HULS GALLERY SINGAPORE

[ABOUT]

━ How did you meet Hals Gallery?

In 2016, Mr. Shibata, the representative of HALS, visited our Aoyama main store.
At that time, I was serving customers as usual, but when I asked him later, he told me that when he returned to Japan at the time, he had seen our products at the Isetan Men's Store, and thought it was a brand with beautiful colors, so he researched it online and came to the store.

The first time I came to the store, I purchased a money clip and a coin case, and I was struck by the impression that he was a man who spoke matter-of-factly and at length about his passion for leather...I'm embarrassed to say that, but about an hour passed by in the blink of an eye as we talked matter-of-factly.

Since then, he has visited us often when he has returned to Japan, and he has been gradually adding to our Brooklyn collection.As we talked about our work while drinking coffee at the Aoyama main store, I learned that Mr. Shibata was the representative of HALS.
I heard that he goes back and forth between Singapore and Japan.

━ What kind of company is HALS?

Based in Singapore, we are a company that promotes crafts globally with the concept of ``crossing the ocean and creating a new path for crafts.'' Our activities include retail and wholesale sales both domestically and internationally, planning and consulting for original products and exhibition events, and disseminating information through online media.

Representative Shibata lives in Singapore and travels every month to various craft production areas in Japan, interviewing makers of traditional Japanese crafts such as pottery and textiles, and buying them. (*Canceled from 2020 onwards due to the current situation.)

In recent years, Singapore has become a hub for art and culture, attracting contemporary art and technology not only from Asia but from all over the world.
HULS Gallery Singapore is located in Duxton Hill, which is attracting attention as a new trend destination where owners who are sensitive to art, gourmet food, and traditional crafts visit from all over the world.
This is a gallery that always displays over 100 works.
We fly from Singapore to various parts of Japan and directly interview the creators, and the products that resonate with their concepts and policies are all amazing.

Frankly, I was impressed by how wonderful it was to convey Japanese crafts from overseas to the world.
It is enriching just to imagine that the delicate and dignified appearance of Japanese crafts coexists not only in Japan but also in the lives of people overseas.

━ What prompted the initiative?

One day, from the concept of Japanese craft culture,
I was asked if I could handle the Brooklyn Museum's persimmon-shibu-dyed and indigo-dyed products.
Both persimmon juice dyeing and indigo dyeing are our products that pursue the beauty of aging. Even in Japan, the Persimmon/Indigo series has had many enthusiastic fans since its release about 20 years ago.
When overseas customers visit our Aoyama store, many of them choose to buy products that give them a sense of Japan, so we thought that people with a discerning taste would be happy with this graceful aging experience in Singapore as well.
French calfs with beautiful colors will also be available at the same time.

There are many aspects of our manufacturing that cannot be understood just by looking at the product, and the effort involved has meaning.

I think the point of putting in the effort is that it only makes sense when someone uses it.

In fact, when people who have purchased our products in Singapore return to Japan, they sometimes come to our Aoyama store and tell us their impressions of the products.
I'm really grateful to the craftsmen for showing me this and saying, "It's aged so beautifully."

━ I heard that you once held a pop-up store in Singapore. What did you think of it?

In 2018, we set up an atelier space in Isetan Singapore and held a pop-up there.
I was surprised to see so many people enthusiastically using their cameras.
They look at the process of making things with great interest.
Some people came back an hour later and took pictures again, and it's great to see such enthusiasm! and.
I was also excited and was able to experience the overseas atmosphere by making eye contact with the customers and enjoying conversation with them.

━ Are there any other product developments?

Leather trays, jewelry cases, golf ball cases, etc.
We are collaborating on products that fit your lifestyle.

European and American companies in Asia often have branch offices in Singapore, and people from various countries reside there.
Overseas cultures have a lot of home parties, so we wanted to provide items that fit the lifestyles of such people.

And since Singapore has a lot of prestigious golf courses, the golf ball case for golf users has received a great response.
One person said, ``I tried incorporating it as my competitive color, and I got a good score!''

Taking advantage of user feedback from Singapore, we are currently developing highly acclaimed products such as head covers and iron covers in addition to ball cases for sale in Japan.

The scene has changed completely, but we collaborated on a signboard similar to ``Terra Tokyo Italian'', which has a Michelin star in Singapore.
The chef is a Japanese man of the same age. I actually visited this restaurant, and it is a wonderful restaurant where Japanese food culture is expressed through Italian cuisine, and they are very particular about not only the food but also the tableware.

━ I heard that you are planning to hold a craft event at the Aoyama main store. What kind of event will it be?

Hals has an original brand called ``KORAI'' based on the concept of ``cool''. It is a brand that expresses the harmony of ``inside and outside'' and ``nature and home'' of Japanese culture, and is inspired by the culture of bringing in cool air from nature, like the verandas of houses. The elegance that brings a refreshing and soothing moment to life in cities around the world...just imagining it will make you feel a gentle breeze.

The art piece that I particularly like is the "water bowl."
It is a glass vessel that is used to sprinkle water and admire the shadow of the water.
I was simply moved by the idea of ​​enjoying the changing shadows.

There are other wonderful works as well, so we would like our customers to take a look at them as well.
We are planning an event where we will display leather products and crafts that have a common feature of being made in Japan, and enjoy delicious drinks.
We will definitely hold the event once the situation has calmed down, so please look forward to it.