Changing world
The past couple months have been marked by subdued sales figures for most of Japan’s fashion industry, but there has always been a sense that things will snap back to normal in time. That is not to ignore the loss of a significant number of small brands and boutiques, particularly at the street level, that form an important part of the fashion ecosystem and don’t have the financial backing upscale brands enjoy.
Cune, which closed its Shimokitazawa flagship at the end of January, definitely falls into that category. Even though anyone in fashion is used to seeing great talent and compelling boutiques come and go, seeing over a decade of fashion history snuffed out in a tweet is a bitter pill to swallow. Cune will go on to focus its efforts on the more profitable Harajuku location. A pragmatic move, but a cultural loss to eclectic Shimokitazawa.