• Summer, autumn, winter, and spring too.

• Our planner talks about CANDRIA TOMMASO's specially ordered baskets.

The idea that basket bags are for the hot season is a slightly outdated notion. These days, it's stylish to coordinate a quality basket bag into your outfits all year round. This time, we're introducing the behind-the-scenes story of the CANDRIA TOMMASO special-order baskets, together with our planner.

A special order for the CANDRIA TOMMASO basket we fell in love with.

Planner M: "I'd always admired CANDRIA TOMMASO's baskets. They have the dignified presence of a maison brand, combined with Italian-made leather and beautifully woven rattan. With a basket bag that's firmly shaped using a wooden mold, the design really depends on the quality of the materials.

I already own a leather bag I love so much that I take it out with me every time I go somewhere, so a basket bag felt like the natural next step. People who carry a basket made of mixed materials in a stylish way are so lovely to look at. I fell for the refined look of CANDRIA TOMMASO—one that doesn't push the brand name front and center, but instead makes generous use of Italian materials and craftsmanship to elevate the wearer's whole outfit—and I'd been thinking I wanted to welcome one of their baskets into my life at some meaningful milestone.

However, CANDRIA TOMMASO tends to sell out every summer, which left many of our customers disappointed. So we thought that next time, we should hold a reservation event so customers could choose the piece they wanted—and that's how the idea for this ZUTTO special-order basket project came about. Since this isn't an inexpensive purchase, we wanted to create something true to ZUTTO's spirit: an item made to be used for a long time, and one you'll want to keep using for a long time. Every item in this special-order collection was created with that concept in mind."

The keywords were "high quality, but not pretentious," "easy to carry without worrying too much about weight," and "versatile enough to style in different ways, so you never get tired of it."

It goes without saying that CANDRIA TOMMASO's baskets are of excellent quality, but by combining rattan with leather, they also carry a playful, unpretentious feel.

The Rattan Mini Tote, Special Stitching is a completely original ZUTTO-exclusive design, made with lightness as the top priority. The image we had in mind was an unpretentious basket bag to pair with quality silk or cotton shirts and knitwear. Coordinating a bag with an outfit can sometimes feel difficult—you have to think about where you're going, how long you'll be out, how much you're carrying, how heavy it is, and, of course, making sure it doesn't clash with the mood of your clothes. This Rattan Mini Tote, Special Stitching especially covers three of those concerns: where you're going, how heavy your belongings are, and not disrupting the feel of your outfit.

Rattan Mini Tote, Special Stitching—a piece you can choose whether you're dressed casually or having lunch at a hotel in the city center

With its round, endearing shape and simple look free of unnecessary decoration, the Rattan Mini Tote, Special Stitching can go with you whether you're heading to a neighborhood café to read a book or meeting a friend for lunch at a hotel in the city center. It doesn't get in the way when placed on your lap, and a bag that stands upright on its own always looks especially elegant when you're seated on a sofa.

The handles are leather with stitching. Even when the bag is packed full, your hands are less likely to feel sore.

In summer, take it out for a stroll around the neighborhood like this

At first glance it may look small, but once fully opened, there's actually not much difference in size between these two baskets. Of course, the type with a flap is less suited to holding thicker items.

There are plenty of occasions where having a shoulder strap comes in handy—when carrying something a bit heavy, when holding a parasol, when visiting a theme park, when you've done a lot of shopping, or when holding your child's hand. This has become an item you can cherish not just through the seasons, but throughout different stages of life.

"Don't you think this has a certain richness and depth that sets it apart from trendy basket bags—the kind that won't fade in appeal even after five or ten years? I don't just want it to suit who I am now; I want to become someone this bag still suits five, ten, even twenty years from now, as my lifestyle changes. I think CANDRIA TOMMASO has exactly that kind of charm."

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