Louis Vuitton's New Tokyo Tower will be Next-Level
Louis Vuitton has just announced its plans to overhaul its long-standing store in Tokyo and create something entirely new in its place. Bringing together the experience of a cafe, chocolateria, salon and boutique, Louis Vuitton’s Ginza tower will be a monument to its shared history with the Land of the Rising Sun and another addition to the growing experiential luxury industry.
Le Café V in the the #LVMidosuji store in Osaka, Japan. Image: @LouisVuitton
Louis Vuitton’s New Tokyo Tower
On Location
Louis Vuitton’s Ginza Namiki is already an impressive sight. Rising seven storeys above Tokyo’s bustling, up-market Ginza shopping district, the tower pays homage to the local culture and geography: the rippling, blue facade, co-designed by Japanese architect Jun Aoki, represents the shining sun over the city’s maritime soul, the Tokyo Bay. Even the interior, which is reported by WWD to focus on “rounded counters, ceiling panels and furniture”, recalls the flow of water.
The first five floors of the Louis Vuitton Ginza Namiki will house the fashion house's classic boutique shopping experience, including apparel exclusive to Japanese stores and the famous Kawakubo collaboration ‘Bag With Holes’. On the sixth storey there will be an exclusive VIP and VIC salon, and atop the gleaming tower, the all-new experience of Cafe and chocolate shop, Le Cafe LV and Le Chocolat V.
While not the brand’s first foray into hospitality, Le Cafe LV signifies a new approach that integrates luxury shopping and service. “The objective is engaging with your clients in every single city,” Vuitton CEO Michale Burke told WWD in an exclusive interview on the new project.
When asked about the new LV brand extension into chocolate and casual dining, Burke explained: “Most importantly, it’s about creating an experience.” And an experience unique to Tokyo shall this new venture be, with monogram-adorned chocolates, designed by renowned Japanese chef Yosuke Suga.
Luxury is Going Experiential
Although the Louis Vuitton Ginza Namiki is breaking new grounds for the luxury megabrand, the outward push from retail into lifestyle and experience is hardly a new turn for the luxe sector, writ large. For more than 20 years, Ralph Lauren’s restaurants and bars have been serving up to diners, from Chicago to Paris, the American-elite lifestyle that shaped the award-winning designer’s brand.
Gucci Osteria likewise translates the theatre and mystique of couture into cuisine in their Michelin-starred restaurant in Florence. In a manner that reflects the seasons of the runway, Gucci Osteria features a redesigned menu each season. With instructional cooking videos featured on the brand's website, it’s clear that Gucci seeks to thread a broader culture and lifestyle into luxury design and fashion. Other renowned names like Armani have ventured into the luxury hotel market, treating discerning travellers in Dubai and Milan to their elegant and stylish lodgings and spa treatment.
Although the OCVID-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions significantly slowed this burgeoning industry movement over the last year, experiential luxury shows no signs of defeat. As younger consumers spend less on goods and more on experiences, we are sure to see an exciting array of unlikely services and venues graced by our favourite names in fashion.
We're betting that this new project by Louis Vuitton is just one example of many more to come.