During my walking tour of a local shopping street in Kobe, Japan, I was shown multiple stores that were owned and operated by a family for over 100 years. It is very common to find businesses in Japan that are over 80 years old, passing down the knitting tradition and craftmanship generation to generation. Immediately, I realized that the hands making the pastries I tasted inherited pastry art from many generations, collaboratively crafting the art, by hand, mind, ingredient to ingredient. This immediately inspired me to Handmake Aiery in Japan. The Spirit of Japan is seen in the art, fashion, cars, the Shinkansen, karaoke, the biggest of them all; the culture, respect & humility of the Japanese people. All this inspired me to Handmake Aiery in Hyogo Prefecture Japan.

New York City is my home since 2017. The City is a vibrant tapestry of dreams, where ambition and creativity collide in an electrifying dance. It’s a place that inspires people to relentlessly chase their passions, fueled by the belief that anything is possible. Whether you’re an introvert quietly plotting your next move or an extrovert thriving on the energy of the crowd, the City invites you to step boldly into your aspirations. The City pulses with energy, reminding us daily that every corner holds a story, every street a lesson. From my hustles in Midtown, Chelsea, Downtown to the artistic expressions found in Brooklyn's graffiti, NYC embodies the spirit of resilience and determination. As Jay-Z famously said, "If You can make it here, You can make it anywhere," encapsulates the essence of a city that dares you to dream big and work hard.

AIERY is made by Hand in Hyogo Prefecture. For over 1000 years, Hyogo Prefecture has been regarded as Japan’s foremost producer of cowhide leather accounting for 80% of Japanese Natural Leather tanning. In Hyogo, Tanners uphold traditional manufacturing methods and produce high-quality leathers with their artisanal expertise. I took a tour and full production process tour of the tannery that supplies our custom leather. It is Leather Working Group (LWG) certified tannery. LWG is the global body for ethical, environmental and sustainable leather production. Our wallets are made with Vegetable-tanned leather. The tanning process for veg-tan leather is not done by other tanneries. During our process, the raw cowhides are soaked in water with tanning agent, Brazilian mimosa dye for at least a month. Mimosa trees are native to Central America and the Brazilian Mimosa Dye is imported from Brazil to Japan. The slow tanning process gives our leather it’s quality and durability.