Laforet Harajuku (Rafore
Harajuku) is a department store and museum located in the Harajuku
commercial and entertainment district of the Shibuya neighborhood,
in Tokyo, Japan, on one of Harajuku's most famous
intersections.
Its museum is on sixth floor and HMV in the basement. Laforet
Harajuku used to be called the teen fashion mecca. It is a trend
setting shopping complex, consisting of seven floors of fashion
boutiques and shops, mainly geared towards girls audience.
Laforet Harajuku, a building packed with fashion boutiques, is a
local landmark, while Ura Harajuku (Backstreet Harajuku), or
"Urahara" for short, used to be a quiet residential area but became
a hub for young designers in the 1990s. Most girls will enter this
store, since it serves the ultimate trends in Japanese fashion. Be
warned, as this place is really wacky and may not appeal to Western
style clothing. Laforet is known for its big summer bargain sales
in July and for striving to be on the cutting edge of fashion by
having the exterior of the building constantly remodeled. The
reference to "underground malls" in Gwen Stefani's "Harajuku Girls"
may be to Laforet, which has an extensive underground shopping
arcade.
The building of Laforet Harajuku curved form resembles a glowering
fortress clad in aluminum siding. On the southernmost corner, a
turret rises and supports a huge sign bearing the building's name.
This sign is noteworthy because of how the word "Laforet" makes its
way around in a circle. Instead of the illuminated letters moving,
the core of the cylinder is lit up, and a cut-out stencil on a
stainless steel ring turns around it. Visually, it's less obvious
than the usual neon and LED signs that populate most of Tokyo's
major crossings, but its unique form encourages the eye to linger,
trying to figure out how it works, before moving on.
Another unusual feature of this building are its many half-floors.
Usually reserved for structures like parking garages, part of this
building is vertically offset, creating a rather confusing layout
for the first time visitor. Because of this irregularity, there are
ten floors above ground, even though they are labeled 1 through 6.
That's because there is a 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and a 4.5 floor. Below
ground is even more confusing, where the levels are B0.5, B1, and
B1.5. In some strange way, though, this layout actually works
because Laforet isn't put together as a single cohesive shopping
experience. Rather, it's like a vertical bazaar with dozens of
individual stalls independent of each other.
It is a fashion and cultural landmark and the launching pad for the
latest Japanese fashion trends. Apparel brands, creators and
artists vie for the mark of distinction that “Launched at Laforet”
provides. More than just a retail space, Laforet Harajuku includes
the fully integrated Laforet Museum exhibition space, where new
movements in Harajuku art and culture are born. The commercial
know-how we have built up at Laforet has been put to work in
VenusFort, Roppongi Hills, and Omotesando Hills. Tokyo's Harajuku
neighborhood is the epicenter of all that in trendy in Japan. The
nexus of that culture is the crossing of Meiji Dori and Omotesando
Dori. The roads intersect on a slight hill, and the most prominent
position on that hill is held by the rounded fortress known as
Laforet Harajuku.
Laforet Harajuku is so often viewed as the origin of Tokyo's street
and youth culture. Located at the center of Harajuku for more than
20 years, it broadcasts to the teen mass the latest in trendy
fashion and hosts regular art events. Since its opening, Laforet
Museum has hosted a wide range of events and exhibitions offering
visitors opportunities to enjoy art and entertainment that
transcend genre. The variety of cultural experiences provided by
Laforet Museum has impacted significantly on the era, the city, and
the people. There can be no doubt that Laforet Museum will continue
to encourage new movements for new eras.
Since its phenomenally successful debut in 1978, it has been always
a face of Harajuku because of their cool sense. Recently they use
Nagi Noda as their art director. Laforet Harajuku shopping center
and museum has established itself as the preeminent source of new
fashion and culture in Tokyo's most fashionable district. In tandem
with the provision of cutting-edge fashion information, Laforet
Harajuku has assisted the development and future success of young
fashion designers and entrepreneurs by providing them with exposure
through various promotional events. Mori Building is now expanding
the Laforet Harajuku concept to Matsuyama, Kokura, Niigata, and
other cities throughout Japan.
Laforet Harajuku has had their renewal opening on August 25th 2006.
With this renewal, 21 new shops and 23 shops were renewed. Both a
men’s and women’s store have been lined up in this fashion building
and is now aiming to be a place where creativity can be released.
This is the first time for Laforet Harajuku to be renovated since
their opening in 1978. The building is located in an area that is
of walking distance from the now famous Omotesando Hills, and with
increasing consumers in older age segments, this renewal came in
hand with increasing their target consumers.
Laforet Harajuku 1-11-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-3475-0411.
Open daily 11am-8pm. Nearest stn: Meiji-Jingumae.
Check this out for
HARAJUKU
and
HARAJUKU GIRLS
information.
Labels: Fashion,
Harajuku,
Harajuku Fashion,
Harajuku Girls,
Harajuku Lovers,
Harajuku Style, Japan,
Japanese Shopping,
Japanese Style, Teenagers,
Tokyo
posted by Harajuku Girl @ 2:56 AM
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by:
Tom
