ABOUT INO-KICHI BAGS
Our Luxury Japanese Tote Bags come in five stunning designs!
We're thrilled to be able to introduce you to our very first small range of beautiful bags by Kyoto brand Ino-kichi!
Ino-kichi is an original brand of quality bags, purses, and other gifts made by a traditional fabric printing studio which is located north of Nijo Castle in Kyoto.
The hallmark of Ino-kichi are their bright and modern Japanese patterns that have been recreated from an archive of original hand-drawn kimono designs.
The Ino-kichi archive of kimono patterns!
We have three different styles of bag that we think you'll love too:
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Our Luxury Japanese Tote Bags which come in five stunning designs!
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Our Benri Gamaguchi Shoulder Bags which can be worn with or without the accompanying shoulder chain.
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Our Pochette Gamaguchi Shoulder Bags which are worn across the shoulder with a synthetic leather strap.
Fabric Printing for our Luxury Japanese Tote Bags and our Benri Gamaguchi Shoulder Bags
Our elegant Benri Gamaguchi Shoulder Bags come in five gorgeous designs.
Each bag also has an easy-to-attach chain so that you can wear your bag over your shoulder!
Our Luxury Japanese Tote Bags and our Benri Gamaguchi Shoulder Bags are made from a light canvas fabric. These are not mass-produced items, but items that are made with skill and care.
The kimono patterns are carefully selected from the archive, scanned, and then digitally traced. It takes time to consider the correct placement of the pattern on the bag, especially as the two sides have the pattern placed in a slightly different way.
Our spacious Luxury Japanese Tote Bags are thoughtfully designed,
with two single-sided inside pockets which are perfect places to carry your smartphone and your purse!
The artwork designs truly are stunning, with beautifully drawn flowers printed in the the most amazing bright colours!
One of the most skilled areas in the creation process is the application of the colour. The colour print on the fabric depends on the temperature of the day and the humidity. The colour fluctuates according to these conditions, and it takes skilled craftspeople to monitor continually the consistency of the colour.
Our beautiful Benri Gamaguchi Shoulder Bags can be carried as elegant handbags too!
Our Pochette Gamaguchi Shoulder Bags
Our Pochette Gamaguchi Shoulder Bags are made from cotton.
Cathy had a wonderful time visiting Ino-kichi in Kyoto, in the autumn of 2022, and was surprised and delighted when they introduced her to their wonderful printing process!
When Cathy visited Ino-kichi, they showed her the printing of our Zusetsu Yuzu furoshiki, and in this photo you can see the pattern for their beautiful Bluebird Pochette being printed behind it.
The care that is taken over the printing is impressive.
Our Ino-kichi bags are made with outstanding craftsmanship. Ino-kichi are skilled at ink-jet printing and traditional Kyoto screen-printing by hand.
Their careful printing ensures a gorgeous rich colour is printed onto the fabric.
Our Pochette Gamaguchi Shoulder Bags have a reverse side which echoes the colour and design of the front of the bag. In this way you get two different styles in one bag, as you can wear whichever side of the bag outermost to match how you feel!
Our Pochette Gamaguchi Shoulder Bags have a reverse design in the same colours!
You can wear whichever side of the bag outermost to match how you feel!
Completing the Pochette Gamaguchi Shoulder Bag
Our Pochette Gamaguchi Shoulder Bags have beautifully lined interiors!
When the printing is complete the fabric is now ready to be steamed and soaped and washed with water. The steam develops the colour. The soaping washes the fabric at a high temperature, and then it is finally rinsed using cold water.
The finished fabric is cut out around moulds for the bag's distinctive shape and then sewn by hand.
Each bag has a beautiful quality interior lining with a handy single-sided pocket. The gamaguchi fastening has a cute 'candy ball' that adds to the fun! The thin leather strap completes the look!
These really are the most beautiful little shoulder bags! They are perfect for carrying your purse, keys, and your smartphone when you are popping out to the shops!
Our Pochette Gamaguchi Shoulder Bags are vibrant and beautiful!
Each bag is carefully inspected thoroughly before it is delivered to the customer. A lot of care is taken from start to finish of our unique and beautiful Ino-kichi bags!
From the fabric printing to the final bag production everything is done in Kyoto!
These really are the most beautiful little shoulder bags, made with care in Kyoto!
Here at Zusetsu, we are deeply interested in the artisan skills that go into making many of the beautiful Japanese gifts that we offer in-store. You can read more about how our Zusetsu Snowflower Furoshiki and our Hamamonyo Tenugui are made by clicking on these links!
