SHOP.CASE – LEMAIRE EBISU

Fashion, Retail

There are stores that make you want to shop there just because. If you had to break down that aura, it would probably come down to a great location, a beautiful exterior and interior, great merchandising and great service. The Lemaire boutique, which opened in November of this year in Tokyo’s Ebisu neighborhood is such a store. This 2,000 sq foot store is housed in a beautiful private two-story home built in the 1960s. Walking through the front gate and through the front door is a bit like going through a portal from the city to the countryside. The space is as tranquil as its small backyard garden, and it is one of the most inviting shops we have been to. Shopping here feels like you are simply borrowing from the closet of your incredibly stylish, design-conscious friend.

SHOP.CASE — Jil Sander Ginza

Fashion, Retail

The newly opened Jil Sander flagship in Tokyo’s Ginza district, designed by the architecture firm Casper, Mueller, Kneer, is a testament to the power of materials. CMK came to prominence designing stores for Celine under Phoebe Philo, including its Ginza flagship, whose arresting façade is still one of the premier shopping neighborhood’s attractions. With the Jil Sander store, CMK continues its tradition of letting the materials do the talking. The shop is refreshingly devoid of ornamentation, yet it feels warm and inviting. With their intricate, rich textures, marble, travertine, and concrete become ornaments in themselves. Details like a Dieter Rams classic Braun sound system provide subtle nods to the history of minimalist German design, not unrelated to Jil Sander’s origin. Last but not least, the layout of the shop provides a ton of open space, proving once again that today space is the ultimate luxury.

OP-ED: THE OTHER REASON WHY LUXURY FASHION SALES ARE TANKING

Features/Op-Ed, Retail

Luxury fashion sales are in the doldrums. It seems that no one, with the exception of several brands that cater to the truly rich, has been spared. Sales for mass market luxury brands – and it is time that we started talking about “mass market luxury fashion” as a market category – like Gucci and Burberry are dropping by double digits every quarter. Even Dior and Chanel have not been spared.