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BUYLINE
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Shibuya’s Zenmall (29-4 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku; 03-3770-1641), known for offering large clothing for men, is holding a two-day Early Bird Pre-Summer Sale. The sale will take place on the mornings of April 12 (Sat) and 13 (Sun) for three hours (9am-noon) each day. During these times, nearly everything will be marked 20-80 percent off. Some of the bargains include suits with a spare pair of pants for \9,800 (sizes 3-8L), and summer casual jackets for \8,000 (3-6L). Imported designer suits by makers like Calvin Klein and Boss are also marked down to \39,000 and \59,000, respectively. Those who spend over \10,000 can take part in the Cash Grabbing Contest, where shoppers can dig into a box full of cash. Spend over \30,000 for two chances to grab, and \50,000 for three. Don't miss this rare opportunity, as it could be one of the few chances for those looking to buy large sizes in Japan, especially at affordable prices.
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By
Whimsy Candles
Restir
The cutting-edge arrives in Tokyo’s toniest neighborhood
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Mote
Sinabel
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With all the over-the-top renovations of
brand stores in Ginza recently, the new interior of boutique
Restir brings freshness to the area that was once (and seems
to be becoming again) the very definition of luxury. Unlike
the nearby department stores, where the selection of clothes
from top brands can be very conservative, Restir forgoes “safe”
items in favor of experimental, edgy and elegant selections.
Tokyo-based French interior designer Laur Meyrieux gave the
shop a dark, smoky face, creating what she calls “a luxurious
black box” in which fashionable merchandise is glorified.
“It was important,” she explains, “to create
something where people feel they are in a luxurious space
with a special atmosphere different from other shops.”
The façade is covered in a film that produces an ever-shifting
atmosphere inside as the light changes throughout the day.
Evidence that this temple is winning converts: Despite rivaling
the cost of some cars, the alligator handbags on offer were
being snapped up by customers while we were still counting
the zeroes on the price tag.
4-2-2 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 03-5159-0595.
Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-8:30pm, Sun 11am-8pm. Nearest stn: Ginza,
exit C8. www.restir.com
ICI
This fashionable perfume shop looks as good as it smells
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Kozo
Takayama
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When you visit people with exhaustive collections
of, well, anything, it can be like stepping into the church
of a religion you didn’t join. The perfumery ICI (pronounced
as in French, not as an acronym) in Harajuku deals in some
200 varieties of fragrances, which to the uninitiated would
be overwhelming if not for the shop’s clever design and
its helpful sales staff.
The designer, Tsutomu Kurokawa, cast the space in icy blues
and silvers. As customers descend from street level, their
reflection undulates in a diamond-patterned mirror along the
stairs, creating a sense of seeing oneself in a pool of gently
rolling water.
Three rotating steel fixtures catch the up-lighting to create
sparkling towers of steel and glass, which provide a visual
foil for the shop’s olfactory stimulation. Other perfumes,
in separate niches in the main wall, are lit by built-in LED
lamps that don’t produce heat that might contribute to
the breakdown of the volatile perfumes.
Knowledgeable assistants are on hand to help you navigate
from high notes to bass notes, florals to musks. You won’t
find CK One or Chanel No. 5, but you will find hundreds of
other fragrances culled from around the world, including an
ICI original that the shop would have us believe smells like
love.
5-11-2 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku. Tel:
03-5778-0066. Open Thu-Tue 11am-8pm, closed Mon. Nearest stn:
Meijijingumae or Harajuku.
Finerefine
Apparel maker World Company gets homey
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Fashion brands can’t seem to keep their
hands off the interiors industry these days. Sure, Calvin
Klein has been making housewares for years, but now Armani
has launched a home line, and even Fendi is making tiger-stripe
sofas, peacock feather throw pillows and other regalia. Japanese
apparel innovator World Company gets in the game with their
first interiors shop, Finerefine, in the B2 level of Matsuzakaya
in Ginza.
Feeling no need to start small, World has used virtually the
entire basement level. Japanese architects Ima keep it from
feeling overly expansive, adding niches and partitions that
create a rhythm to strolling. A den-like space boasts a great
selection of books, both antique and new, while the kitchen
corner is populated by top-of-the line appliances—including
a pink refrigerator that attracts a lot of attention. There’s
also an area where you can try, like Goldilocks, a selection
of soft, medium and firm Sealy mattresses brought in from
the US.
Finerefine has both strong basics (sofas, tables, chairs)
and funky accessories (sheets, curtains, pillows). It’s
the interior equivalent of wearing a Muji sweater with your
Prada trousers.
6-10-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 03-3569-7261.
Open daily Sun-Wed 10:30am-7:30pm, Thu-Sat 10:30am-8pm. Nearest
stn: Ginza, exit A3.
Would you like to comment on this article? Send a letter
to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp.
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