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Hitoe® Fold Aria - Etretat v.2021

SYRINX Original Leather

Custom-made by France's oldest tannery, which produces leather for luxury maisons. After numerous exchanges of ideas, SYRINX Original Leather has finally been completed.

Origins

Etretat, a coastal town in Normandy, France, where white limestone cliffs stretch along the shore. Bathed in soft light, the calm and poetic landscape has long captivated artists such as Monet. This calf leather draws inspiration from the symphony created by nature.

Tanning and Manufacturing

Made from fine-grained, premium French calfskin. After chrome tanning, it is dyed with aniline dye and finished with two shades of pigment to create a rich, nuanced appearance. Resistant to scratches and stains, water-repellent, and showing almost no signs of aging, it retains its original appearance for a long time.
LWG (Leather Working Group) Silver-Rated Environmental Certification.

Maintenance

Although this leather is resistant to scratches, stains, and water, wipe it dry immediately if it gets wet and regularly remove surface dust with a soft cloth. For more details, please refer to here.

Colors

*Please note that the displayed color may differ slightly from the actual color due to monitor settings and production lot differences.

Journeying to France in Search of the Finest Original Leather

The company we commissioned to create our original leather, Tannerie Degermann, is located in Barr, a town surrounded by vineyards 35 kilometers south of Strasbourg in the Alsace region of France.

The reason we chose Degermann to produce our original leather is that they are France's oldest and finest tannery, with profound expertise in tradition and quality.

After numerous exchanges of ideas with Degermann in France, Etretat has finally been completed.

The Final Chapter in Degermann's History

Due to changing times, Degermann chose to merge its operations with nearby Haas (also founded in the 19th century). After producing our leather, the historic Degermann factory will close and be renovated into a museum.

Etretat, the final chapter in Degermann's history, is the culmination of tradition, passion, and craftsmanship. Their craftsmanship and Etretat production will be passed on to Haas, aiming for even greater heights.

Globally Recognized Innovation

The Hitoe® Fold series has received 20+ awards and selections in Japan and abroad, including the iF DESIGN AWARD (Germany), the Red Dot Design Award (Germany), the Chicago Good Design Award (USA) and the German Design Awards (Germany), and was named an IDEA (USA) Finalist. It has been highly praised for its minimalist design and comfortable usability.

Hitoe® Fold Aria — 12 Awards

Social Products Award 2025 Social Products Prize

This is Japan's first award system that highlights excellent "social products" that contribute to the realization of a sustainable society, evaluating both their social and commercial value.

Award Page →

DNA Paris Design Awards 2022 Winner

This international design award, originating in Paris, France, covers a wide range of fields such as architecture, interiors, and products, and evaluates innovation and beauty.

Award Page →

A' Design Award & Competition 2022 Iron

This is one of the world's largest international design competitions held in Italy. It selects products with excellent design and technological innovation.

Award Page →

iF DESIGN AWARD 2022 Winner

This is a globally prestigious design award based in Hanover, Germany, presented to products with excellent design quality.

Award Page →

Red Dot Design Award 2022 Winner

This international design award held in Germany recognizes excellent design from multiple perspectives, including innovation, functionality, and quality.

Award Page →

London International Creative Competition 2021 Official Selection

This international creative award held in London emphasizes originality and expressiveness, recognizing excellent works from around the world.

Award Page →

International Design Awards 2021 Bronze

This international design award held in Los Angeles, USA, showcases innovative and excellent designs to the world.

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NY Product Design Awards 2021 Silver

This international product design award from New York recognizes excellent product design and user experience.

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MUSE Design Awards 2021 Silver

This international award recognizes excellent designs worldwide, evaluating creativity and design perfection.

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European Product Design Award 2021 Honorable Mention

This international design award honors excellent European product designs, recognizing products that combine functionality and beauty.

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K-DESIGN AWARD 2021 Winner

This international design award, representing Korea, recognizes excellent designs that combine creativity, practicality, and innovation.

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Omotenashi Selection 2021 Winner

This award showcases products and services with unique Japanese charm and hospitality both domestically and internationally.

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Hitoe® Fold Less — 6 Awards

IDEA 2023 Finalist

The IDEA (International Design Excellence Awards) is an international design award organized by the IDSA (Industrial Designers Society of America). It is evaluated from multiple perspectives, including innovation, user experience, and contribution to society.

iF Design Award 2023 Winner

This is a globally prestigious design award based in Hanover, Germany, presented to products with excellent design quality.

Award Page →

Chicago Good Design Award 2022 Winner

This is a historic international design award organized by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum, continuing since 1950, which showcases excellent industrial designs to the world.

