Active outerwear brand DESCENTE BLANC has expanded its retail network on home turf with a new store in downtown Nagoya. Situated on the second floor Dai Nagoya Building, an upscale mall directly opposite Nagoya Railway Station, the boutique measures approx. 81 sqm. (872 sq.ft.) and presents an austere setting that’s similar to all other DESCENTE BLANC outposts in Japan. Unsurprisingly, the store opening is a renewed collaboration of the brand with architect Jo Nagasaka‘s architecture practice Schemata in Tokyo which has also implemented its hydraulic display system across two adjacent spaces.

Taking advantage of the narrow unit, suspended rows of vertically moving display systems have been installed. As a result, the shop staff and customers started using part of the public corridor along the shop front to circulate through the shop space, blurring the boundaries between the store and the public space. In line with the industrial-like aesthetic, walls are dipped in a pristine white hue and paired with flooring of polished concrete. Furnishings are sparse and low-key, and merely include a timber sales counter made and shelving and seating made of braided steel.

At the back of the store a single fitting room is situated, and the compact space can be closed with zippered white sailcloth. The outer wall, by way of a backlit wall niche, showcases a vintage black + white TV set, adding a whimsical accent to the otherwise austere retail setting. The new DESCENTE BLANC store carries the brand’s full range of men’s and women’s outerwear, in addition to its expanded range of apparel items and bags.