Kazuhiro Koda (Representative of Ko’da-style)
こうだ かずひろ（Ko’da-style代表）
工房では、こうださんが自ら一人でバッグのデザインから、製作、出荷までを行っている。そのため、彼のバッグは注文をしてから数 月待たないと手元に届かない。その分、注文時にステッチや生地の色、持ち手の長さを変えるなど、自分好みにカスタマイズができるのが嬉しい。
バッグはネットでもオーダーできるが、こうださんに会ってカスタマイズの相談をしながら注文するのがおすすめだ。葉山の工房を月に何日かショップとして開放しているほか、全国のカフェやショップに出向き、展示イベントを定期的に開催している。
作り手と直接話をして商品を注文し、作っている姿を想像しながら届くのを待つ。スピードや効率性が重視される現在においては、あまりにも時間も手間もかかる商いの方法であるが、それゆえに他では味わうことのない買い物本来の楽しさや、使う喜びを与えてくれる。
そのシンプルな佇まいに、使い手自身の色を反映させることができる余白を感じたそうだ。自分のバッグもその余白感を大切にしていたこともあり、共感し使うようになった。
彼のトラベラーズノートには、打ち合わせの記録から、バッグのアイデア・スケッチなどが、不規則に綴られている。いつも持ち歩き、なんでも書き留めることを習慣にしているが、実はあまり見返すことはないとのこと。書き留めることによって整理された記録が、頭の中のフィルターを通りろ過されて記憶として残っていく。
「最終的には、頭の中で熟成された記憶がアウトプットにつながるのだけれど、そのために一度ノートに書き留めることがとても大切なんです」
例えば、MOUEという中心に絞りがはいったデザインのバッグは、写真集にあった異国の女の子のしかめっ面を見たときに思いついたそうだ。また、彼のバッグの持ち手は、手の平にあたる部分がカーブになり適度な膨らみがあるためとても握りやすい。これは、好きな人と手をつなぐようにバッグの持ち手を握ってほしいとの想いから生まれている。
こうださんは、最後にこう教えてくれた。
一人でデザインから製作、販売まですべてを行うものづくりのスタイルは、これからも続けていきたい。だけど、これからは作り手やクリエーターの仲間とつながり、一緒に何か活動することも大事だと実感している。
トラベラーズノートの表紙に描かれている2つの輪は、そんな想いから生まれたKo’da-styleのあたらしいシンボルマークだ。アクリル絵具用の下地材を使って、スパイスの蓋でスタンプして描いている。余白感を大切にするこうださんらしいカスタマイズだ。
Hayama, which is located in Kanagawa prefecture, is known as a resort site by the ocean for a long time. In Hayama, there is the Morito Beach that has a gentle feeling of waves and sand, and in a back alley that is few minutes away from the beach, there is Mr. Koda’s workshop. Mr. Koda runs a brand known as “Ko’da-style,” that makes bags made of sailcloth.
In the workshop, Mr. Koda does everything from designing the bag, making, and actually sending the finished products. For that reason, it takes a few months to receive the finished product from ordering. But on the positive side, that allows people to customize the bag by choosing the stitch and color of the cloth and even changing the length of the handle.
The bag can be ordered online, but it’s actually nice to meet Mr. Koda in person and place an order by having a discussion on the specification. The workshop in Hayama is opened as a shop few days each month, and Mr. Koda even travels to café and shops around Japan and hosts exhibition events regularly.
The order is placed through communicating with the creator, and once the order is placed, people will imagine how the bag is being made till it gets shipped. In a world where speed and efficiency is valued, this way of doing business takes too many time and effort, but this allows us to realize the joy of actually purchasing and using products. This experience is difficult to acquire in other places.
It was eight years ago when Mr. Koda met TRAVELER’S notebook.
The simple appearance made him feel that there is a margin to express the color of the user. The bag he creates also values this feeling of margin, and that made him start using the notebook.
In his TRAVELER’S notebook, records of past meetings, ideas, and sketches of bags are inscribed randomly. He tries to carry the notebook at all times and writes anything down, but to be honest, he doesn’t really look back the past things he wrote. By writing it down on the notebook, the records get organized, and this organized records gets filtered through the head and remain as a memory.
“What really matters in the end is whether the memory nurtured in my head actually links to the output I create. In order to do so, writing it down on the notebook is really important,” says Mr. Koda.
Mr. Koda embraces intuition and images in the bag he creates, and the origin of his idea is also unique.
For example, there is a bag called MOUE that he created. This bag has a squeeze in the center, and this is coming from a picture book that has an image of a grimace that a little girl from a foreign country made. Also, the handle of the bag he makes has an adequate amount of puff on the part where the palm touches, making it easy to carry. This is coming from his wish where he wants people to carry the bag like holding a hand with the person who they love.
“What I like about TRAVELER’S notebook is that it gives me the opportunity to meet new people. For example, when I’m in a café using the notebook, many people approach me with the word ‘Is that TRAVELER’S notebook?’ I have a lot of friends and creative partners I made through this approach.”
In the end, Mr. Koda told us the following.
“I want to continue the way in which I design, make, and sell the bags all on my own. But at the same time, I think it’s about time to connect with other creators and craftsman, and start doing something together.”
The two wheels drawn on the cover of TRAVELER’S notebook is a new symbol for Ko’da-style coming from his belief written above. This symbol is made using foundations for acrylic paint, and stamping it using a lid of spice. This customize reflects Mr. Koda’s character that values the feeling of margin.
10年間のサラリーマン生活の後、独学で鞄作りを学び、帆布の鞄ブランド Ko'da-styleを立ち上げる。
鞄のデザインをセレクト後に、生地の配色、ステッチ色、ハンドルの長さなどをお客様と相談をしながら作るスタイルで鞄作りをしている。
葉山にある工房では「後ろで作って前で売る」をモットーに、週末３日間だけアトリエショップとしてオープン。また積極的に全国各地を回っての展示会を行っている。
2016 年 9 月末に個展「水の記憶 〜希望〜」を「組む 東京」にて開催。併せて初めての書籍『Ko'da-styleのトートバッグ』を出版。
After working as a business man for ten years, he learned the techniques of bag making on his own, and started a sailcloth bag brand Ko’da-style.
His bag making style is based on discussions with the customer that ranges from the select of design, color of the cloth and stitch, and the length of the handle.
In the workshop in Hayama, he has a policy of “making in the back and selling it in the front,” and opens the workshop for three days in the weekend as an atelier shop. He also travels around to host exhibitions.
On the end of September 2016, he had his individual exhibition “Mizu-no-kioku” at “Kumu-Tokyo.” He also published his first book Ko’da-style’s Tote Bag.