The 100th Tokyo International Gift Show (TIGS) marked a significant milestone, once again serving as the crucial compass for design trends and lifestyle aesthetics. Walking through the venue, it was clear that the connection between design and daily life was the central theme. From intricate crafts and furniture to modern fragrance and fashion, innovation was everywhere. CreativeHomex is pleased to present six standout brands across different categories, selected from both established names and exciting newcomers.
1. Tableware | Luycho: The Magician Who Made the Coffee Cup Move
The pinnacle of table design is when the vessel itself becomes a visual feast. South Korean brand Luycho’s Locomotion Series instantly captured attention. It pays homage to Eadweard Muybridge’s pioneering photographic work, The Horse in Motion, by achieving dynamic imagery on a coffee cup using an analog method for the first time. Luycho insists on using real gold plating for the reflective surface. Even the cup and saucer edges are meticulously hand-brushed with gold, transforming the simple act of drinking coffee into a luxurious and elegant ritual.
Luycho collaborated with Oyow on a collection themed “Animals and People in Everyday Life.” This partnership creatively uses the unique double-sided structure of the Luycho wavy saucer for a fun visual twist.
2. Fragrance | Bookmark: Where Scent Becomes Your “Bookmark” of Life
The fragrance brand Bookmark stands out with its simple yet profound concept: “Let fragrance be the bookmark of life.” Their products are designed to be present in a subtle way, integrating naturally and casually into various corners of daily life. The goal isn’t to overwhelm your space, but to establish a unique memory point, allowing the scent to become an unforgettable marker of time and place.
3. Furniture | Tsuyama Furniture: The Embrace of Everyday Warmth
Japanese furniture maker Tsuyama Furniture’s new TF Series reaffirms the Japanese design commitment to gentle warmth. The TF Armchair, crafted from solid cypress, offers beautiful wood grain and a warm texture that gently envelops the sitter. New additions to the series include the stackable and functional TF Chair and the matching TF Round Table. These pieces maintain aesthetic beauty while addressing the space requirements of modern smaller families, offering functional simplicity without sacrificing the natural warmth of wood.
4. Sustainable Materials | Sekisai Studio: The Dynamic “Chameleon” Wall
Sekisai Studio’s Effective Skin wall paneling system proves that design’s future is intertwined with advanced material technology. Utilizing a unique multi-color simultaneous 3D printing technique, it achieves a dynamic, fluid color transition via the LENS Method optical effect, creating a gem-like luminosity. It is not a single color, but a surface that shifts significantly with minor changes in the viewing angle, resembling the living skin of a chameleon. Honored with the Picks Award at Design Shanghai 2024, this material offers designers a dream solution for creating sophisticated spaces with an ambiguous, layered sense of dynamic color.
5. Fashion | Ban Inoue: Mosquito Net Fabric’s Cool Revival
Facing increasingly hot global climates, Ban Inoue has repurposed traditional Nara-area mosquito net fabric (Kaya) to create the ideal “Mosquito Net Everyday Wear” for Japan’s humid summers. Based on the principle of keeping “sweaty children cool,” their garments use 100% cotton Kaya fabric, achieving extreme sweat absorption, quick-drying, breathability, and lightness. Despite lacking stretch, the fabric’s cooling touch and airy feel easily combat stickiness, providing a refreshing experience. With colors inspired by traditional Japanese hues, this collection is the best choice for home, travel, and sensitive skin, making it a true lifesaver against the heat.
6. Home Decor | Hounobi: Fine Bamboo Craft
Hounobi has elevated the traditional Japanese craft of Suruga Bamboo Senjiki Zaiku to high art. Boldly transforming the thin, round-strip bamboo containers traditionally used for flower vases or candy dishes into the Sen-kuu lamp stand. Light radiates from a hidden source, casting soft, radial shadows through the precision-woven bamboo strips, instilling a quiet warmth into the space.
Expanding this concept, the new Lineā product line combines the soft bamboo frame with hard, smooth ceramic. It includes a single-flower vase that enhances the atmosphere and an aroma diffuser where essential oils can be applied to the ceramic plate. This development allows users to immerse themselves in both the visual beauty and the fragrance, gracefully integrating ancient craft into diverse modern living scenarios.
Written by Lee Khe Ying
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