hwmi
(how we make it)

HWMI

hwmi is a story that never ends. At grds, we are committed to creating products that only get better with time, constantly searching for the finest materials and exploring sustainable practices. From the moment a product is born to the end of its life cycle, we promise to share every step of the journey with honesty and transparency. Discover how we make it.

material (3)

boots 02 tea-core leather

August 27, 2025

boots 02 leather tea-core is made with the article ‘VECCHIO’ from Maryam Tannery, located in Florence, Italy. It is Italian tea-core leather made with vegetable-tanned Polish horsebutt portion and dyed...

lasts

July 24, 2025

shoe lasts designed and developed by gradus.

 

 

boots 02 suede

February 13, 2025

Most of gradus’s suede products are made using materials from Conceria Opera, an Italian tannery. In 2022, when representatives from Conceria Opera visited Korea, I had the opportunity...

thinking (4)

the poetry of space: strolling through álvaro siza’s porto

April 24, 2025

From September 18 to 26, 2024, during a business trip to Portugal, I had the unexpected opportunity to visit Álvaro Siza's architectural works with my team.

 reflections on work and life

March 18, 2025

I once believed that achieving work-life balance meant drawing strict boundaries—keeping work confined to office hours and reserving my personal time entirely for myself.

 a few words

September 10, 2024

Hi this is Eugene Park, a director of gradus. Through hwmi (how we make it), I hope our story connects with those who choose our products.

 a small factory in marche, italy where the journey started

August 12, 2020

We wanted to create Derby shoes that are classic, casual, and suitable for daily wear. The first step was to find a shoemaker with deep expertise in dress shoes.