Interview

Lykke Li at the new Uniqlo shop, Paris. Photo by Rebecca Voight

Uniqlo, Japan's emporium for basics, has arrived in Paris on rue Scribe, just across the street from Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. Parisians have been talking about this for weeks because they all want to get their hands on Uniqlo's first blow out-priced collection from Jil Sander, the reclusive German talent who has been sorely missed. Last night's opening bash was overwhelming. The store was lit up pink and red; there was the stock exchange-style quotation messaging on the stairway and a packed crowd drinking sake out of Masus, those little wooden boxes, and listening to Swedish singer Lykke Lee.  Every single inch of the 23,000 square foot space been has been designed for maximum marketing reach by Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall, who has become a sort of secret weapon for retailers (he recently redesigned Colette) who want to get customers so excited they will spend, spend, spend.