Louis Vuitton’s latest venture in Japan marks its debut in the culinary world

On the February 1, Louis Vuitton opened a four-floored maison in Osaka, Japan, called Louis Vuitton Maison Osaka Midosuji. On the very top floor sits the first Louis Vuitton cafe, Le Cafe V, which also serves as a speakeasy-style entrance to Sugalabo V, the brand’s exclusive restaurant. Chef Yosuke Suga–who spent 17 years working with world-renowned chef Joël Robuchon, and served as the executive chef of L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Tokyo—will be heading both spaces.

Designed in a nautical theme by architects Jun Aoki and Peter Marino, the showroom celebrates the sea-faring history of Osaka, which is considered as Japan’s most important port. The translucent checkered white facade of the building imitates the airy sails of a ship, and evokes the image of a traditional Higaki-Kaisen (Japanese cargo boat). In contrast with the minimal Japanese interiors, the window displays are a spectacle of colour and crystal, fused together to create liquid-like distorted structures by artist Kenta Cobayashi, who was also a photographer for Louis Vuitton’s advertising campaign for their 2019 fall/winter mens collection. True to his signature style, Cobayashi blends the lines between digital fantasy and reality via his design for the new store.

The confluence of the maritime theme and Japanese craftsmanship dominates the interiors of the showroom as well. The wooden floors are reminiscent of a ship’s decks, while the wood-clad pillars and metal ceilings echo the ambience of a magnificent yacht embarking upon a grand adventure. Throughout, the space is speckled with traditional Japanese crafts such as woodwork and origami washi paper.

The first floor is dedicated to women’s accessories, luggage and travel essentials feature on the mezzanine, and the third floor showcases the complete women’s ready-to-wear and accessory collection by Nicolas Ghesquière. For the men, Virgil Abloh’s complete offering is displayed on the fourth floor—pieces from his sp ring/summer 2020 collection, including a hoodie and cargo pants, a Taurillon leather messenger bag and sunglasses, feature alongside the permanent collection here. Louis Vuitton has also designed some pieces exclusively for this showroom’s opening, like a mink hoodie, a blue sapphire Tambour watch and B Blossom necklace, which can also be found peppered around the space.

Acting as a stark contrast to the minimal architecture are Louis Vuitton’s Objets Nomades, the brand’s travel and home collection. Launched in 2012, it was conceived by fourteen esteemed designers and studios around the world including Yoshioka Tokujin, Atelier Oi and Nendo. The curation of artworks hanging on the walls here is also noteworthy—original Louis Vuitton trunks sit alongside contemporary artworks by artists like Ida Tursic & Wilfried Mille, Vik Muniz, Polly Apfelbaum, Kimiko Fujimura and Nicola De Maria. Plus, in-house artisans also offer customisation services to clients at this store, by imagining unique hand-painted illustrations for their leather products and hard-sided items.

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