The much-publicised repositioning of ZARA as a more premium, aspirational luxury brand comes with a string of sleek, design-led retail spaces across the planet that have caught our eye. The newly opened ZARA MAN store in Osaka is another example of this bold transition that has resonated well with both its following and new consumer demographics. The opening follows the inauguration of the ZARA store and new hospitality concept ZARA Caffè, situated just a few blocks away, and which we covered in a previous post. Dedicated entirely to its men/s offerings, ZARA MAN occupies approx. 600 sqm. (6,458 sq.ft.) set across two floors on the premises of TESTA Shinsaibashi, a popular shopping arcade in the city’s downtown Shinsaibashi district.
The façade, crafted from burnt cedar wood, features a large double-height window, a handcrafted black metal logo, and lanterns bearing the brand name in Katakana characters, which set the store apart from its rather bland surroundings. Designed by ZARA‘s in-house design team, the ground floor interior sees a series of interconnected spaces, covered either in warm Sunuke wood, light plaster-finished or Japanese gray wood, and unified by polished concrete flooring. At the back of the ZARA MAN store, below an atrium Japanese shoji screens sits a Listening Room where shoppers can sit back and relax to curated tunes. The setting features custom speakers and records designed by Spanish artist Lucas Muñoz. A vintage motorcycle is used as a prop, adding a distinctly urban accent, while a staircase made of Spanish limestone leads to the upper floor.
The ZARA MAN retail space features different sections offering a variety of shopping experiences, in addition to dedicated spaces presenting ZARA lines and collections. In addition to ZARA MAN‘s main collection, the store carries will various collaboration items such as SOSHIOTSUKI x ZARA, AARON LEVINE x ZARA, and CASTELLANO 1920 ® x ZARA MAN. In celebration of the opening, the store hosts a special exhibition linking the Spanish region of Galicia, the very cradle of the ZARA brand, and Japan. Galician artisan Álvaro Martinez Leiro‘s reinterpretation of the traditional Galician raincoat, the Colosa, is paired with the photography of Japanese lensman Hiroshi Hamaya (1915-1999), creating a dialogue that highlights a shared sensitivity to materials and cultural memory. Also on display will be sculptures by artist Álvaro de la Vega and antique Japanese furniture. © superfuture
ZARA MAN
TESTA Shinsaibashi, 2-3-23 Shinsaibashisuji
Osaka 542-0085
Telephone +81 120 257100
Daily 10.30am-10pm
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.
