2010
BAO BAO ISSEY MIYAKE
Bao Bao is Issey Miyake’s bag brand, and
the Ginza store marked the fashion label’s
first garment-free retail environment. The
main objective was to communicate the
accessories line: just what is Bao Bao?
Moment highlighted the sculptural prod-
ucts: bags constructed from a series of
triangles attached to a mesh fabric. Small
spaces between the triangles form fold lines
that give a bag its appearance, which varies
according to the contents.
‘We thought about the simplest way
to show the unique shape of Bao Bao bags,’
says Hirawata. ‘Ultimately, we decided that
the best solution would be to display the
products on their own, with nothing else in
the store. We developed a portable hanging
system that features a sturdy metal bar with
a square profile.’ No other display units
are needed. Single modules act as ‘hooks’
for straps, while two or more projecting
bars comprise a shelf. Because the system
is so basic and so easy to rearrange, the
retail environment is not only flexible but
also suitable for transport to other stores
worldwide.
‘This project was a milestone in that
it made us pin down an essential element
required for retail design. You don’t need a
permanent interior to display merchandise.
A channel in the wall is all it takes to install
this system anywhere. The space instantly
becomes a temporary store. We were asked
to design a retail space, but I think we actu-
ally made the retail space obsolete.’ »I MEET JAPANESE INTERIOR DESIGNERS Hisaaki Hirawata and Tomohiro Watabe at
their office in Tokyo’s Minami-Azabu district, where we’re surrounded by the creatives’
contemporary art collection. The duo leads Moment, the practice behind a number of
Issey Miyake retail interiors, multi-brand department stores and dining establishments.
Besides spatial design, the firm covers graphics and visual communication for exhibi-
tions. Whatever the field of work, Moment pares down a client’s brand to its essential
elements. Sometimes, in fact, a design is reduced to the point where there’s seemingly
nothing left.
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