Sold out in 2 minutes after release! This is how the leather brand created the "body bag that every grown man should have"

2023/07 HushTug Editorial Department

Body bags have always been very popular as a casual bag for men.

It's convenient because you can go out easily with few belongings, Did you know that a "body bag made with care by a certain leather brand" is currently popular?

The "ideal body bag" created by HushTug

My name is Nakajima and I am in charge of product planning at the leather brand HushTug.

HushTug released the body bag in February 2021.

As mentioned above, we are thankful that so many people have purchased our products.

At the time of first sale The remaining stock sold out in just two minutes, and it became such a hit that it remained in short supply for about a year.

It has also received many positive reviews.

However, this is not because the company had many other products on the market and they sold well by chance.

This body bag took a year and a half to develop and was born after repeated testing.

"The ideal body bag for grown-up men, created with the utmost care by a leather brand."

That's it.

-How was the ideal body bag created?
-What makes it different from a regular body bag?

I would like to reveal the secrets of this popular body bag.

Development of the body bag began in 2019!

It was in the latter half of 2019 that I first thought about making a "body bag."

Our brand "HushTug" made tote bags and other items before we made body bags. The number of reviews in the genuine leather tote bag category is the highest in Japan. We are grateful to have been chosen by many customers, including many others.

However, when it came to body bags, which are a popular type of casual bag for men, the company had not even begun to develop them .

Even though it's a popular bag, we didn't make it. Here's why: Because HushTug employees had a negative image of body bags It was.

Breaking away from the image of "body bags = uncool"

The negative image that HushTug employees had was I think body bags are convenient, but they have a bad image. It was like this.

When all the employees discussed "Why do we feel it's uncool?"

・Childish, sporty image
・It's too casual and far from the impression of a mature man.
・Lack of luxury (cheap image)

Opinions such as the following were expressed.

So, "A formal body bag made from luxurious genuine leather that every grown man should have." We started development with the idea of making one, but it was a much longer and more difficult process than we had imagined.

Three essential elements for a body bag for an adult man

Before making the body bag, there was one more thing I had to consider.

That What is "adulthood" and "luxury"? How can we bring out those qualities? That is what it means.

Since this bag originally has a casual image, we needed to clearly define that concept in order to overturn it and give it a more mature look.

So, I divided the elements necessary for making a bag into the following categories:

material
function
design

① Material

The materials used naturally influence the sense of maturity and luxury.

We are originally a leather brand, so we naturally use high-quality genuine leather. We didn't want to compromise on any detail, so we went for a full leather exterior.

Furthermore, the sense of luxury created by the materials is not just a matter of appearance; it also affects the experience when actually using the product .

For example, have you ever had the experience of using a nylon bag and the shoulder strap rubbing against your neck, causing pain?

Even if it was a high-end bag, such an unpleasant experience seemed to diminish the value of the bag.

By making it from genuine leather that is not only durable but also soft and pleasant to the touch, We thought that customers would not only like the appearance, but would also be able to feel the high quality of the product long after they purchased it.

② Function

When it comes to functionality, the higher the better, of course.

but, Excessive functionality could have erased the sense of maturity and luxury.

For example, functional bags often differentiate themselves from others by the number or size of their pockets, with designs such as "It has so many pockets!" or "It has a super large capacity!"

While these features are certainly convenient, they actually diminish the sense of maturity and luxury that we are aiming to create with HushTug.

Therefore We decided to pursue simplicity by focusing on only the bare minimum of functions.

③ Design

By focusing on functionality, unnecessary elements have been eliminated, but the shape of the bag itself is also important in the design.

In order to take advantage of the texture, luxury and simplicity of genuine leather, we adopted a square shape which gives a neater looking surface than the typical crescent shape.

It took a year and a half to develop. A body bag that is typical of HushTug.

After listing the elements that lead to a "mature" or "luxurious" look, we created many samples, experiencing both failures and small successes.

We tried various things, such as size and shape, but the deciding factor for the final product was "Returning to the identity of the brand (HushTug)" It was.

HushTug has previously developed several products, mainly bags.

The design concept is

"Ultimate simplicity with no unnecessary features"

is.

A simple, timeless design that adult men can wear in any situation and with any outfit.

This is one of the reasons why our customers have chosen us so far.

It took a year and a half of repeated improvements, but the leather brand HushTug has finally completed a body bag that they can call their pride and joy, made with great care.

This is the body bag that was created.

To be honest, there were so many setbacks and hardships that it's impossible to list them all in this article, but in the end we were able to complete a product that we can proudly release.

When it was released, it sold out in 2 minutes! It became an instant hit with a review score of 4.6 / 5.0 points.

However, we still feel anxious because we won't know until the product is released whether customers will actually like it.

However, when we announced the product to customers who had purchased it in the past, It sold out within two minutes of its release, and although additional stock was released several times afterwards, it was so popular that there was always a scramble to get it.

Furthermore, most of the reviews from customers who have purchased the product are highly rated. The reviews were 4.6/5.0 and many people were pleased with it.

Actual reviews
(You can slide it sideways)

Also, when we talk to our customers, they seem to be satisfied with the "high cost performance" .

If you want to make a high-quality product using genuine leather, the price will be higher.

Actually, when I looked into it, It is not uncommon for genuine leather body bags of similar quality to sell for over 30,000 yen. You can see that.

Normally, products are produced in factories and then shipped through several other companies before reaching customers, but HushTug manages everything from production to sales in-house, allowing us to offer genuine leather at affordable prices.

It sells for about half the price of other genuine leather brands, so even disregarding my bias as the person in charge of planning, I can truly recommend it for its great value for money.

Furthermore, You can return or exchange the product for free within one month of purchase, regardless of how much you use it or for any reason. Comes with peace of mind support.

HushTug products are not sold in department stores or shops, so they can basically only be purchased through our online store.

・I want to try a genuine leather body bag, but I don't know if it will suit me...
・I'm worried about buying online in the first place because the product might be different from what I expected.

For those people, I will repeat "Returns and exchanges are free for any reason within 30 days, no matter how much you use it." It states that.

Since returns are free, you can never go wrong, so if you're considering buying a body bag, be sure to give it a try.