Product birth story
PRODUCT STORY
international walletInternational Wallet
“A wallet that is easy to use overseas”
When we opened our Aoyama main store, the first item we produced out of a large lineup was this international wallet, which is our representative wallet.
Nowadays, it is common for foreign banknotes to be one size smaller than Japanese banknotes, but at the time, British pounds in particular often exceeded the size of Japanese-made wallets. Carrying around a wallet with bills protruding from it is not a good situation, not only in terms of usability but also in terms of safety. So, I started developing a concept to create a wallet that would be easier to use overseas.
The most difficult thing about traveling overseas is paying off the travel expenses after returning home. Our frequent business trips to Europe often involve two or three countries, and before the introduction of the current euro, each country had a different exchange rate: pounds in the UK, francs in France, and lira (currency at the time) in Italy, so it was very difficult to separate the receipts.
The first thing I thought about was that if there was a separate pocket that could separate receipts by country, it would make the payment process smoother.
After much research on where to put the partition pockets and how many pockets I would need, I assumed that I would be traveling to 2 to 3 countries during a single business trip, and after much research, I decided to add 3 partitions. We then proceeded with development, thinking that the best place to fit the product while still taking advantage of the design was under the pocket of a coin purse.
“Put the coin purse on the left side”
Most wallets have coin pockets on the right side vertically, but in Brooklyn, we decided to put the pockets on the left side so that it would be easier for right-handed people to use. I thought that by doing this, I would be able to see all the way to the back of the coin purse and be able to put in and take out coins smoothly. We also thoroughly focused on the ``comfort of use'' and verified whether it would be easier to check the coins by widening the gusset width and making it possible to receive coins at the flap.
“Divided pockets designed with total strength in mind”
We envisioned and created this bag so that it could be used not only for overseas business trips, but also for domestic use after returning home, with the first of the three compartment pockets storing personal receipts, the second for work-related receipts, and the third for driving licenses and cards.
During the production process, many of the parts overlapped, so some people said, ``This is a product that would make the craftsmen cry.'' However, the craftsmen's desire to make something good came together, and they were able to commercialize it for the first time in 2001. I am very grateful to the craftsmen.
When a beautiful wallet like this comes out of your chic bag or jacket pocket, it's sure to catch the attention of everyone around you.
