philosophy

Nurturing authenticity

Because we want our customers to enjoy the best, our bags are crafted with exclusive raw materials and special technics.

What “the best” is truly about
Truly good products, we believe, have the best quality in all elements, from materials and designs to skills, and take both the benefits of society and environmental friendliness into consideration. That is what we believe, and is why we use the world’s best sheepskin, create unique designs inspired by the beautiful landscape of Japan and Africa instead of following the trend, and offer customers products that were carefully handmade one by one by highly skilled craftsmen. We constantly update our business with the concept of manufacture that makes everyone involved happy: not only our customers, but also the workers, suppliers, and the local people.

Production
Our products are made, taking into consideration the following social and environmental impacts, in each of the production process.

(1) Planning – “zero waste”
We optimize our production and promise to never dispose surplus stock nor have a sale. We also work on developing products that can be used for a long time. In addition, some of our products are made through “upcycling,” actively using non-standard leather and offcuts by devising designs and processes, to reduce waste to the utmost limit. Through these plans, we create and enforce a production system that minimizes waste.

(2) Procuring materials – eco-friendly, animal rights
In the process of making our products, we ensure that no animals are killed, no forests cut down and turned into a desert, and no rivers polluted just for this purpose. Therefore, we only use leather produced as a by-product of livestock, and raw materials raised and felled systematically. In addition, we select tanneries (leather tanning factories) that take environmental measures that meet the standards as suppliers, and procure materials based on regular confirmation that the standards are being complied. We also aim to reduce waste when wrapping our products: for example, we have eliminated the use of paper shoppers, which are likely to be thrown away immediately, and the wrapping of plastic materials that have high environmental load, and instead have created original cloth bags that can also be used for storing. Furthermore, we use mainly renewable energy that does not emit greenhouse gases, both in the atelier in Ethiopia and in the office and store in Japan.

(3) Production – fair trade, fostering high value-added industries
We maintain appropriate working conditions not only in the process of manufacturing our products, but also in the process of making raw materials. In addition to prohibiting child labour, we promise to pay suppliers and workers as much as the value they create. At our atelier in Ethiopia, we directly employ local young people and provide technical guidance that can be used worldwide. We pay appropriate remuneration to our craftsmen according to their high technical skills, create an environment where they can proudly work and achieve joy as craftsmen, and strive to develop their skills and improve their livelihoods. Furthermore, by creating a system of processing materials in Ethiopia, where people have long been dependent on the export of low　value-added raw materials (raw skins), and exporting them as finished products, we have been endeavoring to break away from the existing business model and make high value-added products locally. Through all these actions, we have been working on the realization of industrial development in Ethiopia.

(4) Distribution - “slow fashion”
No matter how much effort is put into making the materials and production methods sustainable, it cannot be called truly so if the products are thrown away in no time. That is why we promise to continue making authentically good products that customers will appreciate their value and love the longer they use them, to demonstrate customers how to use our products for a long time, to hold maintenance workshops by professionals from time to time, and to provide infinite after-sales follow-up.

Pride and joy

We will continue to be a brand that everyone involved can take pride and feel joy in.

Customers
We deliver our customers beautiful products along with the behind stories that they have. This is because we believe that if you can enjoy not only the colors and shapes of things, but also the behind-the-scenes stories hidden in each of them, our lives will become much richer. We would like you also to feel pride and joy in choosing the one and only andu amet product filled with such countless stories.

Employees
Our employees must believe in the values we believe in more strongly than anyone else and continue to advocate for them. That includes understanding the background of the foundation of our brand and doing the best to realize production and sales processes that have a social and environmental impact. Since we use animal skin as materials, we must also surely understand the value of their lives. To that end, our employees need to constantly seek to gain the best skills and personal growth, as well as to acquire the techniques and services necessary in order to deliver the best products. It is our utmost happiness and something that we are truly proud of, that we can produce products made with the best technology and care with colleagues with whom we share the same values, and deliver them to customers who understand those values and meaning.

Suppliers
We pay the price equal to the value that is created, to not only our own employees, but also to everyone involved in the supply chain. We also place great importance on transparency and fairness in the process of transactions, as well as consider the social and environmental impacts within the companies and organizations of our suppliers. We aim to improve the value of our suppliers too and make everyone involved feel proud and happy in what they do, by working with us.

Local societies/communities
We carry out initiatives that bring pride and joy not only to our customers, employees, and suppliers, but also to the local societies and communities that are broadly our stakeholders. We actively hire young people from the region where our atelier is, and provide necessities both to our own company and to nearby vulnerable communities. In addition, we donate a portion of our product sales to local organizations, working with local people to solve issues and improve the environment for the entire community. Moreover, we carry out activities to promote the spread of values that we feel are important, such as fair trade and ethical fashion, to our society. Supporting producers and groups that implement them, continuing to sell purchased products in some countries, holding events with themes related to Africa and ethical, participating in lectures and conducting trainings to learn about the real situation and the social and environmental impacts, are some of the other actions that we take.