MAYA FURUIE & HAJIME NAK AGAWA
The Japan Store in Isetan is set to change Malaysia’s retail scene (Anrealage! Undercover! Sacai!). BAZAAR gets the scoop from its general managers. After Paris, Malaysia is the only country to have Isetan’s concept The Japan Store. We see Kuala Lumpur as the gateway to ASEAN countries, and hope to share Japanese culture from that direction. What are you most excited to share through The Japan Store? Too many! But perhaps one that we’re excited the most is the rare and beautiful art of Urushi lacquer, and fashion brand Ambush, which makes its first debut in Southeast Asia. How do brands like Sacai, Anrealage, and Undercover reflect the Japanese aesthetic? Japanese love to mix different elements together—high and low, street and luxe. Since the Edo period, we have developed cultural values to recognise the ongoing change in society.