NEW YORK — Yohji Yamamoto and Adidas have opened the first store for their Y-3 label in Tokyo near the designer’s signature shop.
Setting up shop for Y-3 at 5-3-20 Minami-Aoyama made sense, especially since Yamamoto is a Tokyo resident. The success and increasing demand for the label are causing a flurry of retail initiatives, a Y-3 spokeswoman said.
Concept shops have opened in Taipei, and more are planned for Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Y-3’s spring collection, which was said to be inspired by important dance movements of the 20th century, will be sold in these locations.
In February, the first Y-3 store in the U.S. bowed in Atlanta, and Los Angeles is one of the other major cities that is being considered for a store opening. The company also is eyeing locations in Berlin and other European hubs, the spokeswoman said.
In the new Tokyo site, walls of mirrors are placed throughout the three-floor space to play up the idea of reflection — whether it be light on a wall, the look of a garment or the designer’s and Adidas’ interpretation of what modern clothing is or can be. Reflections of videos of Y-3’s runway show provide constant movement on the store’s walls. The 900-square-foot unit’s modern interior is designed to underline Y-3’s minimal, classical and cutting-edge signature.
A range of apparel, footwear and accessories for women and men is available in the store, which opened last month. Bestsellers include a $525 voluminous floor-length Jupon skirt, $340 skinny jeans, $220 Mei ballerina sneakers and $520 strappy heels, an Adidas spokeswoman said.
Y-3 teamed up with the U.K.’s i-D magazine and i-D’s 25th anniversary exhibition to mark the store’s opening. About 600 people, including Japanese actor Hiroki Narimiya and other VIPs, turned up for a preopening party, as well as later that night for the launch of the i-D exhibition, which drew about 850 people. Yamamoto and Hermann Deininger, creative and brand director of Adidas, attended both events.