Many people will remember the collaboration schoolbag between LEXUS and hide k 1896 that caused a big stir last spring. But did you know that the material used for it is the same soft carbon used in hide k 1896's wallets and business card holders? Hideyuki Kasuga, the representative of hide k 1896, is a man of many talents, working as an entrepreneur, producer, and active researcher, and is active in a wide range of fields from the business world to the art world. From November 1st (Wednesday), the first bag series from hide k 1896 will be released in Japan ahead of other countries, at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 1st floor = Men's Accessories.

Event Information

Hidekei 1896 Promotion

□November 1st (Wednesday) - 14th (Tuesday)

□ Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 1st Floor = Men's Accessories

I've wanted to create something out of carbon fiber ever since my time in Paris.

"Carbon is an attractive material that can be applied to a variety of fields. At Hidekei 1896, we have been expanding our small leather collection so that customers can actually feel the wonderful properties of the material, but this time we have made a bag for the first time," says Kasuga. Kasuga was born in Nagano Prefecture in 1973. After completing his master's degree at Tokyo Institute of Technology, he worked in material development at a major composite materials manufacturer and spent four years stationed in Paris.

—What kind of work were you mainly doing in Paris?

Carbon fiber is used in the brakes of F1 cars and supercars. At the research institute in Paris, I was involved in the development of carbon fiber brakes for famous automobile brands and participated in driving tests at the Nürburgring in Germany. The completed foundation brake was called the "Kasuga Brake" and was actually installed in various series of famous automobile brands.

—So you were an engineer who developed things from the raw materials stage.

As you know, carbon is made from charcoal, and since it doesn't burn even when heated, it's a suitable material for brakes and other applications. It has the characteristics of being "heat resistant, lightweight, and hard," and is used in aircraft, golf club shafts, and automobiles, so I thought it was an interesting material. At the same time, through my life in France and my experience with Porsche, I met many European luxury consumers, observed their style, and wanted to create something out of carbon that could be used by the so-called wealthy.

View the Hidekei 1896 product list on the Isetan Online Store.

Leveraging the family business that had been in operation for many years, they quickly commercialized it.

—So, when you came back to Japan, you thought about branding it?

My family runs "NiKKi Fron," a company founded in Nagano City in 1896 with a long history of material development and manufacturing. I am the fourth generation in the direct lineage. At the time of its founding, it was a hemp wholesaler called "Kasuga Shoten," and was a material wholesaler that also did business with Mitsukoshi. After going through various changes over time, it shifted to manufacturing, and its main business became GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic).

—So, you're a company that handles what's known as high-value-added products, right?

Our company has been a market leader as a materials development manufacturer, but when I took over, I wanted to "create new markets by utilizing the history and technology of the family business." I encountered carbon in Paris and was captivated by its potential, so I took over NiKKi Fron in 2009 and commercialized CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic).

—How did you plan to commercialize carbon products?

Although not widely known, Japan is the world's largest producer of carbon fiber, accounting for 70-80% of the global supply. While carbon is often associated with industrial products used as structural materials due to its rigidity, textiles woven from carbon fiber have a supple and elegant sheen. I wanted to create a "sensory material" that would touch our skin and appeal to our sense of touch. Leveraging the factory facilities in Nagano and the skills and techniques of our craftsmen, we worked on developing soft carbon that can be sewn like leather, and I devised the recipe.