Fred Segal opening Tokyo store

Fred Segal is bringing its luxurious status overseas. This week, the luxury retailer will be unveiling a 10,000 square foot shopping center in Tokyo that will occupy three of five buildings at Log Road, a converted railway site located in the affluent Daikanyama neighbhorhood. Paul Blum, CEO of Fred Segal, described this to Women’s Wear Daily as the “project that became the one that ate everything else.”

When Blum joined the company last May it was the first project that he was thrown into. “It became so important and so complicated and so significant, that we really had to put everything else on the back burner for this year. Tokyo became the center of everything,” Blum elaborated. Blum arrived at Fred Segal after having previously served as CEO of Juicy Couture and Kenneth Cole Productions.

While he arrived at Fred Segal with plenty of retail executive experience, his first step was to really understand the Japanese market. He discovered that people there are really into heritage. He also learned that many Japanese people have been shopping at Fred Segal in Los Angeles since the sixties, so they would be no strangers to the company.

Fred Segal is viewed by the Japanese as the place where denim was created. This is what helped to give Fred Segal enough credibility to open in Japan. The Tokyo complex will house three stores: “Fred Segal Woman,” “Fred Segal Man” and “The Mart at Fred Segal.” They added a food component, and are working on developing a mini-food hall in the building.

While the store is obviously located in Japan, he doesn’t intend to serve Japanese food, but, rather, American favorites such as Blue Star donuts from Portland, Oregon, and Fred Segal coffee drinks. They even have plans for a Fred Segal food truck parked on the side.

The Tokyo complex was designed by Aesthetic movement in Brooklyn. Although Japan may know Fred Segal for their denim, the brand is holding true to their position as a luxury department store. The offerings are expected to include Marni, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Helmut Lang, Lanvin, Todd Snyder, J.W. Anderson, Haider Ackermann, Simon Miller, and Levi’s Vintage just to name a few. The women’s store will also house beauty products, respectfully.

When asked if he expects Fred Segal Tokyo to be anything like it’s L.A. counterpart, Blum told Women’s Wear Daily: “I don’t think L.A. is edgy. It’s cool and has an L.A. flair. This place will have a Tokyo flair and will be different. It’s an authentic Fred Segal for the Japanese market. It’s not a transplanted Fred Segal for Japan.” The store certainly does sound different, but, it is sure to stand out among the Japan’s fashion scene.