Manolo Blahnik: Evolution of the Japanese design from the beginning to now

23 Jan 2025

With the latest opening of Manolo Blahnik in Japan, we pause to reflect on a decade of work in the region. As a studio, we believe design should never stand still but continuously evolve around the customer experience. We sometimes say ‘each shop is a prototype’, and with each of the 18 stores, the core concept has been challenged, leading to bespoke solutions and unique interpretations that respond to the existing architecture, targeted markets and local insights.

The original concept started with Manolo Blahnik delivering his inspiration: “Bauhaus Sanitorium”. The resulting interior we conceived for the flagship, in the famed Omotesando district, juxtaposed the colour palette and eccentricity of Walter Gropius, with the clinical, utilitarian aesthetic of a Mid-Century sanatorium.

In 2019, for the new Tokyo Midtown store in Roppongi, the material palette was revisited, replacing the clinical steel finishes with two tones of timber veneer for the wall panels and antiqued bronze metalwork. The changes resulted in a softer ambience, more appropriate for the location and the traditional clientele. Hand-sewn upholstery in the same brightly coloured Kvadrat cloth and a bespoke area rug with the signature cube design tie the interior to the other brand locations ensuring familiarity and recognition.

The 2023 opening in Hankyu Kobe, came with its own challenges. A mid-floor location with regulations prohibiting any structural fixing to the ceiling saw us reimagine the suspended shelf system from the flagship as a contemporary self-supporting glazed partition. The design maximises display opportunities for Manolo Blahnik’s colourful creations but also creates privacy for trying on shoes and channels customers in and through the space on a guided product journey. Ribbed padded walls were this time upholstered in a tonal gradient of 8 luxurious velvets, used again at the next new opening in Hankyu, Umeda. Here, we took the corner location together with a brief to display both men’s and women’s styles and developed the concept into a more intimate interior that draws inspiration from traditional gentleman’s clubs. The walls were panelled in rich, figured veneer with drop-down square profile shelves that repeats the pixel pattern from the rug and sit comfortably with the F51 cubist armchairs, first designed by Walter Gropius in 1920.

The newest concession opened in November 2024, located in the luxury department store, Matsuzakaya in Nagoya. Hues taken from the bespoke rugs were upholstered onto vertical padded panels creating a striking central column and customer service area defined by pattern and colour. In contrast, the outer walls give the impression of a utilitarian and minimal interior providing a powerful backdrop for the intricate and colourful shoes. The deeply-padded Gropius chairs and rich multi-coloured checkerboard rugs again bring comfort and creates a members’ club feel in keeping with Manolo’s elegant living room aesthetic.

With such a strong brand presence in Japan, we are excited to continue to work with Manolo Blahnik, to push our imagination and keep evolving our designs.

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