Louis Vuitton opened its first men's collection pop-up shop on the first floor of the Isetan Shinjuku Men's Building on the 26th. Kim Jones, artistic director of the men's collection, also visited Japan on the day and cut the ribbon with Taiyo Onishi, president of Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, and others.
The pop-up shop will be open for three weeks only until September 15th in a promotional space, as the theme of Louis Vuitton's fall/winter collection is a homage to the late Christopher Nemeth, a designer whom Kim Jones admired and who had a deep connection with Japan. Kim Jones personally oversaw the trunk-like exterior and interior design, using acrylic and aluminum.
In addition, items featuring Nemeth's iconic rope pattern printed on a monogram pattern created exclusively for the store, as well as cut-and-sew items that will be available exclusively at the store, will be on sale. A video featuring Mark Lebon, Nemeth's close friend, will also be screened. Also visiting Japan for the store's opening was Buffalo's Judy Blame, a close friend of Nemeth who dominated the London fashion scene in the 1980s and 1990s as a stylist for magazines like iD and FACE. As a jewelry designer, she has previously collaborated with Louis Vuitton, and on the opening day, she demonstrated how to create her own safety pin-themed accessories, which were also featured in this season's Louis Vuitton men's collection. "Isetan Shinjuku is my favorite department store in the world. I think I first came here in 2001, but I've visited the men's section many times every time I visit Japan, and it's a men's store I absolutely adore. I'm truly amazed and excited that we were able to create such a space in this store. I even thanked President Onishi," said Kim Jones, who was cutting the ribbon for the first time. She met Christopher Nemeth several times at the Omotesando store during his lifetime, and opening a pop-up shop for this collection in Tokyo, where he moved his production base in the late 1980s, seems to be a special occasion for Kim Jones. Nemeth's daughters, Louis and Rio, who will inherit the brand, also visited the store for the opening. They celebrated the triumphant return of this homage collection, which Kim Jones himself approached them about two years ago.
