minä perhonen creates all-original garment textiles that are specially dyed, embroidered and woven to recreate designs that were originally hand-drawn. "piece," patchwork covers are made with all the leftover pieces of textiles saved when creating clothing and handbags so they don't go to waste.
The A6 “spring mix” cover is a patchwork design that brings yellow, blue, green, and other color schemes of 9 different textiles together. The textiles have a variety of textures to them and contain natural elements in the designs, such as flowers, trees, birds, and butterflies.
The gentle pink cover interior and pen holders are made with cow leather, and the dotted lace bookmarks are smokey mint and elm green.
Each fabric patch is cut from a different spot in the original textile and sewn into the patchwork by hand, giving every cover an entirely unique look. Due to the limited nature of the textile leftovers used in the patchwork, this cover is available through lottery sale. For more information, please see the About Lottery Sales section below.
1. blue bird ( 2000 Spring / Summer)
This playful textile is embroidered with a migrating flock of colorful birds.
2. meri (2014 Spring / Summer)
meri is Finnish for "ocean." This textile looks both like the sparkles of sunlight against waves and the early morning dew on the sandy beach.
3. hana hane (2012-13 Autumn / Winter)
Butterflies gently fluttering across this design are accented with the interaction of contrasting colors, ink blots and smears that have all been carefully preserved from the original hand-painted art.
4-A. land theater(2016 Spring / Summer)
Cotton threads are intricately embroidered onto linen fabric to create a scene reminiscent of an improv stage filled with trees.
4-B.tanpopo (2018 Spring / Summer)
Boldly-blooming dandelions (tanpopo in Japanese) tilt their heads and wave their jagged leaves in this intricately embroidered textile.
*The textile #4 comes in either A or B.
*Thread colors come in various styles and may differ from example photo.
5. kaleidoscope (2011-12 Autumn / Winter)
This three-dimensional velvet pile design explores the world of shapes as seen through a spinning kaleidoscope.
6. tambourine (2000-01 Autumn / Winter)
Freehand-drawn circles are embroidered in dots that protrude from the fabric in this minä perhonen classic.
7. centofiori(2015-16 Autumn / Winter)
This Velvet Jacquard textile shows a field filled with blooming flowers, this time in a way that will continue to bloom throughout even the coldest winter.
8. chorus (2010 Spring / Summer)
The flowers on this textured Velvet Jacquard textile almost appear to be singing.
9. pallo (2016 Spring / Summer)
This textile has a contemporary design with circles and embroidery on four corners around each circle.
minä perhonen is a fashion brand created by designer Akira Minagawa.
First founded in 1995 under the name minä. Opened the first shop in Tokyo in 2000, and renamed the brand name to "minä perhonen" in 2003.
In Finnish, “minä” means “I,” and “perhonen ”means “butterfly,” expressing Minagawa’s hopes to create designs as light-hearted and beautiful as the flapping wings of a butterfly.
minä perhonen Website
Interviews with minä perhonen’s Akira Minagawa on Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun:
From a Single Grain of Wheat (Japanese)
The Fish Market and the Sewing Machine(Japanese)
The cover has limited quantities, so it will be offered through lottery sale. Please submit your entry during the sale period for a chance to purchase this cover.
In order to provide you with the most satisfaction for your product, we've compiled a list of warnings, potential issues, and tips to keep in mind for this particular product. Please be sure to read this information carefully before placing your order.
Each item is individually assembled and sewn by hand by a factory worker. Best efforts are made to ensure consistent sizes and specifications, but there may be slight differences.
The patterned fabric has not been aligned to a specific layout, so the placement of each design will vary by product. The product will not be an exact replica of the one in the product photographs.
Please note that embroidered areas may contain threads that protrude from the design.
Stitching may be slightly curved or bumpy as a result of sewing together materials of various thicknesses.
The textiles comprising the patchwork design differ by design and location for each cover. Please understand the random nature of the design before ordering.
The bookmarks of this cover use original mina perhonen lace straps. If you see any loose threads, we recommend refraining from pulling on it and instead tucking it between other woven threads.
This cover does not contain an outer pocket.
The material in this product snags easily on sharp objects, so please handle with care.
The PVC plastic of the Cover on Cover contains plasticizer additives which may cause a reaction in the leather dye and affect the color and quality of the leather cover. Please refrain from using the Cover on Cover with this product.
The pen holders are rigid at first, making it difficult to insert pens. You can speed up the breaking-in process by rolling the pen holders in your hand.
The pen holder is designed to perfectly fit the 12.2 mm (0.48”) diameter Jetstream pen offered as a free bonus gift with select Japanese-version Hobonichi Web Shop products. Pens with certain shapes and materials may be difficult to pull through the holder. The holder can fit pens up to 13.5 mm (0.53”) in diameter.
These Hobonichi Techo cover designs were directed by minä perhonen, but produced by Hobonichi. Inquiries about these covers cannot be answered at minä perhonen shop locations, so please contact the Hobonichi Store with any questions or concerns.
Please avoid storing your product in hot, humid places or placing it atop other objects for long periods of time as this may result in lower quality and color stains.