Hello.
I'm Noguchi from CASANOVA&CO.
Today, a continuation of the other day.
It's about this event.
LUGGAGE LABEL limited store -Onkochishin-
2025.12.06(SAT) ~ 2025.12.14(SUN)
At this event starting this weekend, we will focus on the LUGGAGE LABEL brand within Yoshida Kaban and introduce it to everyone.
As briefly introduced in a previous blog post, LUGGAGE LABEL started as a brand in 1984.
In other words, it's a brand that has been around for 41 years.
The word "90th anniversary" is so off the charts that my sense of scale is getting warped, but for a company to have been around for 90 years and a brand for over 40 years, it's almost in the realm of a maison brand.
LUGGAGE LABEL was apparently the leading brand from the late 80s to the 90s, to the extent that people would say, "If it's Yoshida Kaban, it's LUGGAGE LABEL."
I think PORTER is currently recognized as the representative brand of Yoshida Kaban, but it was LUGGAGE LABEL that first gained popularity back then.
LUGGAGE LABEL was highlighted in the fashion scene of the time, especially in the "Ura-Harajuku" culture, and, to use a modern term, it "went viral."
So, for customers over 50 who remember that time, it might be a nostalgic brand.
However, what we are focusing on this time is the new LUGGAGE LABEL.
The new LUGGAGE LABEL consists of three series developed under the theme "Wen old wisdom new" (Onkochishin).
The three series are named "OLDNEW," "TRUE BLUE," and "FILAMENT."
Even with the first "OLDNEW" series announced, it's only been about two years, so it's still a young collection of products.
In addition, due to the high production hurdles for each series, these series have almost exclusively been available only at direct stores until now.
So, it's extremely rare for a full lineup like this to be displayed at a select shop.
It might even be the first time ever.
That's how "aggressive" the manufacturing is for the LUGGAGE LABEL I'm introducing today.
So, from today, let me introduce each series.
Today, it's "TRUE BLUE."
As the name suggests, it's a blue bag.
TRUE BLUE has no color variations; it comes in this single deep blue color and six styles.
First of all, the deep blue of TRUE BLUE is real indigo dye.
Over the past two months, I've had several opportunities to think about real indigo dyeing, and I felt that this dyeing technique, "real indigo dyeing," faces the same dilemma as Yoshida Kaban.
It's like it's known, but not really known.
Or rather, because it is known, there's a large part that isn't seen.
The term "real indigo dyeing" tends to precede understanding, and precisely because its structure is so well-established, people tend to overlook its history and the way indigo is approached.
I think this is a similar phenomenon to what I wrote about Yoshida Kaban in a previous blog post.
That's why I'm planning to delve a little deeper into real indigo dyeing.
So, I'll get to that another time.
However, what's important about the real indigo dyeing in TRUE BLUE is that no chemical agents or solvents are used at all.
The indigo dyeing for this TRUE BLUE is done by Tokusoen in Tokyo, a renowned company that handles indigo dyeing for many famous brands.
In TRUE BLUE, this 100% natural indigo dyeing is applied to bags made from cotton-ramie fabric.
Cotton warp, ramie weft.
Even though you can feel the uneven texture of ramie, it's a very refined fabric.
The stitching is done with lyocell thread.
I think lyocell was chosen because polyester sewing thread wouldn't dye, and cotton thread would give too rustic a feel.
The toggles are made from deer antlers.
And they are fastened with full-vegetable tanned cowhide.
No metal rivets or snaps are used whatsoever.
Many of you may have noticed, but all the elements introduced so far are made from natural materials, meaning TRUE BLUE is a "bag that returns to the earth," entirely biodegradable.
My fundamental belief is that the merits of wearing and using something, in relation to its biodegradability, should be judged by the quality of the fabric and the item itself, not by whether or not it is biodegradable.
However, considering that clothes and bags, which humans produce and discard in large quantities every day, are incorporated into a circulating ecosystem, I believe that the keyword "biodegradable" cannot be ignored.
Therefore, it's not about whether users actually bury it in the ground, but the fact that they tried to overcome the hurdle of creating a beautiful product within those constraints, which I believe is a sense of responsibility befitting a company with 90 years of history.
I think this is truly amazing.
Now, let me briefly introduce each item from the TRUE BLUE collection.
