Cole Haan has opened its GRANDSHØP concept store — centered around human connection and enabled by technology — on Cat Street in Tokyo’s famed Harajuku district.
“The Cole Haan brand has been growing internationally for the past several years, and is now sold in more than 60 countries,” said David Maddocks, Brand President of Cole Haan in a statement. “Yet Japan holds a special place for the Cole Haan brand as we’ve been there for more than a quarter century. It only made sense to bring our most innovative retail concept to one of the most iconic shopping destinations in the world.”
Everything in the GRANDSHØP flagship is designed to immerse and inspire, beginning with sleek exterior walls and a quote outside the front door beckoning visitors to “Find your future here.” The interior experience emphasizes art, inspiration and connection that reflects Cole Haan’s mission to advocate the extraordinary.
The two-level store features numerous high-tech flourishes, such as a second-floor window integrated with a transparent LED screen that illuminates Cat Street at night, two screens highlighting Cole Haan innovations and QR codes throughout the store to add interactive elements. There’s also a selfie station with an illuminated mirror that directs visitors to “Blaze trails. Shatter boundaries.”
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Inspiration lies at the core of the space, which is dotted with quotes (in English and Japanese), such as “Take courage. Leave directions,” from Cole Haan’s recent #WriteNewRules campaign. Behind a stone staircase, a double-height wall anchors the back of the store and will serve as a canvas for emerging artists. Currently, it features a floor-to-ceiling version of Lauren Tsai’s optimistic #WriteNewRules poster that notes “Personal transformation changes the world.”
The new flagship features a curated selection of footwear and performance lifestyle products, including an exclusive limited-edition sneaker (the Cole Haan x Hasan Minhaj GrandPrø Rally Court Sneaker, created in collaboration with the Indian-American comedian) to commemorate the opening.
Photos courtesy of Cole Haan
