It’s safe to say that in Japan – more than in any other part of Asia except, perhaps, South Korea – skincare is serious business. So much so that brand loyalty for the average consumer is measured in decades, if not generations. Not that the big guns just sit back, resting on their laurels and rolling out the occasional new serum and repackaging exercise. Rather, they might, like Ya-man – a beauty brand that debuted back in 1978 with hi-tech unisex face and body tools and an equally coveted skincare range – quietly unveil a stunning new look.
By any yardstick, the freshly minted 450 sq m flagship store in Ginza’s buzzy Chuo-dori Avenue is a smartly conceived salvo aimed squarely at the cashed-up millennial demographic with a penchant for beautiful design, unique (read, Instagrammable) retail experience, and sharply curated merchandise. That the two-storey store succeeds as well as it does on all three metrics owes much to the design of I In, the Tokyo-based studio deftly fusing elements of Ya-man’s products to create an immersive, almost psychedelic experience.
