Rags to riches
Offering a clever mix of designer threads for men and women, vintage clothing, accessories and trendy interior knickknacks, American Rag Cie began life as an upscale boutique in California in 1984, and was launched under license in Japan in 1998. The version seen on these shores is fine-tuned for the fashion-forward Japanese market, and has proved to be a runaway success, as evidenced by the opening of its ninth store, in Aoyama, late last month. The opening coincides with a refit of its hellishly crowded Shibuya shop, which has been relaunched with more of an emphasis on menswear -- the merchandise for women having been shifted to the newly opened location, which is just across from the flagship store of agnes b.
With a pristine white interior, the latest addition to the chain carries expensive designer brands like Chloe, Alessandro Dell'Acqua and Maurizio Pecoraro, alongside more affordable clothing sold under its own moniker. The lineup is rounded out by an eclectic selection of goods for the home, including some ostentatious zebra hide throws, cutesy doggy accessories and faux-baroque glassware.