People are stopped by a tree at the Shoe Salon on one of Seibu KL’s four floors. It is completely covered in white-and-gold origami cranes, orizuru, a Japanese paper-folding custom that has particular cultural significance related to wishes and tenacity. If you look closely among the thousands of folded shapes, you’ll notice a few in striking black and white that stand out from the others. Hiroko Takahashi owns those.
They were purposefully placed there by the designer, a signature included into an installation that most customers would consider to be lovely ambient décor rather than a creative statement. Everything she did for the store’s November 2023 launch embodies that specific quality: the work that goes unnoticed.
With a total investment of more than RM150 million, Seibu KL is Malaysia’s first upscale Japanese department store, spanning 265,000 square feet across four floors at The Exchange TRX in Kuala Lumpur. A Kagami-Biraki sake-breaking ceremony and a Wadaiko Japanese drum performance were part of the opening celebration, which was more of an event that signifies serious institutional purpose than a typical retail launch.
Along with international luxury labels, more than 110 Japanese brands arrived on those four floors. Hiroko Takahashi was in the center of it all, designing the exclusive fashion collection, making the staff uniforms that each employee wears, making the store packaging, the gift items, and the visual elements that were placed throughout the space. The managers of the business noted that it was a first for any department store in Malaysia.
Hiroko Takahashi’s prior work provides some background on why her participation in a regional flagship launch would be regarded as a noteworthy occasion as opposed to a standard commission. She has collaborated with companies of varying sizes and industries, including as Apple, Fendi, and Adidas, but they are all bound by a common expectation of visual identity and the capacity to transform creative sensibility into commercial goods without flattening either.
She created uniforms for the Tokyo Olympics, which required them to serve a formal purpose, look well in every possible setting, and convey national symbolism without veering into ridiculousness. From the paper cranes in the atrium to the bags in which items are taken out of the building, the Seibu commission expanded her range into something more comprehensive—not just a collection but a full visual language for a location.
According to Datuk Alfred Cheng, the chairman of the business, the Takahashi partnership was not a last-minute addition but rather a key component of the opening’s planning. He told The Edge Malaysia, “We commissioned her to design our packaging and staff uniforms, as well as a small fashion collection.” It’s important to note that the word “small” implies that the fashion component was not the main attraction but rather a component of a more comprehensive integrated visual presentation.
According to Cheng, Seibu KL wants to be a place where people come to mingle and find inspiration as much as to make purchases. The Takahashi work is framed differently than a conventional retail cooperation because its goal is to create an environment rather than just sell items.
Observing what was put together for this occasion gives the impression that Seibu KL’s goals go much beyond simply stocking four floors with Japanese brands. It’s still uncertain if the store’s strategy will hold up over time in Kuala Lumpur’s cutthroat luxury retail market. Omotenashi is an appealing concept, but it necessitates constant execution at a level that is quite challenging to sustain. However, the paper cranes remain. They are also carrying out their duties in their own unique manner.
