On Tortoise Time

Wandering down Abbott Kinney today, I stopped into TORTOISE. Started by Taku and Keiko Shinomoto, who moved from Tokyo to L.A. in 2003, the shop is filled with simply stunning objects of precision. Just being in the shop makes you slow down and appreciate the thought, detail and process involved, even indirectly, with each object--its creation, its purpose, function or meaning.
In their own words:
“The longevity of human life is getting longer year after year, led by the advanced nations. But on the other hand, the life of man-made products is getting shorter as if it's in the inverse proportion.
What do we do with this irony?
Wisemen have been questioning themselves, trying to figure out the answer.
We also have been wondering how we can take part in this.”

The shop is infused with elegant shapes, materials tamed, purposeful products made by hand and with extraordinary attention to the past and the present. Here are two of my favorites:

UBUGI


“Ubugi is the first kimono which the mothers used to make for newborn babies back in the old days. What is so clever about this ubugi is that it can be worn up to 24 months! When the baby is newborn, this ubugi is used to wrap the whole baby. When the baby grows, take the stitches out at the shoulder part so it extends and becomes a kimono shirt. To appreciate one item for a long time is easily forgotten these days but with a product like this, you can enjoy the baby's growth as the fabric turns into a softer cloth.”

FUROSHIKI from 9BRAND





FUROSHIKI is a cloth used to wrap things. The inspiration for stylish, thoughtful and unexpected laptop case comes from the Japanese tradition.

9BRAND has a wonderful philosophy:
“Pronounced 'KYU-JIRUSHI' in Japanese, '9brand' benefits from the number 9 which has special luck according to the wisdom of the East. 9brand is a design team by Keita & Naoyo Seto.

The all of our products has the conceptual background. The concept for our product line is "Evolution and Roots". "Where do we come from?" "Where do we go to?" These are universal and eternal questions. We think of that the path to the answer can be explored through creativity.

In our daily life, we learn from the creation and its process while creating. What we create and study range from the graphic arts to fabric products, and our studio is in KICHIJOJI, TOKYO.”