Made to Order
La Patine
Gin-susutake
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Used historically in tea ceremonies, temple decoration, and samurai weaponry, this technique now appears on a pair of Bridlen shoes. The name refers to a smoked bamboo hue, a woody, blackened brown that evokes natural aging and the slow passage of time. Over this base sits a layer of silver leaf or silver powder with ash-grey tones, lending a subtle glimmer rather than shine. It speaks to formality, sensitivity to nature, and the Wabi-Sabi principle of accepting impermanence and imperfection. Under shifting light, the silver moves subtly across the surface, a small reminder of where all things originate.
Each pair is crafted by Bridlen before being sent to Japan, where Masahiro Tagami hand-finishes the leather in the chosen patina. Once complete, it is shipped directly to you.
Yes. Every La Patine commission is finished entirely by hand, making each pair one of a kind. Subtle variations in colour and depth are part of the beauty of the process.
La Patine can be commissioned on almost every Made to Order style in Bridlen's Main Line and Founders Collection. Simply email info@bridlen.com with your preferred style and specifications, and we'll guide you through the process.
As each pair is crafted and hand-finished to order, please allow approximately 12 weeks for completion. We will keep you updated throughout the process.
As every La Patine pair is individually commissioned and hand-finished to order, returns and exchanges are not accepted.
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La Patine
Japanese colour traditions are rooted in close observation of nature, carrying names drawn from emotion, season, and memory. These hues hold weight beyond mere pigment, the rhythm of the seasons translated into the rhythm of a stride.
La Patine, created by Masahiro Tagami, brings this sensibility into fine leather. The collection is a considered study of colour. Each shade carries its own emotional weight. Here, colour is treated not as decoration but as narrative, and each pair carries the marks of where you have walked.
Masahiro Tagami
Founder & Patina Artist
Based in Kobe, Japan, Masahiro Tagami is the founder of La Patine, a leather patina atelier dedicated to hand-finished colour on fine leather.
With many years of experience in shoe production, materials, and craftsmanship, he is drawn to the expressive power of patina: the way hand-applied colour gives each pair its own depth and quiet individuality.
Through La Patine, he translates Japanese sensibility and traditional aesthetics onto leather. In Japanese culture, colour is not merely seen, but also read, carrying memory, season, landscape, and emotion.
Each pair is finished by hand, layer by layer, becoming a canvas for culture, texture, and time.
The Palette of La Patine
Crimson beneath black
Yu Momiji
Deep crimson emerging through dark tones, reminiscent of autumn maple leaves.
The colours of early spring
Yamabukikasane
Warm golden hues inspired by the layered colours of spring.
Autumn at its quietest
Akakuchiba
Rich earth and amber tones that capture the quiet warmth of late autumn.
Gold emerging from darkness
MAKIE
A luminous interplay of gold and black, inspired by traditional lacquer artistry.
Smoked bamboo with quiet silver
GIN-Susutake
Smoky brown layered with silver undertones, echoing weathered bamboo.
Violet at first light
SHIKA
Layered tones of mist white, pale violet, blue grey, and silver grey.
Evergreen depth and resilience
Chitose Midori
Deep evergreen tones inspired by a tree that holds its colour through every season.
The Journey of Your Pair
From workshop to wearable art
Select any Made to Order style from our Main Line or Founders Collection, along with your preferred La Patine concept. Your commission begins with your choices.
Your chosen style is handcrafted in natural crust leather. Left unfinished, it provides the ideal canvas for the patina that follows.
Once complete, your unfinished pair is carefully shipped to Japan, where the next stage of its transformation begins.
Working entirely by hand, Mr. Tagami applies multiple layers of dye and colour to create your selected La Patine concept. Every pair develops its own unique depth and character, ensuring no two are ever identical.
Following a meticulous final inspection, your completed pair is carefully packaged and shipped to your doorstep. Worldwide shipping, duties and taxes are included with every La Patine commission.
colour, beyond the surface
A study in colour, patience, & permanence
Colour is never merely applied. It is composed, layered, softened, and refined until the leather reveals a depth that only hand finishing can achieve.
Every La Patine commission is a singular expression of craftsmanship, impossible to replicate and created to evolve with its owner.