US retailer Opening Ceremony welcomed shoppers to its first store outside North America at the end of August, when it opened a seven-floor quasi-department store in Tokyo.
Located in the city’s Shibuya district, what marks this store out from others of its kind is the decision to tightly theme each of the floors, almost giving the effect of seven different stores in one building. Visitors will find themselves wandering through a series of different environments, each of which plays host to designer collections.
However, it is the combination of a highly idiosyncratic series of shopfits and some of the best visual merchandising that you are likely to see that really makes the store noteworthy. On the visual merchandising front, one of the most obvious features is the use of animal mannequins, whether it’s the ostriches supporting glass cubes on their backs, or the giant, and distinctly menacing-looking, sheep that lurk in many parts of the shop.
Among many details, the fit-out includes white brick walls, through which asymmetric holes have been punched, mid-shop equipment in the form of pink, single-storey pagodas and a complete Victorian terrace of two-floor townhouses. There’s even a Navajo-style reservation, complete with Native American-embroidered wigwam.
According to Opening Ceremony, the idea is that it has worked with the various brands that are on display to create “designated brand shops” that identify the aesthetic of the brand”. Whatever your view of this, if you’re Tokyo-bound, this is a must see.
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