Goldwin opens European flagship in London
Premium Japanese technical apparel brand Goldwin has opened its European flagship store in the heart of London’s Soho as part of its accelerated global expansion plans.
Located on Broadwick Street, ‘Goldwin London’ marks the second directly managed store in Europe for Goldwin Inc.’s original namesake brand, and showcases the full Goldwin and Goldwin 0 collections, including ski, outdoor, athletic, and lifestyle wear, as well as accessories and bags.
The 1,830 square foot store has been designed by Hiroshi Sugimoto and Tomoyuki Sakakida’s New Material Research Laboratory with the “eye of a vortex” at its centre, “generating new winds towards the future,” amid the stimulating energy of London.
“This space is where tradition and innovation, art and technology fuse,” explains Goldwin in the press release. “It aims not merely to be a place to sell clothes, but to provide inspiration to all who visit, with the Goldwin style serving as a guidepost to a new era.”
At the core of the concept is a ring-shaped yashiro, meaning shrine or sanctuary in Japanese, which has been positioned in the centre, facing the glass façade to serve as a stage to showcase the brand’s full range of categories and brand journey.
On the outer perimeter of the yashiro is an LED screen comprised of 12 pillars, which acts as a digital canvas showcasing “rapidly changing trends and expressions of the seasons,” with footage of nature and works by artists, which flow like a “living organism with faces of the times”.
Inside the Yashiro, there are rows of Akita cedar pillars, symbolising traditional Japanese beauty, meant to offer visitors a “quiet forest” to calm their minds. By stepping inside, visitors are greeted with a serene space that contrasts with the city's noise “to create a vivid contrast with the dynamic expressions of the exterior”.
Other details include the fitting rooms crafted with panels made of special fabric dyed using traditional Japanese techniques, such as silk threads dyed with persimmon tannin for a faintly shimmering cherry-blossom colour to bring a “special sense of elevation”.
Shinji Kawada, managing executive officer and general manager of Goldwin business division president at Goldwin London Limited, said in a statement: “'Goldwin London' is not merely a sales location. Its purpose is to actively broadcast Goldwin's worldview, technology, and aesthetics. This is part of our global strategy, anticipating spillover effects into the East Asian market, as well as expanding recognition in Europe and the UK.
“By establishing a local subsidiary, we enable speedy and flexible deployment tailored to the local culture and lifestyle, creating new value through deep dialogue with the local community. As a brand that re-examines human activity in harmony with nature and explores the way of 5 'circulation and symbiosis' beyond national and cultural boundaries, Goldwin will continue to evolve."
The London opening is part of the company’s ‘Goldwin 500’ project announced in April 2024, aimed at driving global growth for the Goldwin brand, through accelerated openings in mainland China and the establishment of its UK subsidiary last year. With the opening of its second directly managed store in Europe, Goldwin hopes to “strengthen its presence in the region through active communication and dissemination,” while also targeting “spillover effects” into the East Asian market.