Tokyo Fashion News: Leafy Ginza and Exquisite Yurakucho
Sarah Deschamps and Kanako Itamae
Modern Tokyo Times
The fashion scene in Ginza is known for being based on crème de la crème boutiques whereby style, panache, extreme quality, latest vibes, and so forth, goes hand in hand. Other districts in Tokyo like Aoyama and Omotesando are equally known for having the most famous fashion companies in the world. Therefore, these districts are awash with exquisite fashion and the architecture matches the image of the boutiques. Also, you have amazing department stores which provide an abundance of stunning boutiques and the rise of the Yurakucho fashion district is enhancing Ginza.
This survey carried out by Modern Tokyo Times is one of many and with each new survey a sample of the fashion vibes of Tokyo becomes stronger. After all, the mosaic of fashion is being put together like a jigsaw and while weaknesses will occur in all surveys, it is apparent that some boutiques and department stores appear to have strengths in depth irrespective of the main fashion district.
In recent times exquisite companies like Akris, Bally, and Freitag, from Switzerland have entered the Ginza scene and this highlights the exclusive nature of this sophisticated fashion district. Also, Yurakucho which shares the same environment keeps on growing and this district is enhancing the Ginza fashion scene and obviously the same applies in the other direction. After all, in recent times Lumine which is a stunning department store opened up for business in Yurakucho in late 2011 and the same applies to Hankyu Men’s. Therefore, it is clear that department stores in Ginza which include Printemps Ginza, Matsuya Ginza, and Mitsukoshi Ginza, are watching developments with interest because both fashion districts are creating a fresh buzz.
Therefore, by doing surveys in various fashion districts in Tokyo it is hoped to shape an image of the real vibes of this amazing city. The survey in this article applies to 150 females aged between 18 and 28 and like usual the individuals involved all adore fashion. Also, like all the other surveys the emphasis is on female fashion trends and while some boutiques may be “in the eye of the media” often “on the ground” the picture is very different.
In a past survey about department stores based on the findings of Harajuku and Omotesando it was obvious that Laforet Harajuku had a distinctive advantage and it was great to see Parco being selected by many females. It was commented that “Lumine was still selected highly and this bodes well for this elegant department store and it was good to see Parco doing well in this survey. After all, it shows that different fashion districts will have certain bias towards individual companies and department stores. After all, everybody that took part in this survey loves the fashion districts of Harajuku and Omotesando. Given this reality then Laforet Harajuku held a distinctive advantage but it was noticeable that nobody highlighted Shibuya 109. This may hint at the rivalry between Harajuku and Shibuya?”
Therefore, the strength of Lumine for young ladies appears to hold up well even in parts of Tokyo where you have no Lumine stores. However, recently Lumine opened up a stunning department store in Yurakucho and clearly this company is highly popular because Lumine came out on top in this survey.
Lumine was selected first in this survey and for the first time Printemps Ginza, Estnation, and Barneys New York were highlighted well because all three shared similar votes to Marui and Shibuya 109. Obviously, Printemps Ginza gained because of its firm base in Ginza and this elegant and stylish department store clearly understands that the market is changing with the recent arrival of Lumine in Yurakucho. However, the standing of Shibuya 109 highlights the fact that younger ladies are viewing these changes positively and Marui is based throughout Tokyo and is highly liked. Also, the strong showing of Estnation and Barneys New York highlights the exquisite nature of fashion in Ginza and Yurakucho.
Matsuya Ginza and Mitsukoshi Ginza also can’t be overlooked in the survey because it was noticeable in this survey that the crème de la crème of boutiques also had their best showing collectively. Therefore, some of the brands selected are only based in the above two department stores in Ginza and Yurakucho. This must be taken into consideration and the same applies to both department stores focusing heavily on the 30s and over age group, while still catering for younger ladies who adore high-end fashion.
In the first tier of fashion companies selected were Emoda, H & M, Free’s Shop, Zara, Moussy, Chloe, United Arrows, and Forever 21. Just below and within a short distance of the top tier group were Miu Miu and Snidel. However, due to the complex nature of the findings in this survey then they belong to a special “first tier B group” because the gap between these two companies was just a smidgeon below Chloe, United Arrows, Forever 21, and Moussy. Zara and H & M came out joint top followed by Free’s Shop and Emoda.
Companies selected in the second tier apply to Chanel, Laguna Moon, Mercuryduo, Tomorrowland, Marc Jacobs, American Apparel, Topshop, Ships, and Rienda. The following third tier which was just below includes Adam et Rope, Louis Vuitton, Croon A Song, Aquagirl, Murua, Theory, Nano Universe, Another Edition, Liz Lisa, Sly, Opening Ceremony, Beams, Lowrys’ Farm, and Spick and Span.
Countless other companies were mentioned in the next tier but the most intriguing aspect of the fashion scene in Ginza and Yurakucho was the department store angle. This applies to the diversity of companies selected and this highlights the unique and exclusive nature of fashion in Ginza and Yurakucho.
http://www.printemps-ginza.co.jp/
http://www.lumine.ne.jp/yurakucho/
http://www.matsuya.com/foreigner/en/m_ginza/brandshop/