Issey Miyake Bao Bao Card Case

Shrinking a faceted surface down to the size of a card case is harder than it sounds, because the panels have to get small enough to fit and still large enough to read as geometry rather than as texture. At this scale the effect is closer to a fine mosaic than to the bold planes of the larger pieces, and folding it in half puts the pattern on two planes at once, so the object has an angle built into it even when closed. Two pockets and a bifold is the whole specification. It is the least complicated thing in the line and the easiest way to have the geometry on you.

Sizing and dimensions

A bifold card case.

It is the smallest complete statement of the idea, and a card case is a thing you actually look at several times a day.

Made in Japan, in Matte Gray. Bifold, with two pockets, carrying the line's geometric surface at its smallest scale.

Matte grey is quieter than the black and considerably quieter than anything glossy, so it reads as a considered object rather than a branded one.

Wipe clean with a soft damp cloth and keep it away from heat and solvents. Our fabric care guide covers PVC, coated cloth, and bags directly.

The Carton Shoulder Bag and the Lucent Bag are the full-size expressions of the same construction. There is more on the house on the Issey Miyake designer page. Everything we carry from Issey Miyake is listed together.