Hideo Wakamatsu combines European traditions with Asian influences in his designs. As a designer, Hideo is unique in that he actively participates in all stages of the development of his designs from conception to construction and beyond. By taking a hands-on role in production, Hideo ensures that

no detail is lost in the translation from conception to reality. Hideo's personal touch yields designs that feel well thought out and at the same time include quirky and romantic features that would never emerge from a typical mass-merchandiser's fragmented design and production process.

Hideo Wakamtsu also participates directly in the presentation of his designs to his customers. He launched his brand out of his own small shop in Paris and has since opened many stores in Japan. He continues to devote a large portion of his time to visiting those stores.

 

Born and raised in Tokyo, Hideo is the scion of a family business that is Japan's leading maker of "randoseru" traditional Japanese schoolbags. After studying Japanese and French art and literature in university in Japan, Hideo moved to Paris where he spent the next ten years immersing himself in European culture and working with a wide range of bag makers. He then brought this experience back to the family business in Japan, where his brand is headquartered. Hideo Wakamatsu now lives in Tokyo, but regularly travels throughout Europe, Asia and North America to support his local partners and learn from  the places where his designs have spread around the globe.