早在2017年，東京書店nostos books找他們合作推出「Magazine bag」時，就開始注意到raregem這個品牌。誠然raregem的品牌定位，其實是一間以東京為基地的傢俱設計工作室，只是主理人西條賢愛開小差，不專心做傢俱，反開始以品牌名義製作各式的帆布包袋，竟意外地俘虜了不少的時裝迷；不禁令人懷疑說，這根本是一個被傢俱所耽誤的時裝品牌。
In 2017, raregem collaborated with nostos books – a bookshop in Tokyo – and launched the “Magazine bag”. This was also when the shop started to garner attention from fashionistas. To most people’s surprise, raregem is – in fact – a Tokyo based furniture design workshop. Yet, shop owner Ken Nishijo seems to have as much interest in canvas bags as furniture, if not even more.
打開raregem的商品型錄，沒有太多驚豔的地方，甚至可以說大部分包款，都令人生起似曾相識的感覺。像我最喜歡的這顆「COAL BAG」，其輪廊是不是有一種L.L. Bean托特包的既視感？而如果更仔細察看，那兩道由肩帶連綿至底部的藍色虛線，靈感其實是把L.L. Bean托特包內外翻轉；其藍色虛線設計，正正來自L.L. Bean托特包的內部設計，而這個經典元素的翻玩，也可以在「MUFF」、「DELIVERY MAN」，甚至是圓筒造型的「JACK TOTE」的這幾款包上發現得到。
The raregem catalogue does not captivate with novelty. On the contrary, you get a sense of familiarity with most of the styles. My favourite is the “COAL BAG”; doesn’t it remind you of an L.L. Bean tote? The blue stitching – from the shoulder straps to the base – is inspired by the inside of an L.L. Bean tote. Other styles such as “MUFF”, “DELIVERY MAN”, as well as the bucket shaped “JACK TOTE” also embrace this inside-out play on classic detail.
除卻針對經典款的翻玩，raregem還有許多有趣的小巧思，像這款「YESSIREE」就是以粗厲堅挺的帆布料，去模仿一個塑膠袋的造型，遠看還真的能以假亂真。再來可以看看「METO2」，這一款帆布加皮革料的單肩包；聽起來很平凡的物料組合，但Raregem可不只是把皮革縫在帆布包邊緣，作為補強物料的一般作法；而是用上一整幅皮革製作成垂蓋，還附上精緻的鈕扣，讓你可以把皮革垂蓋，與帆布包身緊扣起來，最終的視覺效果出奇地逗趣，是優雅中不失玩味的代表。
If you look closely, there are more whimsical features to be discovered with raregem. You would think “YESSIREE” is a plastic shopping bag, but it is a canvas bag in disguise. “METO2” looks like an ordinary leather and canvas shoulder bag, but the fun is all in the details. Instead of only trimming the bag with leather, a whole piece of leather drapes over the bag. Together with a dainty clasp, the bag holds an elegant yet quirky shape.
