LOVE A BOOK WITH A NICE LONG NUMBER AS A TITLE. 1989.4.98 - 2023.2.1 IS THE ALREADY IMPOSSIBLE RARE VISUAL HISTORY OF THE COMME DES GARÇONS FLAGSHIP STORE IN

AOYAMA, TOKYO. AT 300

PAGES IT IS THE NEW SUPERBOOK OF FASHION RETAIL AND EXCELLENCE.



Three hundred pages. But not all the same width. The book is in thirds. It's very cool. One of those paper / bookbinding / graphic design ideas that actually work. 
 

First page pretty much sold us on the whole concept: Rei Kawakubo on space design!
 

The outside is the inside. This is one, of very many changing views, of the Aoyama store. 
 

There are 128 different installations documented in the book. The Cindy Sherman collaboration from 1994 we remember vividly - we just never saw it in the flagship store before. 
 

Very Matrix for 1996. Which is spooky because the film didn't come out until 1999! 

Matt Groening and PLAY... in 2011. A year later it was Where's Wally! We are not making this up btw. It was real. We don't recall a Where's Wally thing outside of Japan - apparently it was at Dover Street Market!? This book is invaluable. It fills in historic gaps. 
 

So last year. Almost to the date in fact. One of the installations where the clothes play a more prominent role. The book is first and foremost a visual merchandiser's dream but it also serves as a Comme des Garçons collections reference. 
 

We would buy it for the five page index alone... It is gorgeous. 

The book itself - only available for a limited time in Japan - presumably via the Aoyama store itself. Now they are wildly rare even in Japan and unsurprisingly expensive. Really, really worth it though. We know - we found one.