2025.07.25FRI
2025.06.12
"Everyday Life in Mexico" Becomes Fashion: The Beauty of the Mercado Bag Woven by Letra & Mexican Artisans
Vividly colored, lightweight basket bags, intricately woven from plastic cord. Sola of Tokyo Co., Ltd. has named these bags, produced by Mexican artisans, "Mercado Bags," and has been expanding their Letra brand, steadily gaining fans in Japan.
We spoke with Norihiro Ogawa, head of the Letra division, about the origin story of the Mercado Bag and the craftsmanship and dedication poured into each item, born from the trust between Letra and their Mexican partners.
A Marketplace Encounter in Mexico: The Starting Point
Sola of Tokyo, well known for their women’s apparel brand "flower," saw the beginning of Letra’s journey during a trip to Mexico by its CEO, Masanori Kitajima. Based in Los Angeles, Kitajima visited a market in Oaxaca, southern Mexico, around 2004 and discovered these charming basket bags.The vibrant colors and distinctive forms immediately caught his eye, and this first step—selling these as imported items at flower—marked the birth of the Mercado Bag.
The colorful bags brightened up the displays at flower and quickly became a hit, especially with women shoppers. Ogawa, who manages Letra, reflects: "I think the bags felt new and fresh to customers, thanks to their playful yet not-too-cheap, toy-like texture, and their one-of-a-kind designs that set them apart from the crowd."
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