LUGGAGE LABEL
”TRUE BLUE” DRAWSTRING BAG
First, the LUGGAGE LABEL's only drawstring bag.
As you can see in the photo, the strap slider is made of deer horn, and the strap end is made of vegetable-tanned cowhide.
A luxurious specification with two horns.
It's large enough to comfortably fit a smartphone, wallet, and card case.
A 350ml bottle would probably fit in additionally.
Of course, it can be held by the handle, or slung over the shoulder with the drawcord.
Also, common to all TRUE BLUE series items, areas of high stress on the bottom are reinforced with herringbone tape.
As LUGGAGE LABEL, and indeed Yoshida Kaban, I feel a strong will that a bag must not lack in its role of holding and carrying things.
LUGGAGE LABEL
”TRUE BLUE” BUCKET BAG
This is a small open-top shoulder bag.
It's roughly the size to just fit a paperback book.
Again, common to this series, the vegetable-tanned strap that fastens with a horn toggle is attached to the herringbone tape.
Normally, one might want to use metal parts like rivets, but it's the use of such analog specifications in these areas that is a characteristic and charm of TRUE BLUE.
That's why, to maintain strength, there's meticulous backstitching, and its precision is truly superb.
As the saying "Ichigo Ichie" goes, they're aiming precisely and dropping the backstitch needle into the same hole.
While this might be standard quality for Yoshida Kaban, it's truly incredible that a team with such a long history and scale continues to make products based on this standard.
Here's what it looks like when held.
The length of the shoulder strap can be easily adjusted as it is simply tied.
You can use it as a shoulder bag or a handheld bag, however you like.
I, however, will wrap the long strap around my hand and carry it that way.
LUGGAGE LABEL
”TRUE BLUE” SHOULDER BAG
LUGGAGE LABEL
”TRUE BLUE” SHOULDER BAG (L)
The larger and smaller shoulder bags.
Like the BUCKET BAG mentioned earlier, these also have an open top with a horn toggle closure.
The SHOULDER BAG fits an iPad, and the SHOULDER BAG (L) fits a 13-inch laptop.
This is the SHOULDER BAG.
The smaller one.
And here's the larger one.
I personally think that the larger the size, the more the luster of the cotton ramie fabric and the natural puckering from the Tencel stitching are felt, which makes it easier to convey the atmosphere of TRUE BLUE.
It's about casual yet precise craftsmanship, so I'm pairing it with HERILL pants and WONDER ROOM's WHALE, but I think any casual style would be fine.
LUGGAGE LABEL
”TRUE BLUE” FLAP SHOULDER BAG
LUGGAGE LABEL
"TRUE BLUE" FLAP SHOULDER BAG (L)
Finally, the flap shoulder bag.
The FLAP SHOULDER BAG is about the same size as the BUCKET BAG.
You can think of the FLAP SHOULDER BAG (L) as being about the same size as the SHOULDER BAG.
The ones with flaps have leather fasteners that emerge from the bottom like this.
The finished product will be achieved when the indigo-dyed cotton ramie fades with use and the cowhide leather darkens to a caramel color.
I think it will become a truly impressive bag.
Here's what the smaller one looks like.
It's a size that can be used like a smartphone bag or a sacoche.
Here's what the larger one looks like.
It's incredibly cool.
It's based on Yoshida Kaban's solid craftsmanship, with extremely strict material selection and "authentic indigo dyeing" passed down from the Edo period.
That's why many indigo-dyed items in the world tend to have a strong handcrafted feel, but TRUE BLUE is quite sharp.
I think the bar for matching clothes might be high because of that, but I'm sure it's fine for all of you reading this.
And above all, the technical expertise cultivated by Yoshida Kaban is indispensable for achieving the keywords "authentic indigo dyeing" and "biodegradability" at this standard.
In fact, I don't think any company other than Yoshida Kaban could execute the TRUE BLUE concept with this quality.
In that sense, the catchiness of the concept might be a bit ahead of itself, but if you actually look at the TRUE BLUE bags, I think they are quite critical.
In that sense, among the three series, this might be the most appealing to connoisseurs.
The real thing has an incredible presence, so please do come and see it in store.
Tomorrow, I plan to introduce "FILAMENT".
Please look forward to it.