April 2025. Seven by Seven was born in the new Ginza area.
What kind of "expansion" will Seven by Seven, which has an established worldview, show in this area?
We will give you a glimpse of this through the voice of designer Kawakami.
"It took about six months from when we were asked to open a store until the opening. Although it was a short preparation period, I believe we were able to properly express the worldview of the brand."
"Rather than trying to do something new in Ginza, we started from the idea that it would be interesting to bring the world view of our flagship store in Yoyogi-Uehara to Ginza. Ginza Six is a very sophisticated building, but by deliberately mixing in a selection of vintage clothing, something new and noisy in a good way is born. I think it was an interesting challenge."
"However, because it is a commercial facility, there are things that can and cannot be done. It was a matter of exploring how far we could go and how we could express ourselves within that."
It may have been more of a styling thing.
"Wood, brass, and steel. It is characterized by being constructed using these three basic materials. This grey exterior wall. Many people think it's a painted wall, but it's actually steel. It's still in good condition now, but it will gradually rust over time. It's designed to grow with the passage of time."
"The racks are designed by combining wood and brass. We have incorporated subtle but intricate design elements, such as sandwiching brass between pieces of wood. We have placed an antique desk in the center of the shop, and a marble plate on top of it is also a point of interest. We combined different materials with the intention of creating a slight sense of incongruity."
"The walls have an arched shape, just like our Yoyogi Uehara store. This is a feature commonly seen in old architecture in San Francisco, and is an important part of the design in expressing the brand's character. We also installed a door in one corner of the store, which is also inspired by the street corners of San Francisco. We found a vintage door, repainted it, and used it again."
"The floor is exposed concrete, but has been painted with urethane to give it a slightly darker hue. This lowers the center of gravity a little and creates a sense of elegance. This was a consideration of the character of the Ginza area."
Change and evolve
"Rather than having a detailed blueprint or plan in advance, I create clothes by assembling them as I go. The same goes for shop design. I don't really have the feeling that it will 'finish exactly as I imagined it,' and even after it's finished I always think about how I can improve it further."
"For example, I thought that if we painted the wall next to the fitting room the same grey as the exterior wall, it would create an even more sophisticated look, and that the hangers could be made of wood and brass. This is not about compensating for something that was lacking, but rather exploring the possibilities of how we can make the space even stronger."
"Many of the miscellaneous items in the store, such as tapestries, objets d'art, and lighting, are things I've collected over the years. Antiques, vintage items, items by contemporary artists, joke items, etc. I think the space is filled with many essential elements of Seven by Seven, styled with a variety of different items."
"The selection of vintage clothing ranges from original items to my favorite salty items, so be sure to check it out. Please look forward to the new Seven by Seven store, which will continue to change and evolve."