With the opening of Le Café V and Sugalabo V inside its new flagship store in Osaka, Japan, Louis Vuitton ventured into the culinary sphere on Saturday. Architects Jun Aoki and Peter Marino collaborated on the design for Maison Osaka Midosuji. Aoki wanted the Osaka maison façade to resemble a floating ship, while Marino’s interiors include wooden floors, wood-clad pillars and metal ceilings meant to evoke the feeling of floating along on a yacht. This new four-floor store reflects Osaka’s heritage as Japan’s most important port and highlight’s the city’s growing role as an international travel hub.
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Design details are similar to the original, connecting to the central theme of the building’s design. The launch of a Louis Vuitton cafe and restaurant follows similar forays into f&b by other luxury brands, including Tiffany & Co’s Blue Box Cafe, Armani Cafes and Ralph Lauren eateries.
In cooperation with celebrated chef Yosuke Suga, Le Café V, the very first Louis Vuitton café, sits atop Louis Vuitton Maison Osaka Midosuji. It’s composed of a Cocoon Room, with a sprawling terrace and a bar, and is open throughout the day and into the night. While all shoppers perusing through Louis Vuitton can make their way up to Le Café V and grab a bite to eat, it’ll be a little trickier making your way into the exclusive Sugalabo V restaurant.
The restaurant fits within a broader strategy of struggling retailers looking to lure shoppers away from their laptops and into brick-and-mortar stores, said Luca Solca, managing director of luxury goods research at Sanford C. Bernstein Schweiz.
