L.A.-based designer Tadashi Shoji to open his 8th retail store
Betting on maximum exposure to customers turning out to shop post-Thanksgiving, Tadashi Shoji will open his eighth boutique, at the Westfield Valley Fair Mall in San Jose, Calif., on Black Friday. The 3,000-square-foot space will carry the designer’s full array of eveningwear, day dresses, separates, accessories and girls’ dresses.
In addition, Tadashi Shoji Bridal Collection will launch exclusively in the San Jose location. The gowns will be showcased in their own room featuring a whimsical floor-to-ceiling birdcage and gold-flecked wallpaper.
Taking inspiration from his nature-focused resort and spring 2017 collections, Shoji makes a departure from his sleek and shiny retail design to embrace a more organic and artistic concept. The new store includes a dramatic life-size arboretum; a glass house constructed from repurposed vintage windows; and a looking glass wall composed of mirrors and hidden video screen projecting runway shows and inspiration images from the collections.
“I felt this was an opportunity to show my customers something new and experiential,” said Shoji as he sifted through his store sketches and inspiration boards. “The innovative design allows customers to celebrate creativity and inspiration.”
Most recently, Shoji opened a boutique at Las Vegas’s Fashion Show mall in May. Fashion Valley brings his total to four stores in the United States, all on the West Coast (the other two are at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif. and in Glendale, Calif.) Abroad, Shoji has stores in Doha, Qatar; Shanghai, China; and Jakarta, Indonesia.
Shoji founded his company in 1982 after noticing too few special occasion dress options in the contemporary market. He has since grown his distribution to 700 global points of sale and expanded with a higher-end collection shown at New York Fashion Week, and his fans include Michelle Obama, Octavia Spencer, Kate Hudson and Ashley Graham, among others. Because of his L.A.-based studio, Shoji has become a go-to for celebrities of all sizes seeking custom-made options.
