On September 9th, 2017, INTERSECT BY LEXUS – TOKYO hosted a special CRAFTED FOR LEXUS workshop. Held to coincide with the world’s largest shopping event, Vogue Fashion’s Night Out 2017, over the neighborhoods of Omotesando, Aoyama and Harajuku, designer Shinji Iwamoto of the handmade leather brand Roberu led a workshop attended by over 100 people.

In the workshop, participants made a bracelet under the guidance of the master designer, who has contributed to the CRAFTED FOR LEXUS collection of lifestyle items produced by young artisans in resonance with the LEXUS spirit of craftsmanship. Iwamoto previously created a leather pen case using the same materials as the seats in the LEXUS LFA supercar. In addition to this pen case, which recently released three new colors for the spring-summer 2017 line, Iwamoto has produced a canvas bag crossed with quality Italian leather.

On the day of the event, a workbench set up in the downstairs Garage space was filled with the materials to make the unique bracelets: leather parts and bendable glow sticks. Participants chose one of three types of decorative charms, including one in the distinctive shape of the signature LEXUS spindle grille. The leather parts were available in five colors (light gray, saddle tan, black, blue, or ocher). After making their selection, the leather parts were combined with the glow sticks and then finished off by attaching a charm engraved with their initials by Iwamoto.

With the bright colors of the glow sticks shining out of the slits in the leather, the bracelets made a superb nighttime accessory, especially designed by Iwamoto for the workshop. “This is an evening event, but just having a glow stick by itself isn’t so exciting,” he explained. “I cut diamond-shaped slits into the leather so it would filter the light of the glow stick. I used the leather from the LEXUS LFA and LS as well as vegetable-tanned leather. The popular colors turned out to be blue and light gray, though the ocher was also a hit with female participants. Engraving initials into the finished accessory helps commemorate the occasion and is always popular when I do workshops overseas.”

The spindle grille decorative charm and the leather band with slits were all made individually by hand. Another of the charms was an engraved INTERSECT BY LEXUS logo, which was also handmade. Iwamoto chose to put so much emphasis on preparing the parts by hand because, in his words, “I want us to feel responsible for the things we make ourselves.”

A woman who attended the event with three female friends, after seeing it announced on Instagram, said: “It was interesting to chose the parts by myself.” She was quick to snap a shot of her bracelet and then share it on Instagram. A line had formed even before the workshop started. Champagne and fun flowed at the lively event, which was attended by many kinds of people, especially women but also couples and families. As Tokyo was transformed into a night of fashion and shopping, the workshop made an appropriately dazzling and vibrant contribution to the festive atmosphere in the center of the city.

Shinji Iwamoto
Founder, Roberu
Shinji Iwamoto taught himself how to make leather items while studying illustration. After building up good word of mouth, he founded Roberu in 2009. At the core of the brand is the concept of “handmade items, made in Japan.” Iwamoto does all the hand-stitching and machine-sewing himself in partnership with reputable leather artisans in Asakusa, Tokyo. For CRAFTED FOR LEXUS, he has produced a canvas travel bag that combines Italian leather with hemp, and a pen case fabricated with the same exquisite leather used in the LEXUS LFA.

CRAFTED FOR LEXUS
https://lexus.jp/international/brand/intersect/tokyo/crafted-for-lexus-index/

LFA Leather Pen Case
http://lexus.jp/international/brand/intersect/tokyo/crafted-for-lexus/#roberu2

Shinji Iwamoto’s craftsmanship (Japanese only)
http://lexus.jp/magazine/20170616/41/cra_luxury_pencase.html

2016 workshop event
https://lexus.jp/international/brand/intersect/tokyo/events/cfl_creators-160910.html

Vogue Fashion’s Night Out 2017 (Japanese only)
https://www.vogue.co.jp/fno/