American fashion institution Barneys New York has finally found a place to call home in Tokyo. Opened last month in Ginza, this is the first flagship store in Japan for the prestigious Big Apple retailer. Operated by Isetan, Barneys has been in Japan for over a decade, but fans in Tokyo have had to settle for the cramped branch in Shinjuku or make the journey out to the more spacious Yokohama outlet. Until now.
After decades in the doldrums, the Ginza district has been undergoing a spectacular renaissance over the past few years as a host of luxury brands including Hermes, Dior, Prada and jeweler Harry Winston have invested in stunning stores on some of the world's most expensive real estate. Barneys New York has followed suit by taking over three floors of the historic Kojun building, site of the first social club in Japan, and transforming them into an 3,000-sq.-meters haven for sophisticated shopping, at a cost of 3 billion yen.
Barneys has a reputation for luxurious fashion at all its locations, but according to Eddie Ishizaki, retail writer for fashion news service WGSN and a native New Yorker, the store takes a unique approach in Japan. "In the U.S., Barneys has a reputation for attracting fashion-conscious people in their 20s," he says. "But here they target a more middle-aged, conservative customer. And that's especially true for the new Ginza flagship."