Ayako Maruta, Suspended Figure, construction site cable and lamps

Courtesy of Mikio Shuto and C Diesel

In Omotesando’s Land of Glam, you may be surprised
to find some very cool shops doubling as art galleries. Fashion and art are a natural mix, and hosting an exhibition is a good way for designers to brand their label and keep the company’s creativity pulsing.

British designer Paul Smith tops the list with some of the most innovative and professionally curated shows. Smith’s interest in art actually predates his interest in fashion. Showing at the Space gallery, on the fourth floor of his Jingumae shop, are works by well-known Japanese photographer Naoki Honjo, within an exhibition titled “Small Planet.” At first glance, Honjo’s photos appear to be mini-dioramas of city scenes with tiny houses, cars and people dotting the landscape. But they’re actually the real deal, stylized through a form of tilt-shift photography, an illusionary technique Honjo has honed to perfection.

Just a few streets away is trendsetting H.P. France, with an art space called Hpgrp Gallery Tokyo on the second floor of one of its eight area boutiques. Known as a “select shop,” H.P. France (H=Harajuku, P=Project and “France” for the French brands it first imported) is not a brand, but an importer with exclusive designer licensing. The company’s 78 boutiques in Japan, New York, Hong Kong and Paris reflect its cutting-edge feel. President Taka Muramatsu, an avid art collector, created the Hpgrp Gallery New York in 2005 and the Tokyo gallery two years later with Kentaro Totsuka. “Art is not a trend, a fashion or style,” says Totsuka. “We show artists who have a strong, serious and intellectual commitment to art.” The current exhibition, “Untitled,” features innovative works by eight contemporary Japanese artists.

Naoki Honjo, Kings Cross 2007, C-print, 1.2 x 1.5m

Courtesy of Superstore Inc., Tokyo

Across Aoyama Dori, on a side street tucked behind the Spiral building, is the Agnès B. Aoyama shop, with an art space dubbed the Black Room on the second floor. This gallery space, as well as the company’s Roppongi art and event space Press Room, have generated exciting contemporary exhibitions and are a clear reflection of the brand’s famous French founder and designer, Agnès Trouble, a long-time film and arts patron. Popular in Japan since the ’80s, Agnès B. now operates fully a third of its 120 worldwide shops in Japan. Currently showing in Aoyama is “Fitting Room,” an exhibition by French photographer Carine Tedesco.

Not far from Agnès B. is the Rat Hole Gallery, next to the Hysteric Glamour boutique. Far from looking like a rodent’s den, this is a sleek, recessed exhibition space cum mini-bookshop with a generous interior visible through its large glass walls. Exhibitions reflect the experimental approach of the brand’s founder, Nobuhiko Kitamura. Now showing at Rat Hole is “Snail Diary,” a series of erotic images by photographer Emi Anrakuji.

Located on a side street around the corner from jazz club Blue Note is the Diesel Denim Gallery Aoyama, showcasing “wearable art.” A pair of shows are now on display at the two-story boutique. On the first floor is architect Ayako Maruta’s installation titled “Suspended Figure.” Using simple construction cables and lamps, Murata has created a beautiful glistening arch suspended above the clothing and accessories. On the second floor is a vast aluminum-like “landscape” titled “Another Geography” by Kimihiko Okada.

• Paul Smith, Space Gallery: Naoki Honjo, “Small Planet,” until Mar 23.

• H.P. France, Hpgrp Gallery Tokyo: Group Show, “Untitled,” until Mar 30.

• Agnès B. Aoyama: Carine Tedesco, “Fitting Room,” until Mar 27.

• Rat Hole Gallery: Emi Anrakuji, “Snail Diary,” until Mar 30.

• Diesel Denim Gallery Aoyama: Ayako Maruta, “Suspended Figure,” until Aug 17; Kimihiko Okada, “Another Geography,” until May 11.

See exhibition listings for details.