Moko Kobayashi Collaboration | Minnetonka Moccasin

Our handmade moccasins get a dose of haute couture craftsmanship with the beautiful bead design of artist Môko Kobayashi.

Môko is best known for creating elegant brooches and pins featuring graphics of animals, people and popular French phrases for her accessories line based in Japan, Maison des Perles. Her work is hyper focused on quality and craftsmanship, showcasing the traditional haute couture French embroidery methods she learned as a student in Paris.

Read on to learn more about her creative process and how her collaboration with Minnetonka came to be.

When did you first become interested in beading/embroidery and why is it important to you? 
Since I was a small child, I was always interested in crafting and making things. Discovering this embroidery method (crochet de luneville) and then living in Paris for a while led me to my current job. The special embroidery method I use is most important to me because it’s been used in France since the 1700’s and being able to still use that method in today’s day and age is very exciting.

Describe your creative process. Where do you find inspiration?  
Most of the time, I get inspiration from everyday life. I like taking an emotion or a moment and including it into my designs.

What is your favorite part of the creation process?
The moment I come up with a new idea for a design.

What do you enjoy the most about what you do?
I enjoy the challenge the most, the challenge to think of new designs or start new projects keeps my job fresh and fun. The collaboration with Minnetonka was a new challenge for me and it turned out to be a very fun and refreshing process for me.

 

Shop the newest Minnetonka x Môko Kobayashi style for a limited time.