[Millefoglie 2: The Wallet for Those Who Want Both Cash and Cards]

The wallet is something we casually pull from our pockets or bags every day. Even in today's world, where cashless options are advancing and electronic money and smartphone payments have become integrated into daily life, there are still numerous occasions when we use credit cards and cash. Have you ever experienced the dilemma of finding the "just right" wallet, feeling that "a long wallet is too big to fit in a pocket," while "an ultra-small mini wallet requires folding bills and makes coins and cards hard to access"? In fact, the wallet designs we find easiest to use have continuously evolved along with the changing ways we handle money throughout history.

The Japanese word for wallet, "saifu," is said to originate from a pouch where "sai" (valuables, bills, and coins) is covered by "fu" (wrapping cloth). The English word "wallet" also originates from terms appearing in the late 14th century meaning "bag" or "knapsack," tracing back to the concept of a "bag for wrapping and holding items." In ancient Rome and China, simple pouches or drawstring bags made of leather or cloth were the norm. By the 17th century, metal frames like those on kiss-lock purses came into use, and after the Industrial Revolution enabled mass production with sewing machines, wallets became widely integrated into people's daily lives. In this way, wallets have developed globally as a tool for wrapping and carrying precious items.

In Japan as well, up until around the 1970s, coins for small purchases accounted for much of daily spending. As a result, items like "small zippered coin pouches" for efficient coin storage and "coin holders" that fixed coins by denomination gained popularity. Entering the 1980s, as society matured, a style settled in where people comfortably carried bills, a few cards, and coins together in a balanced manner. What appeared then and gained explosive support was the "bifold wallet with a coin case." Its revolutionary structure, which offered a size that fit in a pocket while consolidating bills, coins, and cards into one, was long loved as the absolute classic wallet style.

However, from the 2000s onward, the situation changed with the arrival of the card-centric society and the cashless era. Due to the rapid increase in the number of cards, stacking them inside a bifold wallet added bulk, causing it to swell awkwardly in a pocket. Choosing a long wallet for extra storage meant it no longer fit in a pocket. Conversely, opting for an ultra-small mini wallet introduced the hassle of folding bills and the frustration of coins being hard to see and retrieve. "I want to take out bills smartly without folding them," "I want to carry a sufficient amount of coins and cards," and "I want it to fit neatly into my pants pocket." Giving a clear answer to these ideals held by modern individuals with a keen eye for detail was m+'s "Millefoglie 2."

The ease of handling like a bifold, the storage capacity comparable to a long wallet, and a compact size that fits in the palm of your hand. The person who fused these with a groundbreaking idea was Murakami Yuichiro, founder of m+ and a former first-class registered architect. By unclasping the stud button, unfolding the wrapped leather, and releasing the inner snap, the box-shaped coin case, three card compartments, and bills secured by a bill holder all come into view at a single glance. Bills are simply slid in flat without folding and held down by the bill holder. Despite having a compact form roughly the size of two or three stacked pocket tissue packs, it can hold about 10 bills, 15 coins, and 15 cards. Even when placed in a pocket, it hardly disrupts your silhouette, and it fits lightly into a jacket chest pocket as well. Wrapped in a single piece of high-quality Italian vegetable-tanned leather, the body gains a deeper sheen the more you use it, allowing you to enjoy a personalized aging process over time.

Smartly handling both electronic money and cash without compromising on everyday tools. It is bound to become the finest companion, stylishly enhancing the hands of those who care about quality.

m+'s Millefoglie 2
https://www.shokunin.com/en/mpiu/millefoglie2.html

References
https://english-battle.com/word/wallet
https://lastdripdesigns.com/news/49590/
https://www.e-begin.jp/article/22305/
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B2%A1%E5%B8%83