Saint Laurent joins the glamour of Omotesando
As the Omotesando promenade gets the holiday treatment, decked with glittering lights, it also welcomes a new addition to its rolodex of pomp. On Dec. 5, the Saint Laurent flagship had a quiet opening in the old Benetton building, though the scale of the store is anything but low key. This first and only flagship in Japan was overseen by creative director Hedi Slimane, known for his rock-'n'-roll-inspired aesthetic that challenges the traditional French code of fashion.
Having said that, the store design is actually quite polished and squeaky-clean, outfitted in white marble and sleek art-deco-style interior. It sprawls across three levels, housing mens- and womenswear, accessories and bags. To commemorate the opening, 10 limited edition surfboards were created with Los Angeles-based artist Lucia Ribisi, as part of its "Surf Sounds" project inspired by California's youth culture.