Turning banal, the ordinary, the predictable into art has been something we all marvel at and have for generations. Whether it is the soup cans of Andy Warhol, the crayon art of Christian Faur, the floral art of Rebecca Lousie Law, the LEGO art of Lenz, or the mosaics of Michael Mapes, we love it when someone has the imagination and creativity to make the ordinary extraordinary.
The optical industry is filled with the predictable, the dull, the ordinary. What we sell can be made and sold super cheap, and that’s OK for many. There are $1 fast-food hamburgers and there are $140 truffle burgers. A consumer can buy a pair of eyeglasses for $10 or $10,000. The difference is sometimes material, sometimes not. Artistically, the difference is the presentation.
Which is why we were very impressed with the photos we saw about Jins newest store in the Ginza Loft. Jins, the largest eyewear retailer in Japan with over 300 locations in Japan and China and another 6 in the United States, created a new store with the help of Jo Nagasaka/Schemata Architects that showcase their over 1,200 frame line in a fun and unconventional way merging industrial look shelving and Scotch-Brite sponges.
The look of the new 900 square foot store is industrial and open. There are multi-level shelving units where every frame is rested on the soft sponge side of the Scotch-Brite pads to brighten the store and protect the frames that are open to touch and try on. A few glass shelves at eye level allow more inventory to be displayed in the open while a series of wood drawers and knee level allow for storage space for inventory and supplies.
The store is smart, sophisticated, well lit, and open, inviting consumers to enter and spend their time to buy eyewear. What great shops have you seen recently do something out of the ordinary to set themselves apart?
Thank you to Taichi Ano for sharing photos of the new store.
