Italian Sophistication Meets Japanese Craftsmanship: Bag Brand 'MONTBOOK' Launches

Overview Kaban Kobo Yamamoto officially launches 'MONTBOOK,' a bag brand that combines sophisticated Italian design with Japanese craftsmanship. The designs are led by world-renowned designer Giulio Iacchetti, a leader in the Italian industrial design field.

The lineup, which now includes a new deerskin collection in addition to signature designs, will be showcased at limited-time POPUP EVENTS at Nihombashi Takashimaya and Nishinomiya Hankyu between May and June.

Brand Roots MONTBOOK is a brand that materializes the designs of Italian product designer Giulio Iacchetti through the expertise of Kaban Kobo Yamamoto, a school bag manufacturer with 75 years of history. Giulio Iacchetti is a winner of the Compasso d'Oro, the highest award in Italian design, and his works are selected for the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

Representative Products ### BALTEA Collection Shoulder bags crafted using the 'lasting' technique, which gathers leather wrinkles on the reverse side of a wooden mold and secures them with nails. Inspired by the equipment of Italian military police, the design is simple and sophisticated. - Prices: ￥79,200 (incl. tax) / ￥69,300 (incl. tax)

### Tondo Collection Meaning 'roundness' in Italian, the Tondo collection uses the 'wet-forming' technique, where leather is carefully molded along a wooden form over time. - Prices: ￥59,400 (incl. tax) – ￥247,500 (incl. tax)

### Deerskin Collection (NEW) A collection using supple deerskin, combined with cowhide leather molded via the 'wet-forming' technique at the base. - Prices: ￥9,900 (incl. tax) – ￥99,000 (incl. tax)

Artisan Techniques 'Wet-forming' and 'lasting' are 3D molding techniques that leverage the plasticity of vegetable-tanned leather. Because these techniques require advanced skills and significant time, very few bags currently incorporate them.