Tokyo Report | In Tokyo’s Daikamyama neighbourhood, Muji has opened a dedicated store for its more forward Labo line

While the number of Muji stores on island has progressively dropped their Labo line, there has been increase in the presence of sub-brand in Tokyo. Two weeks ago, Muji opened their first standalone Labo store in the trendy Daikamyama neighbourhood on which the excellent Tsutaya book store stood in its own two-storey complex, T-Site. But it is not here that Muji Labo has unveiled the flagship for their distinctive house label. The first Muji store in Japan to house only the Labo collection is situated just some two minutes from the small Daikanyama station and a stone’s through from the famed Hollywood Ranch Market. It is on the ground floor of the Moncherie Daikanyama shopping complex, in a unit that was previously the Zucca clothing store.

Muji Labo was conceived in 2005 to see how far Muji could push basic clothes in different directions. It was launched as a full line in 2017 that “featured original and inspired approaches to basic apparel”, according to a corporate statement at the time. It arrived on our shores in 2020, and was thought to be generally well-received. It takes a special eye to understand the specialness of Labo. On the surface, it appears to be basic to the point that nothing jumps at you. Perhaps therein lies the appeal: It does not grab anyone’s attention, yet within the garments that look like garments you’d recognize are details that only the wearer knows and appreciate. And there is the overall simplicity but a sophistication of cut and engineering that is miles ahead of Muji’s many competitors and imitators.

The new store features a collection that has a new design direction. Once the work of creative director Daisuke Obana of N. Hollywood, Muji Labo is now managed by a team of in-house designers, as the brand shifts, somewhat belatedly, into “quiet luxury”— a curious positioning, considering that it was as quiet as it could be for a fashion line. Unlike in the past, when the pieces were largely unisex, the present are sized for men and women. The clothes continue to push for the use of less conventional fabrics (perhaps not so in Japan), such as recycled cashmere and wool, and characteristically Japanese washi paper, such as Curetex. These are the building blocks of Labo’s unique minimalist forms and exquisite textures.

Unlike the typical Muji store, the Labo-only, 238-sqm space is more ‘boutique’ in appearance, circumscribed by neutral walls, within which fittings project an industrial vibe, such as hoops, arranged in a grid and suspended from the ceiling. These secure the clothing racks that are hung with wires below at eye level. To augment the brand’s material signature, visual merchandising aids (including window displays) are made using the boiled cashmere and wool, and the washi paper, creating quirky yet forward details punctuating the neatly arranged clothes of similar tactile quality. It is not known if Muji will expand this free-standing Labo store beyond Daikanyama, across Japan. Or, if our city will see one opening here in the near future. Hope is always good to have on our side.

Photo: Jiro Shiratori for SOTD