cornelian taurus by daisuke iwanaga Collection.

The OGATA TOTE is a special tote bag born from a long, 16-year dialogue. Beginning with the meeting of Shinnichiro Ogata and Daisuke Iwanaga in Paris in 2008, a four-year exploration led to the concept of reproducing the paper bag given to customers at "OGATA Paris" in leather. This attempt to transform a temporary consumer item like a paper bag into a leather item of lasting value embodies a philosophy that could be called "slow culture." It is the story of this patience and commitment to authenticity that determines the bag's value. The basic design is a horizontal "boat shape" reminiscent of a Japanese sasabune (bamboo leaf boat). By raising the unique washi (Japanese paper) material parts inside the bag, it transforms into a size large enough to hold A4 documents vertically, and an iPad, A5 documents, and small items horizontally. The height of these washi material parts can be freely adjusted, and when forming the boat shape, they can be folded to lie on the bottom, which helps maintain the form. The leather used is the brand's familiar cow mineral leather, traditionally tanned in a pit tank in Tochigi, a renowned Japanese leather production area. After impregnating the leather with oil during the tanning process, it undergoes a special finishing where a high-temperature press pushes the oil to the surface, creating a unique luster. This process results in an unparalleled expression with a plump elasticity and a translucent sheen. The rich aging process, a unique characteristic of vegetable-tanned leather, where the texture deepens over time, is also a major attraction. The inner transforming parts are made from a unique leather-like material created by coating pulp, the raw material for washi. This material is extremely thin and soft, and as it is used, it develops delicate and complex wrinkles, like crumpled washi, leaving traces unique to the owner. The new condition is not the final state; this aging process, which accepts even scratches and wrinkles as valuable individuality, expresses the Japanese aesthetic of "wabi-sabi," finding beauty in imperfection. The base of the handles features the brand's iconic woven pattern, which serves as both a design accent and a reinforcement. The opening has a minimalist design with a built-in magnet, and a removable bottom plate allows you to switch between a draped and stable form. The interior features two pockets: one with a zipper and one with a flap.