CONCEPT

Antiques from another world | Antiques from another world | 來自異世界的古董

 The imaginary stone created in the early days.
The concept of production has not changed.

The beginning is in the books of my childhood

Since I was little, I read books alone and imagined. From old tales to fairy tales and picture books. Among them, the most vivid impression was from MIYAZAWA Kenji.


Topaz spilled from Tsaratsuran
and fell onto the leaves of the lily of the valley below,
and then it rolled and sparkled
as it burrowed into the grass below.　　　　
         (“The Diamond of Ten Powers” by MIYAZAWA Kenji)

A fragment of golden mica from "Yamanashi," luminous paraffin from "Spring and Asura," and the phosphorescent triangular marker from "Night on the Galactic Railroad."

Words that are a bit difficult for children. Still, the scenes that vividly spread before me along with their sounds were tangible presences.

As a child who obtained such a personal scene, I read Kenji's fairy tales and created many stones in my mind, playing with the characters.

For example, the ore that Giovanni and I dug up at the riverbank of the galaxy station, or the shimmering pale moonlight seen from the riverbed with a mother crab and her child.

For me, "the universe" is not just the distant starry sky. It is the endless "imaginary landscape" that spread in my childhood mind.


Crystallizing memories

A sparkle that seems to trap a fragment of light arriving from the distant, distant stars of the universe in a single stone.

Reconstructing such products of childhood imagination with modern technology and sensibility, and applying colorful light to resin materials, we finish them into stones that seem to be imbued with life.

These are the "imaginary stones" unique to cuff-if, carved one by one from the strata of memory. They are fragments that have come from my own "Another world" and are "Antiques from another world."

Based on the "imaginary stones" created by hand, we combine natural materials such as minerals to craft accessories that weave your own story.


To grow old together for a long time

Because we put our thoughts into production, we want you to enjoy them for a long time together with the creator. From that wish, cuff-if has been developing "interchangeable accessories" since the start.

First, choose one item you like. Then buy another one, and combine it with the items you purchased earlier. Based on the items you have, you create your own unique setup.

That is, "buying more without throwing away and using them continuously."

I personally wish for a world that does not sacrifice nature and continue to make personal choices.
However, creating "things" inevitably puts a burden on the Earth's environment. Perhaps the best solution is not to create anything at all.

When facing that contradiction, what can a creator do? It is to deliver "things that are loved for a long time and can be used continuously."

Each item has meaning, and by using them for a long time, they gain even more depth. I believe that proposing such a way of accessories is a responsibility for the future and one way to create a beautiful cycle.

Growing old together with customers, weaving stories together. Accessories that are not consumed in a short time, but are lifelong.

cuff-if is entirely made in Japan. We deliver Japan's delicate craftsmanship.

Profile

Designer / Maker : YAMAKAWA Shoko

In 2017, starting the production of accessories mainly featuring "imaginary stones" created through self-study, inspired by the original scenery of "light wriggling at the bottom of the water bathed in moonlight."

Triggered by my own metal allergy, I began creating by upcycling antique jewelry I had collected, breaking it down and reconstructing it. That experience, combined with inspiration from Kenji Miyazawa's fairy tales, established my current style.

Brand Name: cuff-if

The brand name carries three meanings.

  1. cuff + if: A coined term that adds "if," meaning infinite possibilities (imagination, choice, creation), to "ear cuff," which is a general term for earrings/piercings.
  2. Sound: A mysterious sound similar to a line from Kenji Miyazawa's "Yamanashi," "Clam Bon laughed cap cap."
  3. Anagram: An anagram of the names of the creator's beloved family (dog and cat).

History

     September 2017: Launched "cuff-if"
　 January 2018: POP UP STORE at Lumine Shinjuku
     January 2019: POP UP STORE at Nagoya PARCO
     October 2019: Exhibited at the joint exhibition "PLUG IN" (Shibuya Hikarie)
     February 2019: Limited-time handling at Ginza Kabukiza
     January 2020: Started handling obi clasps at Oshima Tsumugi Museum (Osaka Prefecture)
     December 2020: Exhibited at NEW JEWELRY / JEWELRY WEEK 2020 (Hakata Hankyu venue)
     From 2023: Regularly holding POP UPs at local department stores in Nagasaki. Currently expanding sales channels outside the prefecture.