Acne Studios marks the first anniversary of its Aoyama flagship in Tokyo with a new collaboration featuring French-Russian artist Apollinaria Broche. The celebration transforms the store through a series of whimsical ceramic installations, including nine large-scale rooftop sculptures and smaller works displayed throughout the interior. Inspired by antique figurines, the collection introduces original characters such as Suisui the three-legged horse, Emru the rabbit, Daisy the cat, and Bimbi the deer, bringing playful handcrafted elements into the minimalist retail environment.
The anniversary also includes an exclusive three-piece capsule of graphic T-shirts available only at the Aoyama location. Featuring illustrations of Bimbi, Suisui, and a hedgehog character, the collection extends Broche's sculptural universe into wearable pieces. The collaboration builds on the artist's previous projects with Acne Studios, including the Fall/Winter 2021 ceramic collection and the 2023 Lunar New Year release.
Image Credit: Acne Studios
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Whimsical Retail Installations
- Playful ceramic characters inside minimalist stores create memorable destination experiences that blur shopping, art viewing, and brand storytelling.
- Artist-led Capsule Drops
- Limited apparel tied to site-specific creative collaborations gives consumers collectible access to an artist’s world while reinforcing flagship exclusivity.
- Handcrafted Brand Worlds
- Ceramic sculptures and illustrated mascots introduce tactile, narrative-rich identities that differentiate luxury retail from digitally saturated brand environments.
Where This Applies
- Luxury Fashion
- High-end labels can deepen cultural relevance by embedding fine art partnerships into flagship spaces and limited product releases.
- Retail Design
- Immersive installations offer new ways for store environments to become experiential landmarks rather than purely transactional interiors.
- Contemporary Art
- Collaborations with fashion brands expand how sculptural practices reach broader audiences through commercial spaces, collectibles, and wearable formats.
