Santa came a little early for me this year, in the form of a stunning and much coveted new suitcase! I am feeling like a bone fide celebrity traveling with this beautiful lady holding all my treasures.
I came across Hideo Wakamatsu quite by accident and loved them so much I promptly contacted their Australian supplier to find out more about the brand. Little did I know at the time that Hideo Wakamatsu had such a distinguished design history.
“Born in Tokyo, Japan, Hideo Wakamatsu showed a natural flair and passion for design. Through his formative years, his family’s business was lauded as Japan’s
premier luggage artisans. To this very day, their Randoseru schoolcase is considered a national treasure and is still adopted by Japanese school children and fashion gurus alike.”
Hideo Wakamatsu designs not only very practical luggage, but very very beautiful pieces, which is why I fell in love with them so quickly. It seems I am not alone in this feeling, which is the story behind how they made their way to Australian shores. I spoke to the Australian distributor to find out just how these Japanese beauties came to be in my town.
” I got involved with the brand when I was traveling in London. I was on a bus when a cow print suitcase in a shop window caught my eye. I couldn’t get this bright, happy print out of my mind, and so when I returned home, I looked for the suitcase online hoping to purchase one. I found out that the products were not available in Australia, and so contacted the designer for the rights to bring the products into Australia and New Zealand.” … the rest is history.
I love it when people find something they love so much they just have to share it with others – hence this post!
As you can imagine the Sakura print (or Cherry Blossom) was my immediate favorite and I just had to have one to replace my current case. I’ve been struggling with a large two wheeled suitcase for some time now, and while it is still relatively new, it just doesn’t handle the rigors of my travel. One of the major problems with the old one being that it weighs 7kg when empty so it meant I could bring less shopping home! The two wheel problem meant that I have had some very undignified moments struggling to get my very full suitcase over curbs, ending up stuck in a Tokyo down pour being soaked to the skin while I cursed my way to a taxi rank. Not very glamorous I can assure you.
So here is why I love my Hideo Wakamatsu Sakura case. It has four, smooth inline wheels that mean not matter how full my case is, I can roll it with ease even in my towering heels. It is a light weight but tough hard shell case that stops my hats from being crushed and rain from soaking through. It has a secure and tight locking system with no zips to break or snag, just a combination to remember so don’t try and unpack if you’ve had too many airport cocktails! It has HANGERS inside! Not just a suit section, but actual hangers that I can hang things on in the case and then remove to hang in the wardrobe wherever I go. I particularly love this feature as it makes me think of the old fashioned steamer trunk and instantly evokes promises of a great adventure.
And last but not least – the print. You will never get your luggage mixed up with anyone else’s because not only can you choose one of their amazing prints, but you can make your own on the Easel range of cases!
The Hideo Wakamatsu range runs from modern to traditional; even designing luggage that would not look out of place in the hands of Katherine Hepburn in the African Queen or perhaps on the dressing table in Elvis’ Blue Hawaii. Check out the gorgeous leopard print beauty case!
Oh they are just so good! In fact, I should very much like to extend to a whole collection and add this gorgeous Sakura Beauty Case. Considering I am planning another trip to Japan in 2010, it may be just the ticket! You can find them online or at Flight 101 and R.G Madden for real world browsing.
