Since Luke and Lucie Meier took over the creative reigns at Jil Sander in 2017, the Milan-based fashion house has seen a style renaissance which has not only garnered a new global fanbase, but also spawned additional standalone stores. One of the most prominent store openings of late is in Tokyo‘s downtown district of Ginza, widely seen as one of the top luxury shopping hubs in the world. Here, Jil Sander secured a 627 sqm. (6,749 sq.ft.) spread over two floors of the Okura Aneex Building, a seven-storey, mixed-use building erected in the early 1980s. The new Jil Sander store is its biggest on the planet, and rubs shoulders with the boutiques of peers from fashion and lifestyle’s upper echelon, such as Chanel, Graff, Matsuya Ginza, Tiffany & Co, Burberry and Moncler. And to match the prestige, it comes with a striking new façade as well. The boutique design, created by the creative designers in collaboration with London-based architecture practice Casper Mueller Kneer, sees an infusion of textured stone, accentuated by brass and wood.

Adding to the palatial allure of the expansive premises is flooring of Italian travertine. Mind you, reflecting the designer duo’s belief in environmental guidelines and a durable creative approach, the design not only makes use of natural materials, but also incorporates recycled materials. As such, a number of the store’s furnishings have been innovatively crafted from recycled plastic CD cases. Large windows, both on the ground floor and on the first floor, allow in floods of natural light, backed up by a backlit louvered ceiling and suspended light spots. Interestingly, the retail space even includes a dedicated gallery space for a rotation of exhibitions, the brand’s very first, and the inaugural show is by British sculptor Rachel Whiteread. The new Jil Sander flagship store carries women’s and men’s apparel, accessories, bags, small leather goods, shoes, but also debuts its hotly anticipated new collection of fine jewellery. © superfuture