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Den of Bling: Swarovski's New Flagship Store

April 1st, 2008 - Tokyo







Adding a tad more twinkle to its global presence, Swarovski has opened its first-ever flagship store in Tokyo's Ginza district, an ultra-luxe area where square footage comes at an equally ultra premium. To christen the new space, Swarovski sponsored a monumental bash this past weekend, with more celebs and top editors in attendance—including Japan's reigning It-girls Anna Tsuchiya and Carmen Kass—than you can throw a fistful of rhinestones at.

Spanning two floors and 450 square meters, the new store is brimming with seasonal accessories and sparkly, Ginza-only limited-edition baubles. The entire Daniel Swarovski couture line is also housed there, as well as a new system for custom ordering Swarovski-encrusted statement pieces to elegantly "ice" all aspects of your life.

The store concept, "Crystal Forest," was the brainchild of Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka. Inside, a thick column of crystal rains down from the second floor, every wall possesses its own unique glitter and countless mirrored prisms hang suspended from the facade, making the storefront resemble the entryway to a secret crystal mine. The architecture and design of the new space will be echoed in subsequent flagship stores, and existing shops around the world are set to be renovated to match the new aesthetic.

But Swarovski's partnership with fantastic designers like Yoshioka doesn't end there—his work will also be included in an exhibition of Swarovski-inspired interior "atmospheres," which will be on display April 16-21 at Swarovski Crystal Palace in Milan (at Via Savona 56). The carefully curated group of demi-god designers in the show also includes Paul Cocksedge, Marcel Wanders and Zaha Hadid, who designed a concept chandelier entitled "Ray," which suspends 2,700 individually LED-lit crystals on cables diagonally stretched from floor to ceiling to create a shimmering streak of light.

—Misha Janette
jcreport.com