It’s strange, really, how emotionally attached we can become to the objects in our lives. While we all know, in the back of our heads, the old mantra that the most important things in life aren’t things at all, it’s hard to ignore the resounding feeling of intimacy toward a well-loved leather bag, scarf, or favorite sweater. These things become, through our continued appreciation of them, greater than the sum of their parts– not just cabled wool or slubby linen, but something much harder to name. That’s why, when we look at such a minimal, blank canvas of an object such as the new natural billfold by Joshu + Vela, we feel that we’re looking at the start of a journey. The natural, veg-tanned leather, free of any unnecessary bells or whistles, is just begging to be personalized by the thumbprints and nicks and other imperfections that so endear us to our favorite objects. This, you might say, is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Get it here.