Award Page →

German Design Awards 2023 Special Mention

A globally prestigious design award organized by the German Design Council, which was founded in 1953.

Award Page →

DFA Design for Asia Awards 2022 Silver

This international design award is organized by the Hong Kong Design Centre. It evaluates excellent designs from an Asian perspective and recognizes the social and commercial value of design.

Winners List →

Omotenashi Selection 2022 Winner

This award showcases products and services with unique Japanese charm and hospitality both domestically and internationally.

Award Page →

Hitoe® Fold — 2 Awards

Omotenashi Selection 2020 Winner

This award showcases products and services with unique Japanese charm and hospitality both domestically and internationally.

Award Page →

CAMPFIRE Crowdfunding Award 2020 Product Award

This award recognizes particularly outstanding challenges among over 10,000 projects implemented on the crowdfunding service CAMPFIRE.

Award Page →

Crowdfunding

From June 2021 to February 2025, the Hitoe® Fold series achieved the remarkable feat of sweeping all the top three spots in Japan for crowdfunding totals raised for bifold wallets. (*Based on our own research)

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Q. I can't open and close it smoothly. Are there any tips?

Opening and closing the wallet smoothly is easier if you follow these steps.

【Opening】Bend the seam between the coin pocket and card pocket into a "V" shape, and the inner hook will naturally disengage. There is no need to touch the inner hook directly.
【Closing】While lightly holding the top, bend it into a "V" shape in the same way, and the inner hook will naturally catch on the card.

Q. The wallet gets distorted when closed.

This is because the inner hook is hooked on the outside of the wallet. Please make sure to hook it only on the cards you are storing.

Q. The cards are difficult to take out, and it feels tight.

The card pocket is intentionally designed to be slightly tight so that it does not become too loose, which may make it feel tight at first. Over time, it will gradually adapt to your usage and become a perfect fit, making cards easier to take out.
If it is still too tight, try taking one fewer card out and putting it back in several times to break in the leather before using it.

Q. Will the cards fall out?

When the wallet is closed, the inner hook catches the cards, so they will not fall out.

Even when open, the cards are less likely to fall out because of the non-slip treatment.
The Hitoe® Fold Aria and Hitoe® Fold Less, with a slip-resistant design (Patent No. 7922958), are even less likely to fall out.

Please note that when the wallet is laid flat horizontally, the non-slip treatment is less effective, as shown in the video.

Q. Will the coins spill out?

The wallet has a cover that prevents coins from spilling out, so they will not spill out during normal use. As the leather breaks in, it will become even more secure.

Please note that because this wallet has a vertical design, coins are more likely to spill out if you open it horizontally like a typical bifold wallet.

Q. The sound of the coins bothers me.

When putting the wallet in your pocket, store it so that the coin pocket is vertical to reduce the sound of the coins. This also makes the coins automatically align more easily.

Q. Will coins spill out if I open it upside down?

You can rest assured that if you turn the wallet upside down, the inner hook will not disengage, and the wallet will not open.
The front can be identified as follows (for right-handed users).

• No stitching on the right side
• The right side is the side where the cards are more visible

Q. Should I choose the right-handed or left-handed version?

Please choose based on the hand you use to handle money and cards.

Q. Is it okay to stack cards with magnetic stripes?

Recent magnetic stripes have strong magnetic resistance, so there is no problem stacking them. It also has no effect on IC chips even when stacked.

However, older magnetic cards may have weakened magnetism, so as a precaution, we recommend storing them in a different direction so that the magnetic stripes do not overlap.

Q. How does the size compare to other slim wallets?

The Hitoe® Fold series pursues not only its slimness when stored, but also its compact vertical and horizontal dimensions. We have prepared materials comparing the storage conditions and external dimensions of representative slim wallets and mini wallets.

View "Comparison of stored sizes of slim wallets and mini wallets"

* Card counts assume non-embossed cards.
* Hitoe^® Fold can hold 7 cards once the leather has broken in.

Dimensions: Approx. W89 x H91 x D12 mm (thickest part)
　　　　　 (When storing 6 cards, 10 bills, and 10 100-yen coins)
　　　　　 *Left-handed models are available in all colors.
Maximum Capacity: 15 bills, 6 cards, 20 coins
Product Weight: Approx. 30g
Leather: Cowhide (French calf)
　　　　　 Pig suede (domestically produced)
Accessories: Multi Ruler Card
Country of Manufacture: Japan

* Please use the wallet in a vertical orientation.
* All photos and videos used in the product description are for right-handed models.
* The color of the image may appear different depending on your viewing environment.

Designer: Hirotaka Sato