Gucci‘s first arrived in Japan in 1964 with a boutique in Tokyo‘s Ginza district, making it one of the first overseas luxury brand to tap into this lucrative market, and now, almost 60 years later, the Florentine house is firmly consolidating its presence with a new flagship store in this upscale shopping zone. Occupying a purpose-built four-storey structure on Namiki dori, one of the area’s most prominent thoroughfares, it rubs shoulders with the flagship stores of peers from fashion’s upper echelon, such as Versace, Loewe, Omega, Louis Vuitton and Pomellato. The boutique is set across approx. 725 sqm. (7,804 sq.ft.) on the building’s two lower floors and features an interior design according to creative director Alessandro Michele’s masterfully tweaked Romantic design codes. The lofty, double-height ground floor is home to the elaborate women’s collections, and sees a backdrop of parquet flooring overlaid with a painted grid which is mimicked by the ceiling, albeit in pastel colours.

Moulded-panel back wall and large floor-to-ceiling windows are lined with sleek metal shelving, and furnishings are relatively sparse, featuring only two main settings of which a semi-secluded jewellery section with curved partitions, black stilted cabinets and intricate mosaic tile flooring stands out. Interestingly, many a furnishing incorporates elements of Japan‘s Ajiro bamboo weaving technique and has been especially made for this store, mixed and matched with Gucci‘s eclectic retail aesthetic. A swirling staircase, clad in mirror panels, leads to the second floor where the men’s collections are presented. Here, the backdrop is similar, but the settings, although being distinctly lavish, flaunt a colour palette that’s a tad more demure. The circular fitting rooms with floral curtains tie in with a seating area in the middle of the space.

Lush potted plants and flowers in vases are placed throughout the shop, resonating with the quirky elegance that’s characteristic of Gucci‘s collections. Needless to say, the new Gucci flagship store carries the brand’s full range of women’s and men’s collection, and to celebrate the opening, Japanese artist and longtime collaborator Yuko Higuchi has created an illustration which adorns a collection of handbags, small leather goods, luggage and accessories. The upper floors aren’t open just yet, but will feature wonderful facilities which will certainly boost the shopping experience for the brand’s most avid of fans. So, the third floor will be home to the so-called Gucci Apartment, an exclusive reservation-only salon where the full Gucci Décor collection will be put on display. Mind you, custom-made pieces can be ordered here too. And finally, the top floor will be home to Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, the fashion brand’s third fine dining restaurant with the Michelin-starred Italian chef, following similarly embedded outposts in Florence and Los Angeles.