Page 144 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Tokyo

142  TR A VELERS ’ NEEDS

Clothing Aoyama’s Comme des Garçons
store, the brainchild of radical
The pace of change in a city where everything seems designer Rei Kawakubo, is
temporary is perfectly suited to Tokyo’s fast-moving fashion well worth a look for the
world. Extensive media coverage of the fashion industry, building alone. Also in
relatively high disposable incomes among the young, and the contiguous Aoyama/
Omotesando/Jingumae
an active nightlife have made Tokyo one of the trendiest, districts, Prada Aoyama, the
most visible fashion centers on the globe. Snapping at the latest addition to Minami-
heels of the fashion establishment with their Paris and New Aoyama’s high-end fashion
York outlets are brat packs of emerging, young Japanese scene, is another shopping-
designers creating a host of trendy labels. Some of the leading plus-architecture experience.
The flowing fabrics and
fashion houses in the world now call Tokyo their home.
color ful embroidery that
characte rize Tsumori Chisato
designs, on show in her
Shibuya store, enjoy an almost
cult following among women.
The more radical but fun
Hysteric Glamour has had a
similar effect on the tastes of
punk-inclined customers not
afraid to wear T-shirts with
provoca tive messages. For a
good mix of women’s fashions,
accessories, and cosmetics,
Daikanyama Address Dixsept,
a retail complex with an open-
air plaza and interesting interior
Young shoppers browsing through the latest Western wear, Shibuya 109 consisting of suspension
bridges, makes for a great
Fashion Buildings Women’s Fashions
half-day fashion shopping
Fashion buildings house Ginza has always been trip. The complex is a little
exclusive boutiques, often with synonymous with high chic to the northwest of
a collective theme, target age and prices to match. Large Daikanyama Station.
group, or approach to design. department stores such as
The modern, inno vative Mitsukoshi (see p141) have
architecture of the buildings always been the arbiters of Menswear
themselves adds much interest taste here, offering classic Young Japanese males are
to the entire shopping design cuts, which appeal to almost as fashion conscious as
experience. women in their 30s and women, though there are not
Shibuya 109 is a silver, circular upwards. Luxury foreign brands as many exclusive mens wear
tower housing several such as Gucci and Chanel have shops in Tokyo. The following
boutiques renowned for teen opened super-modern recommendations also feature
fashions. It also stages fashion outlets, providing women’s fashions. Muji design
promotion events in front of the designer shoes, aesthetics – cool, simple,
building. Mark City, a towering handbags, understated – are well known
modern building connected by cosmetics, the world over. Besides clothes
passageways to Shibuya Station, and other chic and accessories, its Roppongi
is a more ambitious project. accessories. store has a good line in simple
Labyrin thine floors of boutiques homeware designs.
and accessory stores aimed at The singular and arresting
the 20s and 30s age group, designs of Yohji Yamamoto,
provide a social setting with another household name in
restaurants, bakeries, and trendy the Japanese fashion cosmos,
cafés. The LaForet Building, a seem to go from strength to
Harajuku land mark, is strictly for strength. The interior of the
teen shoppers. Venus Fort (see bronze-faced store in
p84), a retail outlet targeted at Omotesando is well worth a
women in Odaiba, looks more look. The name Issey Miyake
like an Italian film set than a needs no introduction. The
fashion store. Food courts, cafés, anarchist designer burst onto
trinket stalls, and trendy shops Trendy women’s wear, Dolce and Gabbana the scene in the 1980s with his
create a faux Italian street scene. showroom, Omotesando innovative use of fabrics, design

142-143_EW_Tokyo.indd 142 12/09/16 11:28 am