In today’s world of digital tools and online shopping, opening a brick-and-mortar stationery shop might seem wrongheaded. But that’s exactly what Japanese designer stationery brand Plotter is doing.
While its products have been available at partner stores and pop-up shops since its inception, the company opened its first shop on Sept. 23 in Harajuku, the trendy enclave in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward. The narrow retail space is designed like a gallery, with the first floor showcasing regular products and the second devoted to limited-edition items. A small loft includes a workshop space where Plotter’s leather products can be maintained and repaired.
Plotter’s signature product is a customizable leather binder that brand director Takayuki Saito describes as “an extremely simple tool consisting of just a single piece of leather held by a backplate and rings.” Prices range from ¥12,650 for an 80-by-120-millimeter Mini 5 to ¥24,200 for a 170-by-220 mm A5 binder, and customers can personalize their binder with several choices of leather finishes, colors, paper refills and accessories.
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