Fender Flagship Tokyo

FENDER FLAGSHIP TOKYO Harajuku, Tokyo’s vibrant street-style shopping mecca, is the apt home of Fender’s first flagship store of its nearly 80 year history of pioneering electric guitar design. An interior renovation of the iconic glass-walled The Ice Cubes building, the store opens up four floors to offer a chic and unprecedented guitar-shopping environment. As a hub of all things Fender, it’s an immersive retail experience — a destination of discovery that includes personalized customer services, bespoke guitars, gallery exhibits, an event space, a cafe and opportunities to try instruments and equipment. Aware that guitar stores can be intimidating, especially for beginners and women, Fender requested a design that emphasised the artisanship and heritage of its guitars to create a sophisticated retail experience that would encourage leisurely browsing. The first floor sets the stage for Fender’s latest and greatest. Benches and display units in light warm woods mirror the smooth curves of Fender guitars to create winding lines of arcs that guide visitors into the airy space. Above, light fixtures parallel and reinforce these waved contours. Large graphic walls, flanked by display shelves of guitars, tell the Fender story and draw the eye to the newest and best-selling products. Instruments are treated like luxury designer goods, taken down and shown to shoppers on plectrum-shaped tables. At the rear, an alcove is home to the brand’s latest venture, F IS FOR FENDER, a capsule collection of designer streetwear. Behind a central service counter, a winged-guitar illustration features Leo Fender’s most inspiring quote, “Artists are angels and our job is to give them wings to fly.” On the second floor, where the colour palette switches to a soft grey, visitors are immediately met by an Artists Gallery that splits the shopping area into two sections. Here, a curated changing exhibition of large-scale dramatic shots of eminent musicians are paired with transparent display cases housing their guitars of choice. At the back, an LED video wall screens footage of the celebrities in action. To one side of the gallery is a Made in Japan space showcasing Japan- crafted classic and limited-edition Telecasters, Statocasters, Jazzmasters, basses and more. On the other side, lies a Made in America counterpart. A sound-proofed Amp Room at the back completes the floor, allowing customers to try out and familiarize themselves with any Fender guitar and amp. As the pinnacle of Fender luxury, the third floor is one of rich charcoal greys and deep warm browns. Directly above the Artists Gallery lies the artisanal highlight of the Fender building — the Master Builders Gallery. Photographic portraits introduce the skilled craftspeople behind bespoke Fender guitars, displayed alongside examples of their work. A multi-coloured shrine of 300 guitar-finish sample tiles lines the back wall, creating an Instagram-able alcove that illustrates an extraordinary diversity of colour and textures. Two VIP rooms, each featuring glass display units of deluxe instruments, and a custom shop space provide comfy sofas for visitors to unwind and discuss bespoke options.