Alexander McQueen heads to East Asia to throw open the doors of its first flagship store in Japan. Located in Aoyama district of Tokyo, the British brand makes its presence felt in a big way with the debut of the 4,200 square foot outlet in the country. Spread over two storey, the retail unit rubs shoulders with the likes of Balenciaga, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs and Prada.
Till date, Japanese shoppers could shop for Alexander McQueen stuff from shop-in-shops set up in various departmental stores and from the label’s only-accessories outlet. With the opening of this large flagship everything from Alexander McQueen’s men’s and women’s wear collections along with runway looks, ready-to-wear designs and accessories will be available under one roof. WWD also reports that it will showcase the house’s classic pieces, such as its skull scarves and knuckle-box clutches.
Conceived by creative director of Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton along with David Collins Studio, the Tokyo store is decked up in subtle shades of gray, lilac, white and soft gold. It also features a cracked white Calacatta Oro marble floor which is complemented with pale gray leather furnishings clad in marble, along with black lacquer rails.
Other noteworthy details of the interiors include the walls covered in plaster paneling. One of the panel features a molded motif of wings, shells, cactus flowers, sea horse tails, skulls, gargoyles and leaves.
The staircase that connects the two floors is crafted from a single piece of white marble. Uniquely designed chandelier like artwork is a conversation piece crated by contemporary artists Takeo Hanazawa and Takao Togashi exclusively for this flagship. It drops from the store’s ceiling down through the center of the staircase.
Expecting this new flagship unit to be an important store within the brand’s portfolio, Jonathan Akeroyd, chief executive officer at Alexander McQueen stated, “The environment seems a good fit for McQueen — it’s quite an open, contemporary environment, which we like. Of all the areas in Tokyo, I think that was the natural fit for our brand. We’ve taken our time to make sure we get the right space.” He also added that “I think that’s because [Japan] is very much a retail model. So I think this [store] really will be the start for us being able to build on that.”
Via WWD
