When power shopping for luxury brands in Tokyo, Ginza and Aoyama are the areas usually targeted by those coming from overseas, but the leafy enclave of Roppongi has its fair share of glitzy boutiques by leading names in fashion. At the very heart of neighbourhood sits Roppongi Hills, a massive shopping complex attached to the 54-storey Mori Tower, which caters to discerning locals with appropriate offerings. Balenciaga is the latest luxury brand to join the ranks, opening a boutique on the second floor. The interior design, concocted by the brand’s quirky creative director Demna Gvasalia, is understated and intentionally contains rough edges, resulting in an intriguing industrial setting with bare concrete surfaces, suspended steel clothing racks and shelving, and in stark contrast, carpeting in a neon blue shade. Interestingly, and as far as we know it’s a global first, the immediate vicinity outside has been tweaked, given two chunky pillars bearing the fashion house’s name. The new Balenciaga store carries the brand’s men’s and women’s apparel, shoes and accessories.
Balenciaga
Roppongi Hills, 6-10-1 Roppongi, West Walk, Second Floor (Roppongi)
Tokyo 106-0032
Telephone: +81 3 68634600
Daily 11-9
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
