MILAN — Loro Piana is taking Italian design — and fashion — craft to Omotesando, the renowned luxury shopping district in Tokyo, home to stately flagships for many of the brand’s luxury peers.
Opening in October, the store marks the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned luxury brand’s 15th unit in Japan and fifth in Tokyo. The four-story boutique with 6,673 square feet of retail space is housed inside a building erected purposefully for the Loro Piana flagship.
The company conscripted Japanese architect Jun Aoki to design the store’s facade, which pays homage to the Italian quiet luxury stalwart’s textile tradition and is made of more than 1,400 terracotta tiles. The brand had previously collaborated with the architect on its Dubai and Ginza stores.
“Following our celebration of the Loro Piana Record Bale Award at the Tokyo National Museum, Hyokeikan in April, this is another milestone that perfectly encapsulates our commitment to Japan: the opening of our new flagship store in Omotesando this October,” said Frédéric Arnault, chief executive officer of Loro Piana.
“This is more than a store; it’s a statement to our enduring dedication to unparalleled craftsmanship. The facade, designed by Jun Aoki, is an ode to our textile heritage and Italian savoir-faire, meticulously brought to life in the heart of Tokyo,” he said.
Crafted in Tuscany, Italy, through a multistep, three-month-long artisanal process, the rounded-edge tiles are arranged vertically to mimic drapes of fabrics, including for the curtain-like design surrounding the main entrance. They span seven earthy shades, including the brand’s signature kummel — a reddish tan — all achieved through the use of mineral powders.
Loro Piana said the facade required a year to be completed.
“The new facade of the Loro Piana Omotesando store brings the maison’s signature sense of exquisite softness directly into the urban landscape,” said Aoki. “Specially crafted in Italy, the bespoke terra-cotta elements curve gently like the vertical warp threads of a finely woven textile. As this natural material subtly parts like a stage curtain, it reveals the quiet, luxurious world of Loro Piana within — inviting passersby to slow down and step closer,” he added.
“Delicate as the touch of cashmere yet architecturally confident in its presence, the facade expresses the brand’s long-held belief in the emotional power of authentic materials, now translated into an experience on an entirely new scale,” Aoki said.
The facade of the Loro Piana Omotesando store in Tokyo.
Courtesy of Loro Piana
Known for embedding ambiguities and deceptive elements into his projects, the Kanagawa, Japan, native earned a master’s degree in architecture from Tokyo University and founded his namesake design firm in 1991. He later joined forces with fellow architect Masatoshi Shinagawa to establish a joint studio. He is also the director of the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art and has curated the Japanese Pavilion at the International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia in 2025.
In sync with Loro Piana’s global retail blueprint, the interiors will feature natural materials, including oak and Carabottino wood details, as well as a warm color palette. The store will carry all Loro Piana collections, spanning women’s and menswear, leather goods, footwear and the home collection.
Tilework on the new Loro Piana Omotesando store in Tokyo.
Courtesy of Loro Piana
As reported, Loro Piana traveled to Japan earlier this year to host the 27th edition of the annual Record Bale Award bestowed on the two farms, one in Australia and one in New Zealand, that have successfully produced the finest bale of merino wool in the previous year. The award ceremony was held in April at the Hyokeikan Building, a historic site within the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park. The event was staged in Tokyo also in 2008.
