Last November, Tokyu Land began construction of the Omotesando Project (tentative name) at the former site of the apparel brand GAP’s Harajuku store. Among parties concerned with commercial facilities, many rumors spread concerning who will move in as tenants. This was quite interesting.

When the 2,000 m2 site was a vacant lot around June of 2010, rumors spread that Shibuya 109, which is a fashion building operated by a subsidiary of Tokyu Corporation would expand its business and that its Harajuku-version under the name of “Harajuku 109” was to be born. Shibuya 109 is a fashion building which targets women in their late teens to early twenties, and it boasts overwhelming popularity among young women who hang around Shibuya known as “gyaru” (gals). If this had become a reality, Harajuku and Omotesando, which have welcomed various unique fashion styles, would have been enveloped in an extremely chaotic atmosphere by the birth of a “sacred spot” for such gyaru.

After Tokyu Land began construction of the facility, rumors in November 2010 were that the flagship store of Tommy Hilfiger, the surf brand of Abercrombie & Fitch named Hollister, and American Eagle Outfitters would move in as tenants. Since the Omotesando store of Ralph Lauren is located close by, it raised my hopes that an American casual fashion village would be created in Omotesando.

Certainly, the place where the former site of the GAP store is located is a spot where Meiji-dori Street, which is lined with casual fashion stores such as H&M and Forever 21, and Omotesando Avenue, which is crowded with luxury brands such as Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana, intersect. It did cross my mind that a mixing of casual brands with high-class brands was plausible. Before I knew it, I had picked up the phone and called the Japanese arm of that brand. However, they gave no comment.

In the end, the two American casual stores of American Eagle Outfitters and Tommy Hilfiger along with the flagship store of Baroque Japan Limited, which has brands that match the tastes of Shibuya 109, were decided on as the tenants and no more rumors have been heard.