LeatherStudio Third｜Setouchi Blue, Made for Everyday Life
Based in Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Leather Studio Third creates leather goods dyed with natural indigo.
Its pieces bring together the quiet depth of indigo blue and the tactile warmth of leather that softens with use. At the heart of Third is a belief that leather goods are made to stay close to everyday life for many years.
Their beauty does not end when they are new. Each time they are held, carried, and used, they slowly change. From this studio come tools for enjoying the time spent living with leather.
Life with Leather
The words that guide Third are Life with Leather. The brand sees leather goods not as objects to simply own, but as things that grow into daily life.
Card cases, wallets, pen cases, leather trays, and bags. These are not pieces reserved only for special occasions. They are held during work, carried outside, placed on a desk, and touched again and again in ordinary moments.
Over time, the leather becomes familiar to the hand. Its sheen, texture, and character deepen through use. That quiet change is one of the richest qualities of leather.
Life with Leather― Leather Studio Third
Indigo Leather Inspired by the Skies and Sea of Setouchi
What defines Third’s leather goods is their quiet, layered blue. The color recalls the skies and sea of the Setouchi region, adding a calm afterglow to everyday leather pieces.
Cow Leather and Natural Indigo
Third uses cow leather and natural indigo. By layering the depth of indigo onto the natural texture of leather, each piece gains a calm and grounded presence.
Although these are small leather goods, they carry a sense of landscape. The color is not treated as decoration alone, but drawn out carefully as part of the material’s expression.
Hand-Tied and Dyed One Piece at a Time
Each piece of leather is dyed by hand using a hand-tied process. This creates natural differences in tone, pattern, and depth.
Rather than forcing every surface to look identical, Third embraces these variations as part of the character of hand-dyed leather. Each difference gives the finished piece a quiet individuality.
Where Material, Maker, and User Come Together
Third
Leather Becomes Complete Through the Time of Its Owner
The name Leather Studio Third reflects the idea that value is created through the meeting of three elements: the material, the maker, and the person who uses the piece.
Selecting, dyeing, and shaping the leather is the work of the maker. But once the piece enters daily life, its color, sheen, and feel begin to change. From that point on, the owner’s time continues the making.
The brand is led by Susumu Mishima, a leather craftsman with 30 years of experience. Because he has spent so many years working with leather, he does not try to suppress the character of the material. Instead, he respects the individual expression of each piece.
The appeal of handcraft is not only found in bold decoration. It can also be found in leaving room for the object to change little by little in the user’s life. That quiet sense of openness gives Third’s work its comfort as tools made for long use.
A Japanese Blue for Everyday Life
Indigo has long been a familiar color in Japanese life. Used in clothing, textiles, and everyday objects, its blue carries a calmness and depth different from decorative brightness.
Third brings this indigo expression to leather. Color concepts such as Setouchi Sky and Setouchi Sea translate the atmosphere of the region into leather goods that can be used every day.
In a pocket, in the palm of the hand, or on the corner of a desk, the quiet blue of Setouchi lives inside these small leather pieces.
Quiet Individuality in the Hand
Third’s products are not made to be flashy. Yet in the moment a card case is offered, a wallet is opened, or a leather tray rests on a desk, the expression of indigo-dyed leather leaves a quiet impression.
The more it is used, the more the leather changes in color, sheen, and texture. It becomes a record of the time spent with its owner, and a reminder of the pleasure of using something for many years.
Carrying the blue of Setouchi, Third’s leather goods slowly change in the hand. They accompany everyday life with quiet presence, marking time in a way that belongs only to the person who uses them.
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