When Buyers and Artisans Align, Quality Soars

Daniel & Bob began with founders Daniel and Bob leading the company. They achieved success manufacturing belts in Italy during the American hippie boom era. The brand was then inherited by the current owner and designer, Andrea Bortolotti, who was their assistant at the time. After the well-received belts, they moved on to women's bags and also produced OEM bags for famous brands, establishing a reputation within the industry for their earnest craftsmanship.


—Hearing the history of Daniel & Bob, one really feels the current owner Andrea's commitment to craftsmanship.

Katsunori TaharaIndeed. Andrea has an extremely high awareness of quality control. To ensure everything is made in our own factory in Ferrara, Italy, where he can oversee it, we do not use any external contractors.

—Why do you think Daniel & Bob has become such a popular brand?

Primarily, it's the passion of the owner and designer, Andrea, to create beautiful, well-crafted items through meticulous work. For the leather used, we respect the handiwork of Italian leather artisans who inherit traditional techniques. We are particular about the "Vachetta process," which involves vegetable tanning and oil-shrinking, offering options that allow for enjoyment of the leather's aging process and a playful choice of colors.

—I'm always impressed by Daniel & Bob's leather and material, as well as their color variations.

Another factor is our flexibility in incorporating customer needs into our creations. The synergy between buyers and artisans, both driven by a desire to create excellent products, has perfectly aligned. As we've met our stringent demands, the quality of the products themselves has improved. I believe this has led to our reputation for "bags of superior construction."

Once You Hold It, You'll Want It

—Please tell us what you consider to be the best points of Daniel & Bob.

For example, the handles of models like "JOSHUA" and "JASMINE" are made by layering three pieces of 4mm-thick leather and hand-polishing the edges to create exceptionally supple yet sturdy handles. Even in the details of the handles, such as sewing thick leather with a saddle-stitching machine, Daniel & Bob's fundamental spirit is evident, and the finished products speak for themselves. Furthermore, while maintaining such classic construction, our ability to propose flexible designs suitable for the times, along with colors and details favored by buyers and shops, is also a secret to Daniel & Bob's popularity.

—This time, we had you actually hold and photograph three of the popular models.

While customers will naturally use them in their own ways, a key appeal of Daniel & Bob is how the bag takes shape when filled with belongings and carried. For the 2-way shoulder bags, the silhouette of the drape when worn crossbody is elegantly three-dimensional, which also fosters a sense of attachment.

—I'll consider carefully which one to choose. Thank you very much.