The campaign shoot emphasizes the connection between this pack and Kintsugi. The Japanese artist, Takehito Kobayashi, is being featured while creating a unique Runbird logo, through the real Kintsugi technique.
Kintsugi
The inspiration
Kintsugi goes back to the late 16th and early 17th century as the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery using lacquer, either dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver or platinum. Over the years, it has become much more than that: not only an aesthetic but also a philosophy centred on embracing imperfection, thanks to its connection with Wabi-Sabi, a worldview focused on the belief that imperfection is important, inspiring and beautiful. Kintsugi considers breakage and repair as part of the history of an object and focuses on highlighting the flaws instead of hiding them. The idea that things deserve a second life and that we can always learn and improve is clear in this Kintsugi pack.
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THE SHOES
The Wave Rider 10 and the Contender are the sneakers selected for the Kintsugi pack. The shoes, dressed in soft neutral colours, present subtle material contrasts, alternating premium suede and mesh. The Runbird logo, which portrays an example of Kintsugi art, is delineated by a thin yellow line, reminiscent of the gold junctures typical of the ancient Japanese technique. A Kintsugi artwork, placed on the tongue of the shoes, highlights, once again, the font of inspiration for this pack. Both the Wave Rider 10 and the Contender have mismatched insoles in white and grey colours.
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Takehito Kobayashi was introduced to pottery since a very young age and has dedicated most of his life to Kintsugi. In 2009, upon his return from a European trip where he discovered different repairing techniques, he opened Wad: a store based on the concept of “good Japanese products”. Today, Takehito is mainly active in Osaka where he holds Kintsugi workshops and consults on art pottery.