HI-CONDITION is headquartered in Asakusabashi. This area of Tokyo was famous as “the city of textile and leather craftsmen” but now there are fewer people carrying on that tradition. At HI-CONDITION, they strive to keep that tradition alive with an attention to detail and quality that honours the history of Taito-ku, a special ward of the capital.

The HI-CONDITION Italian Leather Tote Bag is surprisingly spacious in spite of its size. In addition, it is highly durable, thanks to Osada-san’s choice of using heavy and thick leather with the best quality he can find (one can see this from the inside of the bag having a tight-grained structure without blemishes). 

Three key areas on the bag show the attention to detail and construction quality of this bag. First, the leather rivets protect the bag from marks left by the installation of the brass rivets, a small detail that shows their love of the leather. 

Second, the hand stitching process is done using waxed threads that have been carefully heated around the cut end to seal them. The looped pattern and the evenness of the stitch density near the bottom along the outer seams speaks to the sewing skill of the craftsmanship. 

Third, the leather has an even slicking (instead of painting) to expose the raw leather edge, again showing the pride in their leather selection. 

This bag is more suited to casual day-to-day use in urban life as a great accessory to go along with earthy tone outfit during the colder months. Its usage includes but is not limited to: carrying a makeup kit, short walks to the grocery store, or a gift for a girlfriend who is angry at you.

Brand: HI-CONDITION コンディション
Craftsman: Yuji Osada 長田 勇次
Producing Area: Tokyo/ Japan