The fashion industry is known for its significant environmental impact. Therefore, various manufacturers and apparel brands have been focusing on improving materials and recycling to achieve a sustainable society.
Amid this movement, there is a brand in Tokyo's Taito Ward that specializes in bag-making. That brand is TheContainerShop. They aim to create designs that minimize fabric waste and have established themselves with a commitment to tackling sustainability from where they can.
We spoke with Yasuharu Kobayashi, the representative, who shared the history behind the establishment of this factory brand and its philosophy of bag-making.
PROFILE
Yasuharu Kobayashi
After working in sales for a company dealing with fashion materials like buttons, he became independent.
He has been involved in the manufacturing and planning of OEM products for select shops for about 20 years.
He founded the bag brand "TheContainerShop," focusing on designing bags to minimize waste. Currently, he sells bags both domestically and internationally, primarily online, and open a physical store once a month.
A Lot of Wasted Fabric
Could you tell us about your background?
Before establishing TheContainerShop, I worked in sales for a company that handled fashion materials like buttons. After leaving, I founded a sewing factory for bags (now known as Container Japan inc.) and was involved in the manufacturing and planning of original products, including OEM items for select shops, for about 20 years.At the time of establishment, many apparel manufacturers were starting to handle small items like bags. Being based in Tokyo's Taito Ward, I arranged not only meetings with designers but also managed communication with embroiderers and processing companies.
What prompted you to establish TheContainerShop?
As I connected clients who wanted to create bags with craftsmen, I started to realize the difficulty of articulating ideas and the challenges in communicating sizes effectively. I understood that I needed knowledge of bag-making as a mediator.I began to deconstruct the bags I had on hand to create patterns and started learning bag-making independently. Whenever I had questions, I would ask craftsmen and cutters I met through sales visits for guidance.
As I gradually received more requests for bag-making from clients, I was able to become independent. However, while working on OEM products for apparel brands and select shops, I was astonished at how much fabric was wasted when producing items according to the clients' requested sizes and designs.
As society's interest in sustainability grew, I felt compelled to take action as a creator, which led me to conceptualize bag-making focused on minimizing fabric waste. That was the starting point for TheContainerShop.
Aiming for Simple Bag-Making
In terms of eliminating fabric waste, do the sizes of leather you procure have their own characteristics?
In Japan, the standard is half a hide, which is taken from one head of leather. Patterns are then fitted together like a puzzle to minimize waste as much as possible. Additionally, we set aside the parts with damages to use for making smaller items.In cases of damaged leather, where they cannot be sold at full price, we provide them exclusively during showrooms or family sales, allowing customers to view and be satisfied with the products before purchase.
Do you have any specific preferences for the leather you source?
We do not order original new leather by specifying colors. Instead, we select from the sample books stocked by fabric and leather suppliers.Although these are sample books, they offer a wide range of color options that cannot all be introduced here. By sharing standard lot materials with other industry partners, we find it easier to experiment with various colors while keeping costs economical.
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