Two architectural powerhouses — Peter Marino and Sou Fujimoto — have joined forces to design Dior’s latest flagship in Japan, set to open May 21.
Coming on the heels of its Dior Bamboo Pavilion store in Tokyo, which bowed in February, the House of Dior Shinsaibashi reflects the French fashion house’s ongoing commitment to Japan via experiential retail concepts with a strong component of art, lifestyle and hospitality.
A shopping hub since the Edo period beginning in the 17th century, the Shinsaibashi district is home to everything from kimono tailors to trendy restaurants.
Dior is betting on a striking undulating facade designed by Fujimoto to stand out among the area’s luxury boutiques. Inspired by the flowing layers of fabric of haute couture gowns, it is designed to mimic the effect of translucent fabrics, the brand said in a statement shared exclusively with WWD.
The interior, designed by Marino, extends over four floors, connected by a monumental staircase that wraps around a sculpture by U.S. artist Alice Aycock. Marino, who also led the redesign of the house’s Avenue Montaigne flagship in Paris, has reprised some of its key design codes, such as a light color palette and Versailles parquet floors.
Backstage at Dior’s spring 2026 haute couture show.
Kuba Dabrowski/WWD
The first floor of the Osaka boutique will feature a vertical garden, and will offer creative director Jonathan Anderson‘s women’s accessories, shoes and leather goods alongside jewelry and niche fragrances. Women’s ready-to-wear will be housed on the second floor, together with rare bags, while the third will be dedicated to menswear.
The store will feature art by Christian Bérard, Claude Lalanne’s Ginko bench, furniture by Franck Evennou, Tim Hailand’s reinterpretations of the brand’s signature toile de Jouy and compositions by Japanese floral artist Azuma Makoto.
Anne-Sophie Pic, the French chef behind the new Dior Café in Tokyo, has concocted the menu of the Monsieur Dior restaurant located on the top floor of the Osaka flagship. Dishes with names like La Toile Blanche, Les Pétales and Le Jardin Fleuri will reinterpret Dior emblems from cannage to leopard print and the bee.
Dior‘s fascination with Japan began with founder Christian Dior in the 1950s, and continues today, with the house staging its pre-fall 2025 show in Kyoto. The couturier created dresses with names such as Tokyo or Utamaro — after the 18th-century Japanese artist — using exceptional fabrics produced by Tatsumura Textile, a historic silk weaver.
