MAQL
“BAG MAKERS TOKYO (BMT)” is a new brand established by a group of artisans based in the Asakusabashi area of Tokyo, where the craft of making pouches and bags has been passed down since the Edo period. With the aim of conveying the traditions, aesthetic sensibilities, and high level of craftsmanship cultivated over generations, the project explores the expressive possibilities of the bag as a familiar object.
In Japan, there has long been a cultural tendency to devote care even to unseen details—for example, embellishing the lining of a kimono—and to find refinement in such hidden areas. This reflects not only advanced technical skill, but also an attitude of meticulous craftsmanship that extends to every detail, visible or not. At the same time, such values are rarely encountered directly by users and can be difficult to perceive in everyday use. In response, this project sought to reveal these usually hidden skills by treating the “back” of the bag as equal to the “front,” resulting in a handbag in which the boundary between inside and outside is deliberately ambiguous.
The bag is made from a laminate of grain leather and suede. It begins as a bucket-like form with only the suede surface exposed. By turning back the rim, the intended exterior surface and handles gradually appear, creating the impression that the front emerges from the back. This act of “peeling” the bag into its final form is designed to be performed by the user. Through this process—touching and handling both sides evenly—the quality of the materials and the craftsmanship embedded in the bag can be experienced not only visually, but physically.
To maintain a smooth peeling motion while preserving the bag’s structure, a urethane core is inserted between the two layers of material. The laminated sheet is molded against a form before sewing, giving the bag a more three-dimensional presence. In addition, evenly spaced cuts are introduced along the stitched edges so that, when peeled back, the material acquires a soft tension and fullness. While cut edges are often finished with colored paint, here the layered material itself is intentionally left exposed, recalling the presence of the reverse side. A smaller accessory case was also designed using the same structure. It can be attached to the handbag as a charm, and by realizing the “peeling” mechanism at its minimum possible scale, it allows the refined techniques of artisans who produce small leather goods, such as wallets, to be appreciated more closely.
From makuru—a Japanese word meaning “to peel” or “to reveal something covered”—the brand takes its name, MAQL. In the logo design, the letter “A” is inverted to emphasize the ambiguity between front and back. When the rim of the bag is turned back, the logo itself is revealed in reverse, reinforcing this layered relationship. Through the continuous interplay between front and back, artisanal techniques crystallize into form. Whether used as a bag or placed within an interior, the result occupies a quiet space between fashion and craft.
