Wallpaper 9

Green

shoots

Things are getting fresh at

a unique French-Japanese

deli on the Basque coast

Yaoya is a modern-day multistore with a

difference. In Guéthary, a fishing village near

Biarritz in the Basque region of southern

France, it mixes groceries, homewares, coffee

and clothing sourced locally and from Japan.

It’s a combination that suggests the keen

curatorial eye of a creative professional from

a progressive urban ’hood, while the

community-building ambition of the store

roots it in its village environment.

The eyes and brains behind Yaoya are

photographer Cédric Bihr and his designer

wife Aï. After a decade working in Paris,

Los Angeles and New York, the couple were

looking to escape the clamour of city

life and build a wholesome base in which to »

CÉDRIC AND AÏ BIHR IN FRONT

OF THEIR DELI, YAOYA, IN

GUÉTHARY, FRANCE. ‘YAOYA

IS A PLACE WHERE WE HOPE

TO BRING HEALTHY INSPIRATION

TO EVERYDAY LIFE,’ SAYS

THE COUPLE. ‘OUR JOB IS TO

RESEARCH, TASTE, GROW,

WAIT, AND ESTABLISH A PRICE

THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR

COMMUNITY CAN AFFORD.

EVERY CHOICE REFLECTS OUR

BELIEFS; IT’S A VOTE TOWARDS

SOMETHING CARING’

AÏ AND CÉDRIC BIHR

The power couple behind

the concept épicerie Yaoya

Tokyo-born Aï Bihr studied cognitive science

at Wellesley College and MIT but switched

worlds to work as a director of design

at Uniqlo, designer at Band of Outsiders,

director of development at Dr Denim

Honzawa, and a consultant for Jean-Charles

de Castelbajac, before joining the Glenstone

Museum as its art director. Cédric was

born in Lavelanet, in the Pyrenees, and on

receiving a Master’s degree in science

journalism, wrote for National Geographic

before becoming a photographer.

PHOTOGRAPHY: CÉDRIC BIHR WRITER: AHNNA LEE ∑ 155

Nice Basket