Minimalism Is Taken To A New Level At Jill Sander’s New Tokyo Store ⇒ London-based designer John Pawson created a minimalist interior for the new Japanese flagship store of fashion label Jil Sander, pairing pale limestone walls and floors with cherry wood accents. Situated in Omotesando, Tokyo’s luxury shopping district, the shop is sparsely furnished. The only colour comes from the orange-toned wood, meaning the clothing and accessories can take centre stage.

⇒ Subscribe to our Newsletter and be up-to-date with CovetED Magazine ⇐

“I got a call and I went to see them in Milan, and they shared with me a sort of mood book. It was just a really beautifully put together book of things that inspired them – which was quite funny because clients normally wait to see what you do,” Pawson explained. “Many of their ideas were so original, but they could have been things that I would have put together. So it just proved that we were very much in sync.”

The exterior of the store is clad in slim grey tiles. This is punctured by one long display window that allows passersby an overview of the interior. A short flight of stairs at street level leads customers up to a display area where clothes are hung on simple, stainless-steel rails. Blocks of limestone sit in front of a curved partition wall, offering further space for products to be showcased. The same stone also provides the flooring.

More garments are on show in the basement area, which is finished in much in the same minimalist style – although there are a couple of rooms that are lined in panels of warm-hued cherry wood. The focal point of this level is a tall banyan tree, planted in a corner void, which grows up through the stairwell.

Pawson has created shop interiors for many popular fashion brands. He created a London store for Jigsaw in the 1990s and more recently designed the first physical store for fashion designer Christopher Kane’s label.