Creative directors Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri have pushed storied fashion house Valentino back into the fashion limelight, and although it has just been confirmed that the latter designer is to leave the company for a highly coveted job in Paris, the Italian fashion house continues to bank on the momentum by opening stores at prestigious locations around the planet.

Valentino had been present in Tokyo for many years, operating shop-in-shops at a number of leading department stores across town and a short-lived standalone outpost in Ginza, but lacked a proper flagship store of its own. Well, that was yesterday. Officially opening today is Valentino’s first flagship store in the Japanese capital.

It’s situated at Omotesando Hills, an upscale mall that’s part of what’s widely considered the city’s golden mile of luxury shopping. The boutique has a prominent location right next to the mall’s main entrance, but shoppers can also enter through its private store entrance from tree-lined Omotesando Dori.

The boutique measures a very spacious 467 sqm. [5,027 sq.ft.] spread over two glass-encased floors, and features an interior designed that follows the sleek new design codes as formulated by the aforementioned creative directors and London-based practice David Chipperfield Architects.

The concept of a traditional italian palazzo has been tweaked into a retail format, molding grandeur and functionality in a new guise. This has resulted in terazzo flooring and wall panels, chunky displays clad in carrara marble, brass light fixtures, and a variety of wooden furnishings and carpeting that lend a controlled dose of warmth to the luxurious setting.

The Valentino store stocks the full range of women’s and men’s apparel, accessories, bags and footwear. To celebrate the store opening, a specially designed tote bag has been released with all the proceeds going to the victims of the Kumamoto earthquake that occurred earlier this year.

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