Designer Julien David has been a mash-up artist from the start, his classic-meets-quirky collections a fusion of his French roots and his adopted Japan. His new Harajuku boutique, designed by his French compatriots, the in-demand architects behind the Paris firm Ciguë, highlights this duality. Clean, minimal lines have a certain rigor, but look up and the electrical cords and AC system are exposed. Sculptural display cases house a curated selection of David’s off-the-wall platform shoes, eccentric accessories, and clothing, including the “extra-hip skirts” from his Spring ’15 collection for women.
“The idea was not to make it just a shop, but to keep the spirit of creation. We work there,” David explains. The personal touches include paint-splattered woodwork tables (replicas from his art school days) and a soundtrack the designer himself created featuring, among other things, Hyacinthe Jadin’s piano sonatas. David’s favorite spot? A suspended garden with bamboo-like trees in what used to be an atrium—the multitasker could use a soothing retreat. In addition to the new Tokyo digs, David is simultaneously setting up a new London office (where he now spends half the year), prepping his women’s pre-collection, and overseeing production for his menswear presentation in Paris in January. Zen moments welcome!
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