In the city of Kobe, Japan, designer Junji Koike creates pieces that honor both the past and the planet. Since 2002, his label, Christian Peau, has reshaped the space where tradition meets innovation, blending precise craftsmanship with a contemporary edge.
Each bag tells a story of European craftsmanship intertwined with Japanese philosophy where Sabi (the beauty of aging) and Yūgen (subtle grace) find form in sumptuous, hand-treated leathers. Junji’s approach is one of reverence: for nature, tradition and the enduring touch of the human hand.
Christian Peau’s creations feature exotic hides of python, crocodile, or lizard, all of which are ethically sourced and used in their entirety. What begins as material becomes meaning—hand-dyed, hand-stitched, hand-finished. This serves as a dialogue between the old world and the new. Materials are chosen not for extravagance, but for sustainability and longevity, creating a modern heirloom.
No two bags are quite the same. Over time, their surfaces evolve: deepening in tone, softening in texture and carrying with them the quiet presence of history.
CHROMATIC STYLE
Christian Peau Silks
Similarly, Junji’s apparel collection uses repurposed Japanese silk ikats in bold colors to create feminine, unassuming silhouettes that lay lightly against the skin. It’s not imperfection, but evolution: a reflection of the philosophy that beauty lives in transformation.
“The business of art is to reveal the relation between man and his environment.”
—David Herbert Lawrence
