Art, Made to Carry.
ETONOVA × REN Limited Bag
As Japanese, we often find ourselves looking outward, sometimes overlooking the value of our own culture. It is often artists and our customers from overseas who remind us just how remarkable it can be.
For REN Global Shop, we created a new collaboration bag with ETONOVA.
The motif we chose was Toshusai Sharaku, an ukiyo-e artist who appeared suddenly during the Edo period and was active for only a brief time. He was known for his striking portraits of kabuki actors, exaggerating their expressions to the point of distortion.
Precisely because this is something we are creating for our customers overseas, we wanted to move beyond familiar symbols of “Japan” and instead give form to something more instinctive—the obsessions and distortions that also run through Japanese expression.
The project began as an experiment: how could we deconstruct and reconstruct these printed actor portraits through the three-dimensional textures of fabric and stitching?
ETONOVA, Made by Hand
ETONOVA, created by Kyoto-based artist Ai Yoshida, was also warmly received in our collaboration last year. Each piece is one of a kind, made by cutting vintage clothing and fabric remnants and layering them like a collage to form faces and distorted expressions.
Rather than the neat precision of straight, uniform stitching, her work embraces lines that don’t quite align and layers of fabric that emerge by chance. In a world of products where consistency is often expected, her handwork preserves the traces of hesitation and the tactile presence of the maker.
▲Past Works by ETONOVA
Sharaku’s Form, Drawn in Fabric and Stitch
Rather than reproducing ukiyo-e through print, we “draw” it through the thickness of fabric and the traces left by each stitch.
The intensity of the actors’ gazes, the angles of their brows, and the tension Sharaku captured are translated into combinations of fabric remnants and the subtle irregularities of hand stitching. Without diminishing the strength of the traditional motif, we sought a balance that feels natural in everyday dress—something to be carried and used, rather than simply displayed as a work of art.
Because every piece is made by hand, no two layers of fabric or lines of stitching are exactly alike. These irregularities—something no machine could reproduce—are precisely what give each bag its distinct character.
Reji-bukuro as a Canvas
Serving as the canvas is one of REN’s signature designs, the Reji-bukuro.
Inspired by the pared-back form of a disposable plastic shopping bag, the Reji-bukuro is crafted from lightweight yet durable pigskin. Its understated, almost blank-canvas simplicity allows the collage graphic on the front to emerge unexpectedly, yet with striking presence.
The suppleness of a single piece of leather and the hand-crafted graphic—two contrasting elements held in balance by the simple structure of the Reji-bukuro.
Black for Definition, Camel for Harmony
Available in two colors: Black and Camel.
Black creates a sharp backdrop for the collage, bringing the graphic into clear relief and emphasizing the bold use of black in Sharaku’s compositions. Camel, on the other hand, creates a natural continuity between the character of the leather and the texture of the fabric, allowing the bag to blend easily into everyday style.
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The expressive lines of ukiyo-e, ETONOVA’s intuitive handwork, and the Reji-bukuro as an everyday object.
As their distinct histories and perspectives come together, the result is something that goes beyond a simple collaboration. We hope you’ll enjoy its texture and presence as a piece of art to carry with you in everyday life.
View the ETONOVA × REN Reji-bukuro Collection ▶︎
-PROFILE-
ETONOVA
Founded by Ai Yoshida in 2017, ETONOVA takes its name from a playful reference to the Japanese character for “thought” (思), which contains the shapes resembling the katakana characters for "E-to-no-ba."
The brand gives new life to vintage clothing and fabric remnants that have carried someone’s stories, creating pieces that add a small lift to everyday life.
Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/et.nova
