Polène 东京店丨日本东京丨Valériane Lazard

Founded only in 2016 by Parisian siblings Mathieu, Antoine and Elsa Mothay, women’s leather goods brand Polène is making ambitious global strides. Following boutiques at home base Paris and New York City, the company has just inaugurated another retail space in one of the planet’s most dynamic shopping destinations—Tokyo. Similarly to the two aforementioned cities, Polène has secured a prominent location, in Aoyama to be precise, arguably the city’s most fashionable shopping grounds. Here, the retail space occupies two floors of a modern low-rise building, wedged in between the stores of Mackintosh and Alexander Wang, and features an interior design by Paris-based interior designer Valériane Lazard. Interestingly, the understated settings, captured by warm materials and hues, embeds subtle nods to local culture. The ground floor sees walls covered in a sand-coloured plaster, and two sides of the space come with recessed shelving.

Furnishings comprise a sales counter in soft red stone, in addition to deep indigo volumes, crafted from lacquered wood, which serve as both seating and displays. First created in 1929 by Makino Urushi, a collective of craftsmen from Kyoto, they’ve created these exclusive furnishings using traditional techniques and natural lacquer. Last but not least, the organically shaped ceiling light fixtures have been crafted from leather. It’s here where Polène‘s collection of contemporary women’s bags is showcased. The sense of artistry and craftsmanship, which undoubtedly elevates the shopping experience, is further boosted by a sizeable artwork by lauded French glass artist Emmanuel Barrois which shoppers come across when going up the staircase to the second floor. A glass panel in adorns the entire height of the staircase, and symbolises a flow of water. One floor up, an almost similar backdrop can be found, albeit one which sees bespoke installations by Barrois, which reflect his fascination of transparency and the play of light, presenting Polène‘s recently launched jewellery collection.

Designed by ：

Valériane Lazard

Images © Polène