Yohji Yamamoto's NY Flagship

Today's article in WWD, on the strength of the flagship in spite of the recession, sparked our interest in writing about the newest Yohji Yamamoto outpost. Last week we walked by the space in the Meatpacking District, and admired its simple facade and modern interior. Though this flagship doesn't occupy multiple floors and boast the kind of bells and whistles that are characteristic of other fashion houses, it was designed with the same thought in mind: that the flagship is one of the most important dialogues between a brand and its customer.

For his second Manhattan outpost Yohji Yamamoto hired architect Junya Ishigami to design a pointed, low-slung boutique with equal parts utility and attraction. At night the wedge-shaped structure, made of large windowpanes and original brick walls, glows from the warm lighting and stark white furniture inside. The structure, divided into two triangular spaces, allows for one part retail and one part storage. In between them a small open-air garden functions as a clothing-free party space and otherwise convenient passageway between private and public quarters. Occupying only 1,300 square feet this sleek outpost was never meant to accommodate the entire Yamamoto range, only select garments and accessories are offered for sale. More than anything, the Gansevoort Street boutique means to embody and encourage the Yamamoto aesthetic, where minimalism is not without its own brand of warmth and detail.


Click to see images from the Yohji Yamamoto Fall 08 collection