Bode, the New York-based fashion brand, is expanding its global footprint with the opening of its first Asian store in Tokyo's trendy Yoyogi-Uehara neighborhood. This marks a significant milestone for the brand, as it ventures into a new continent, offering its unique blend of fashion and storytelling to a wider audience. But here's where it gets intriguing: Bode's founder, Emily Adams Bode Aujla, has a unique perspective on this expansion. She believes that opening stores is more crucial than runway shows, and with several wholesale accounts facing financial challenges, this move makes strategic sense. 'Brick-and-mortar allows you to get the full Bode experience,' she asserts. 'Opening stores is more important than runway shows.'
The Tokyo store, designed by Green River Project LLC, is a 2,150-square-foot space located on the ground floor of an apartment building in a residential area. It showcases a carefully curated selection of furniture, objects, and decorations, including a reproduction of a painting that once hung in the Oval Office during the John F. Kennedy administration. The dressing room features an Egyptian landscape painting by Kurt Beers and Iranian brass vases filled with dried hydrangeas from Bode Aujla's Connecticut garden. The store will stock the full Bode men's and women's collections, along with one-of-a-kind pieces made from vintage and antique textiles, including bras and pillows sewn from mid-century National Parks souvenir pillowcases, appliquéd T-shirts, and other keepsakes.
Bode Aujla's decision to open her own stores is a bold move, as it allows her to have more control over the brand's retail experience. She has learned a lot about her customers since opening her stores, and she expects to learn even more in Tokyo. 'I assume we'll learn a lot,' she says. 'It's important to have product exclusive to that market such as souvenir scarves, drop-cloth outerwear and trousers, and some men's and women's cut-and-sewn Ts.'
This expansion into Asia is just the beginning for Bode. Aujla is scouting sites in Kyoto and Seoul, as well as London, and is also considering locations in Miami, several cities in Texas, and the Hamptons in the U.S. As she focuses more heavily on the direct-to-consumer channel, the brand's presence in these new markets will likely grow, offering customers a more intimate and personalized experience with the Bode brand.
