Sumida Contemporary is a collaborative platform and a curated label for contemporary craft products that launched in 2018. Sumida city is one of the 23 wards of Tokyo and is located east of the Sumida river. For the past 300 years Sumida has been a manufacturing city with a high density of factories and craft businesses in the midst of the metropolis. Sumida produces a breadth of products from soap to lacquerware, glass, leather goods, watering cans, brushes, and everything in between. With the aim to support and promote Sumida and its historic industry, the Sumida city administration invited David Glaettli/ GDD to develop a design project. This invitation led to the creation of Sumida Contemporary. Sumida Contemporary combines the tradition and skills of a group of craftsmen with the innovation of selected international designers to develop a new generation of locally made products for an international market.
The Sumida Contemporary project was initiated by David Glaettli in 2017. The creative direction of the project includes the definition of the brand concept, strategy and identity. It also comprises exhibition concept and design, selection of designers, drafting of design briefings, revision of designs and prototypes with the craftsmen, and the selection and direction of photographers and graphic designers for the development of flyers, packaging, and a website.
sumidacontemporary.tokyo