LOOKING GOOD
In store - Tokyo' coolest shops

Compiled by Anna Lopriore



Hanna
A little paradise of clothes, objects and accessories, Hanna takes its name not from the owner Suzuki-san but form the buyer: a Japanese girl based in New York. Hanna hunts down the special designs that are sold in the store. Most of the items come from her own circle of friends in the city, but one rule is strict: They shouldn't be sold anywhere else in Japan. Since the designers are all young and up-and-coming, most of their creations are made by hand, which adds to the uniqueness of the products. Apart from the cute jersey customized tops, embroidered skirts, corsages and belts, there are little people that attract all the attention: the furry things from Dynamoville. These handmade puppets (or is that animals?) are to die for. Remember your favourite rag doll, probably made or knitted by your grannie with buttons for eyes and a softness that couldn't be bought? Your childhood's well gone, and your grannie probably too, but it'll all come back to you at Hanna's.
Hanna, 5-17-4 Cat Street, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-5766-3013

Two views of &A Photos by Anna Lopriore

&A
&A is an oh-so desperately needed new, cooler look from Sazaby-Japan's very own fashion-conglomerate, who shot right in the bull's eye when they sweet-talked enfant terrible Ramdane Touhami-an ex-skater who spoofed the French with his Polette brand-from Paris to Tokyo. He did the job, and did it right. &A is no longer what it used to be, a boring, conservative Holly-Hobby paradise. Under Ramdane's creative direction the sweetness has made way for in-your-face funk, intelligent irony and above all, cool clothes. The garments may not have groundbreaking designs, the fabrics aren't exquisitely soft, and the prices are sometimes inflated. But what counts is the overall coolness of it all. &A is about hip-hop, underground graphic design, the latest sneakers and had-to-be-there parties. In a word: It's about the street. With French rappers posing on the video screens, the latest cult publications on architecture, design or fashion lying on the reading table and an ironic copy of last season's Prada lipstick-print on a cute ensemble of blazer and skirt, &A is set to succeed and Ramdane is comfortably back on his home plane.
&A, 2F Flags Bldg, 3-37-1 Shinjuku. Tel: 03-5363-5281

Heaven 27
Love her or hate her, Sofia Coppola has got everything going for her: A famous husband (Spike [Being John Malkovich] Jonze), a muse (Marc Jacobs), she's a movie director (The Virgin Suicides) and she's also a fashion designer. Did we mention her famous father Francis Ford? Sophia, it seems, is a polymath of style and her latest venture, Heaven 27, is the outlet for her Milk-fed clothing brand-a kind of small Virgin Suicides-like paradise. Tucked in a little back street behind Daikanyama station, the store is more reminiscent of a teenage girls' bedroom than a fashion mecca. Pictures cover the walls and cosy knickknacks and souvenirs are casually displayed. Products include embroidered pillowcases (JY3800), girly underwear (JY2800) and colored sand candles (think Acapulco souvenir). If it weren't for the chic evening dresses (JY27,500), you'd think this was a hip girl's garage sale.
Heaven 27, 2-21-15 Ebisunishi-shi, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-3780-6627