The ordinary scenes of life

Makr

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民藝大師柳宗理曾經說到,通往美的道路有二,一種稱為「藝術」,另一種稱為「工藝」。後者的美不建基於個人主義,只有透過使用才能彰顯出價值,是一種能在生活中考察出來的美。

Sori Yanagi, the master of rural crafts, once said that there were two paths to aesthetics. One of them was art, while the other one was craft. The beauty of craft does not take root in individualism; rather, craft is all about usage. Its aesthetics can only be revealed when being actually utilized in our daily lives.

Makr由設計師Jason Gregory在2007年成立,品牌的商品種類主要是包款,另外也有小量的傢俱,生產材料總離不開帆布,皮革和木頭。而誠然像Makr這樣的生活用具品牌,市場上比比皆是,但Makr的過人之處,在於他能夠在材料和設計細節,使設計在平凡中顯出不凡,而總是能融入平常人的生活風景之中。

Makr is a brand founded by Jason Gregory in 2007. Apart from bags and accessories, Makr also produces furniture. All their goods are primarily made of canvas, leather, and wood. Such a brand may sound familiar to you, as lifestyle brands like Makr have been trending in the past decade. What truly makes Makr stand out is their choice of materials and details in their design. Their products may look simple, but with the supreme quality and some subtly beautiful details in the design, Makr goods can easily become indispensable items that will brighten up our days.

以Fold Weekender這個品牌長銷的托特包為例,乍看起來跟一般的肩包差別不大,然而整個包款的精華卻在於其摺口開合的設計,能夠保護內容物之餘,取物時也相當便利,而不必加上拉鏈和鈕扣等配件,令整個包更悅目更一體成型。

The Fold Weekender tote bag is one of Makr’s best selling products. It may not look distinctively different from a usual tote. However, with the fold-top design, not only can it protect the content inside from dropping out, but it also allows easy access to the bag contents. Without the need to add a zipper or buttons, the bag can return to its simplest and most original form.

再來看看Makr的皮夾設計,經典拉鏈款的Zip Luxe Wallet,有趣的地方在於拉鏈上的皮革繩圈,其比一般常見的款式尺吋來得更長,幾乎與皮夾的闊度成正比;這樣微細的設計安排,使你從口袋取出皮夾時,立刻可以抓住繩圈打開皮夾,整個過程毫不拖泥帶水,是非常清爽的使用體驗。

The Makr wallets are equally popular when compared to their totes. The design of their Zip Luxe Wallet may look familiar, but it comes with a longer than usual zipper pull that is almost as long as the wallet width. This allows you to pull the wallet out of your pocket at ease. A quick grip of the pull tab also lets you open the wallet sleekly, guaranteeing a smooth user’s experience.

最近看到Makr跟Line friends合作的系列,倒是Makr頭一遭令我感到驚豔。明明是這麼童稚的畫風,與品牌的形象理應充滿違和,然而經過主理人Jason的細膩手工打造,可愛畫風的公仔也頓時變得帥氣和成熟起來。而比起名片夾和萬用包,我最喜歡是這個依照熊大頭型做的鑰匙圈,用成熟的皮革與可愛感造型的相乘,就像童心未泯的大人,童趣中倒不失正式感。

What truly impressed me was the recent Makr x Line Friends collection. It was difficult for me to imagine how the cute characters of Line Friends can go together with the sophisticated design of Makr. But Gregory managed to turn the adorable Line animals into products that do not look childish for adults, but rather exude a mature charm. The collection features a range of products including a cardholder and a pouch, but the one that I like the best is the bear head keyholder. The classy texture of fine leather matches with the playfulness of the cartoon character, it appears neither too uptight nor too silly. Such an item can easily appeal to all kidults.

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