More than 1,400 tiles will be featured at Loro Piana’s flagship store, set to open this fall. Architect Jun Aoki is designing the façade.

The other day, we featured Loro Piana’s new collection on Fuinam.It’s a linen ensemble, and the supple feel of it when I actually held it in my hands was in a league of its own compared to many other garments, making me realize that the essence of the maison lies in its rich use of materials.

The facade of the new Omotesando store in Tokyo showcases the beauty of Loro Piana’s fabrics.

The architect behind this project is Jun Aoki. To recap, Mr. Aoki is one of Japan’s leading architects. He served as the curator of the Japan Pavilion at the “19th Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition,” held last year.

Speaking about the new store’s exterior, he said, “The façade features a series of gently curving terracotta tiles specially fired in Italy, resembling the warp threads of a woven fabric. Delicate to the touch, like cashmere, yet possessing a powerful architectural presence, this exterior expresses the ‘exhilaration born of authentic materials’—a value cherished by the Maison—on an unprecedented scale,” he says.

Sketch of the exterior of the Omotesando store

More than 1,400 terracotta tiles were used. The process—from shaping the clay to cutting and drying it—took more than three weeks, and after firing, the tiles were colored using seven shades specially prepared for *Loro Piana*.

It’s surprising to hear that, out of the more than one-year process from the start of tile production to the completion of the façade, more than three months are devoted to tile production.

The “Loro Piana Omotesando” store, which spans four floors, is scheduled to open this October. It looks set to become one of the few stores in Japan where customers can experience the unique world of this exceptional fashion house.