One of the unexpected troubles when traveling or on business trips is where to store removed jewelry. We ourselves have always wanted something convenient to easily store jewelry.With the cooperation of a long-established manufacturer of jewelry cases, the creation of original jewelry pouches is about to begin.
Easy and high-quality fabric that balances convenience and sophistication
The shape is simple, made with high-quality fabric. We started by finding the ideal fabric that meets the key points you want to keep in mind.
First of all, it should be smooth and soft so that it doesn't damage the jewelry. Of course, a cheap texture would ruin it. It needs to have a quality that makes you want to store and carry your jewelry. And above all, the most important point is a moderate thickness and firmness. This was non-negotiable. The reason will be explained later.
The first thing that came to mind was leather. However, it feels somewhat extravagant and not easy to carry around. Easy and high quality. It's quite a challenging topic.
The hint came from a jewelry storage kit that I originally created. When you use it as packaging for delivering jewelry, it becomes a jewelry case as is, and the material we adopted for this is high-quality suede-like fabric.
The texture is smooth, and the fabric itself is very soft. At the same time, it feels high-quality. It almost meets all the conditions I wanted to fulfill. On top of that, it also comes in the charcoal gray color variation I had in mind.
However, the fabric lacks enough stiffness to be made into a pouch, making it difficult to perform the action of holding it with one hand and putting jewelry into the pouch. Unable to give up, I decided to consult with a representative from the jewelry case manufacturer.
"If the thickness is insufficient, shall we try laminating it?" I see, indeed, if we have the thickness of two pieces, it should result in something with more firmness. I readily asked for the fabric to be laminated.
Here is the finished fabric. While maintaining a smooth texture and softness, the increased thickness of the fabric has enhanced its quality, and most importantly, it has created the desired firmness.
A pouch as a tool for everyday life
The most important point I wanted to emphasize with this pouch is "ease of use."
For example, if you create compartments inside a pouch, it may seem convenient to separate necklaces and rings, but over time it can become cumbersome, and you might find it difficult to reach the jewelry you want to take out, which can surprisingly diminish the ease of use.
Can be used every day and loved for a long time. I want to create a pouch as a tool for everyday life. Staying true to the original intention, I avoided creating compartments and focused on making it as simple as possible, both functionally and aesthetically.
The simpler something is, the deeper it is. It took a considerable amount of time to explore the perfect balance between appearance, ease of holding, and usability. The case makers were often left astonished by the number of prototypes we went through.
How will we determine the size? Should we go with a hook type or a zipper type? What shape should the lid be? What should the length be when the lid is closed? We will explore various possibilities to find the perfect line.
If the depth is too deep, it's hard to see inside the pouch, and it becomes difficult for a woman's hand to take out the jewelry. Conversely, if it's too shallow, there's a concern that the jewelry might fall out when trying to take it out. We created samples in 5mm increments to find the perfect depth.
Packed with simplicity
Why we are particular about the thickness of the fabric. In fact, there was an essential point that could not be overlooked in making the jewelry pouch. That is, when the pouch is opened, it should open wide.
The jewelry you take out is clearly visible, allowing you to pick it up without making mistakes. I thought this directly relates to usability. Thanks to the firmness of the fabric, when you open the lid, it opens wide, making it easy to see inside the pouch.
For example, the side of the pouch. It is adjusted so that there is no gap when the lid is closed, preventing jewelry from falling out during transport. To prevent the lid from flipping up, the corners of the lid are rounded off.
To prevent the jewelry from getting scratched, the back of the hook is also hidden with the same fabric.
I have experienced that when I changed my smartphone model, just a few millimeters in width made it really difficult to hold. I paid a lot of attention to the size of the pouch. It is designed to be a size that women can easily hold with one hand.
Simple yet practical pouch has been completed.