If while wandering down Omotesando in Tokyo's fashion district of Harajuku you happened to meander past Chaumet and onto a quiet little adjacent street, it would surprise no one if you walked right by Arcuate without even noticing. And even if the bright red entrance did happen to catch your eye, you'd certainly be forgiven for hesitating before passing under the arch and up the narrow, double-back stairway—there's no hint whatsoever that at the top of the stairs awaits a little courtyard and a cute little apparel shop that's home to a number of experimental Levi's products that can't be found anywhere else in the world.
Although an enterprise known as Arcuate has been operating in this location for a number of years, previously the store exclusively handled men's fashion, and was basically just another one of Tokyo's "select" shops. But earlier this month, Arcuate was relaunched with women as its sole target. About half of the store's product is made up of items carefully chosen from the wholesale offerings of various streetwise but charming casual apparel brands. The other half holds the D+ line from Levi's.
The "D" in D+ stands for Devon—Devon Aoki—more specifically—the American-born, half-Japanese model/actress who became the face of Versace in the late 90's and remains active today, both in fashion circles and Hollywood. I don't know the full story yet, but apparently Aoki was invited to collaborate with Levi's in the creation of this hip, high-end line exclusively for Japan.
I stopped in yesterday and I liked what I saw—from body-hugging suspender skirts with very distinctive hardware, to double-breasted big-button anoraks and loose-knit cashmere sweaters. Stylewise, it's what you'd expect from a well-traveled model—laidback, cool, feminine and arty (New York/LA high-end street casual meets Paris meets Tokyo). The stuff is well-cut and made from better quality materials—we're talking individual pieces running several hundred dollars. These are not your typical Levi's basics.
According to one source, Arcuate is owned and operated by Levi's Strauss Japan. If that's true, what we have here is an international brand in Japan that's operating a select shop that handles other brands' products together with its own exclusive line. This would be pretty unusual in other markets, but it sounds an awful lot like what Japan's best select retailers, Beams and United Arrows, have done for years.
Right now there's just the one shop, and it's the only place you can get D+ products (moreover, only three pieces are made for each SKU). But I can easily see a future for Levi's in this kind of extension. There's a market out there for better quality, more imaginative casual wear. And Japan is the perfect place to hone such a brand—before ramping up for mass distribution, in Japan and / or in other advanced markets.
In stark contrast to the stagnation seen in portions of Japan's fashion and lifestyle markets, some areas of the jewelry and accessories sectors have continued to grow. In response a number of brands have been broadening their offerings or taken steps to enter the arena for the first time.
