with the one benefit that your {hardware} seems to be like nobody else’s. Which is why nearly nobody does it – the few embrace somebody like Ortus in Japan.
So from a craft viewpoint, Hosoi is among the finest – even among the many dozens that I’ve coated over time.
The following level blends these craft factors with design.
In each bag that Hosoi makes, he provides little idiosyncrasies and unique mechanisms that take extra time however make the baggage distinctive. (Which, it needs to be mentioned, isn’t essentially an excellent factor – it could imply some luggage aren’t for you.)
The Sakra tote bag, for instance, has what seems to be like a cloche for a key connected to the skin. It’s not a key, nonetheless, however a metallic plate on a size that may be hooked to the alternative aspect of the bag, inside (under). This ensures the 2 sides fold inwards, offering just a little safety but additionally ensuring the bag at all times has the identical elegant folded look.
The Both weekender (proven prime), then again, goes from being an open-sided bag to a closed field, with the assistance of small leather-based buttons on the flaps. This side is one thing Hosoi doesn’t need photographed, as a result of he’s by no means seen it wherever else and has had designs copied up to now.
The very last thing I admired about Hosoi’s work might be the subtlest. I feel his love of design means he has a really elevated style degree – one thing that may be missing with different makers.
There are the fundamental issues, just like the tan leather-based (which Hermes calls Barenia) that’s the good shade, and stable uncoated brass. The brown grain leather-based can be actually darkish, and is a lot better as a grain than with a clean end, as is the black.
These all look nice, however are pretty frequent selections. Extra attention-grabbing are the weird colors, like the brilliant inexperienced of the Pirouette mannequin (above, centre). I didn’t assume I’d ever like inexperienced like that, however it’s very interesting in individual. The russet-coloured suede used on the Tolbiac bag is similar: not one thing I’d ever decide, however stunning.
Certainly, it’s telling that Hosoi solely gives every bag in two or three colors. That is restrictive, however after all these years I need my maker to have a view on these items.
I need him to have an aesthetic sense in addition to a craftsman’s. He shouldn’t offer me each color of leather-based conceivable, with any lining, and any thread. The outcome may very well be terrible. Even when I’ve sturdy views myself, I need to talk about selections with an equal – somebody that cares concerning the design simply as a lot as I do.
There’s a lot extra to write down about Hosoi’s designs. The 2-part zips on the Tolbiac, which let you entry the small inside pockets simply; the strap on the Oreille D’Elephant, which makes use of a army design so there is no such thing as a free flap. However finally it turns into a sea of element.
His design imaginative and prescient means the baggage received’t be for everybody. I beloved the Oreille D’Elephant, Sakra and Tronc, however much less so the others. The flip aspect of that, nonetheless, is that ones you do love you’ll be able to solely get right here. Nothing else is kind of the identical.
As you’d count on, Hosoi’s luggage are costly – from round €3000 to €9000 relying on mannequin and leather-based. However as I’ve set out in painful element, we’re speaking the very best on the earth. And his alma mater is costlier.
I didn’t fee a bag, however the Oreille in suede/leather-based (under) lives in my goals.
Hosoi is obtainable via the atelier in Paris and through trunk reveals in Japan. The tackle is 37 bis Rue de Montreuil. Buzzers will let you contact the totally different makers, although an appointment is required, contact via [email protected].
