This month, the French fashion house Louis Vuitton will launch its inaugural Le Chocolat V range, created by Japanese chef Yosuke Suga, at its newly revamped Ginza Namiki store.
Louis Vuitton, which came to life at 4 Rue Neuve-des-Capucines in Paris in 1854 and opened its first store in Japan’s capital in 1978, has long valued its engagement with Japan’s sophisticated luxury market.
The Ginza store, which reopened to the public on March 20, sits on a spot occupied by the brand since 1981. Its facade is impossible to miss: The glass monolith, designed by Japanese architect Jun Aoki, is a seamless flow of abstract, reflective curves — his interpretation of a “pillar of water.”