Craft
Page 16
Super modeller
From a childhood obsession with animal bones, Esben Horn has carved out a career creating detailed, large-scale models of bugs and beasts. Now his firm is sought-after around the globe.
A clog’s life
Talla clogs are produced in a barn in Myrskylä. Originally workwear for the medical profession, they are now a high-street hit thanks to a collaboration with a Japanese designer.
Happy mendings
In a world of throwaway consumerism, tradesmen are giving cherished possessions a new lease of life. We visit a Milan cobbler who repairs brogues and a Buenos Aires luxury watch atelier.
Light bulb moment
Formerly a light bulb manufacturer, Shotoku began making hand-blown glassware in the 1950s. Today its ultra-thin Usuhari glasses are the toast of the town. And it still continues to innovate.
Home rescue
Appalled by the demolition of traditional houses in Japan’s Saga prefecture, New York restaurateur Mikio Shinagawa set about saving and restoring them, even selling one to Robert De Niro.
Chip off the old block
Rønning Ski has produced wooden skis in Skotterud, Norway, since 1936. As others die out or move abroad, Rønning keeps modernising the traditional wooden ski and finding new fans among a younger generation.
Brolly good
For 152 years, Maglia Francesco has been using the same methods to make exquisitely detailed umbrellas, passing the skills and the family traditions down through five generations.
Architecture/design
Briefing: A Danish bag designer goes back to school, a pair of Japanese brothers fall in love with Bolivia, and a Swedish and an American shoe company cosy up for a collaboration.
Bag for life
For 50 years, Inujirushi has supplied robust canvas bags with leather trimmings, thriving on customer loyalty. Only recently has it opened a shop in Asakusa, the Tokyo neighbourhood it has always called home.
Master of the robes
A decade ago, teenage boys in Tokyo rarely wore kimonos. Now, attitudes to national identity are changing, and Genbei Yamaguchi’s new collection for United Arrows is targeting this shift.
