Press Release
Kumihimo Drawstring Bag by Tsuchiya Kaban Co., Ltd. Wins the Platinum A' Design Award in Fashion and Travel Accessories Design
Tsuchiya Kaban Co., Ltd. honored for fashion and travel accessories design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 15, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ Kumihimo Drawstring Bag by Tsuchiya Kaban Co., Ltd. has been granted the Platinum A' Design Award in the Fashion and Travel Accessories Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Platinum A' Design Award Means
The Platinum A' Design Award is recognized for honoring designs that stand at the forefront of creativity and innovation. It is the highest accolade bestowed by the A' Design Awards, acknowledging works that blend remarkable innovation with impactful societal contributions. These designs not only showcase exceptional artistic and technical proficiency but also highlight their creators' commitment to advancing the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Recipients of this award are celebrated for their role in shaping the aesthetics and trends of our time, contributing significantly to the enhancement of quality of life and promoting sustainable development.
More About Kumihimo Drawstring Bag
This bag reimagines Kumihimo, which is a traditional Japanese braiding technique from the Edo period. By replacing stitching with durable braided cords, the design achieves both structural strength and flexibility. The minimalist form highlights the craftsmanship, while the structure embodies Musubi, the Japanese philosophy of spiritual and physical connection. This piece seamlessly integrates historical beauty into modern daily life, celebrating the bond between the object and its owner.
About Tsuchiya Kaban Co., Ltd.
Since 1965, with the creation of Randsel - the traditional Japanese school backpacks - Tsuchiya Kaban has continued to grow, blending tradition and innovation in leather craftsmanship. Guided by our concept of creating "timeless products", we celebrate Japanese craftsmanship as an expression of the nation's sensibility and the mastery of our artisans. Rooted in TEINEI - meticulous care, attention to detail, and dedicated craftsmanship-we create objects of simple elegance, made to be cherished and used for a lifetime.
Award Record
This recognition makes Tsuchiya Kaban Co., Ltd. a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Fashion and Travel Accessories Design Award
The A' Accessory Design Award is an international fashion design competition recognizing good accessory designs by leading designers and brands worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to accessory designers, fashion designers, travel accessory designers and luxury goods manufacturers from all countries. Typical entries include handbags, scarves, belts, luggage, hats and travel bags. The awarded accessory designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/accessory
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/180948
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/180948
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!180948
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/379744
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://tsuchiya-kaban.com/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Kumihimo Drawstring Bag
- Function
- Drawstring Bag
- Category
- Fashion and Travel Accessories Design
- Discipline
- Fashion Design
- Industry
- Fashion and Luxury
- Colors
- Black, Dark Slate Gray, Gray, Dim Gray and Light Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Tsuchiya Kaban Co., Ltd.
- Country
- Japan
- Recognition
- Platinum A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #180948
Credits
- Team
- Ryuta Fukuda
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Reinterpreting "KUMIHIMO" from the Edo period-a Japanese historical era (1603-1867), this bag features durability and flexibility through braiding. Minimalist design highlights the pure beauty of the technique. The structure symbolizes "MUSUBI," a concept signifying both physical links and spiritual bonds in Japanese. By joining leather parts with these cords, the design reflects this spirituality, delivering traditional beauty to daily life.
- Inspiration
- A bag reinterpreting Japanese tradition for modern life. This work reconstructs Kimono culture's beauty into a functional bag, harmonizing traditional aesthetics with daily life. Instead of applying crafts as they are, we refined the design to blend into modern wardrobes, removing the distance felt toward traditional crafts. By integrating "KUMIHIMO" into the structure, we aimed to make craftsmanship feel accessible through a modern appeal that invites people to pick it up and experience it.
- Research
- Integrating traditional design into modern life. By researching Kimono culture and modern bag usage, we identified "functionality, tactile feel, and visual balance" as key elements for daily integration. Through three prototyping rounds, we refined leather selection, hardware shape, and braiding to harmonize tradition with modern utility. This research-driven design creates a product ideal for daily use, effectively reaching audiences unfamiliar with traditional crafts.
- Challenge
- The challenge of this project was to integrate traditional Kumihimo into a daily bag, balancing harmony with leather and functional beauty. To resolve this, we adjusted the placement of parts by hand in millimeter increments. We strictly managed sewing precision and repeatedly verified knot types and hardware shapes. As a result, we realized a design that fits modern lifestyles, harmonizing two distinct products into a single craft.
- Realization and Technology
- A work filled with our workshop's craftsmanship. Consisting of 20 precision leather parts, this bag uses hidden stitching and manual thread finishing to highlight the KUMIHIMO's beauty. Edge-painting on all 100 holes ensures both friction reduction and beauty. The cords were made by the craftsperson Ryuta Fukuda. The fusion of Tsuchiya Kaban’s leather craft and Fukuda’s expertise breathes soul into every detail, embodying the value of traditional craft.
- Operation and Interaction
- A versatile bag designed for diverse styles and occasions. This piece accents casual attire and functions as a sophisticated party bag for formal events. When paired with Kimono, it creates a modern look; its minimal yet deep design enhances any style. It offers two carrying options: a casual, relaxed style like a drawstring bag, and an elegant style using the original metal handle inspired by "Chagama" (a tea ceremony kettle), adding a unique touch to your movements.
- Project Duration and Location
- Started in June 2022 at Tsuchiya Kaban in Tokyo. Mass production was completed at the Tsuchiya Kaban workshop in January 2024, marking the end of the project. It is currently not for sale.
- Specifications
- Size: H 210 × W 190 × D 150 mm Handle Height: 105 mm (Metal Fittings), 150 mm (Drawstring Cords)
- Keywords
- Traditional Crafts, Kinchaku, Kumihimo, Craftsmanship, Leather, Japan, Repairable
