Hender Scheme joins forces with Shigaraki-based ceramicists NOTA&design to challenge material conventions in a new capsule collection. The Japanese footwear and accessories brand swaps traditional material functions, pairing vegetable-tanned leather with unglazed yakishime ceramics across lifestyle objects.
The lineup reimagines domestic essentials through this tactile reversal. A leather wall pocket, ceramic coasters, and ceramic tableware pieces emerge as the collection's core offerings. The collaboration plays with texture and touch, inviting users to experience materials in unexpected contexts. Hender Scheme's heritage in footwear craftsmanship meets NOTA&design's ceramic mastery, creating tension between softness and hardness, flexibility and rigidity.
This marks a deliberate departure from how consumers typically interact with these materials. Leather, usually reserved for structured accessories and footwear, appears as a fluid wall installation. Ceramics, traditionally functional in tableware, become sculptural counterpoints. The unglazed yakishime finish adds raw, unadorned quality that aligns with both brands' minimalist sensibilities.
The collaboration speaks to a broader shift in luxury design. Japanese brands increasingly reject category boundaries. Rather than staying within their lanes, designers like Hender Scheme expand into lifestyle goods while maintaining brand DNA. NOTA&design's recognition as a serious design studio, not merely a production house, elevates the capsule beyond simple merchandise.
Vegetable-tanned leather signals sustainability consciousness. Hender Scheme's commitment to slow production and artisanal methods resonates with consumers fatigued by fast fashion. Yakishime ceramics, fired at high temperatures without glaze, represent durability and timelessness. Together, these materials speak to longevity over disposability.
The capsule represents a quiet confidence in design. No flash