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• March 19, 2008
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Satine, Tokyo

The toast of So-Cal retail makes its Far East debut. By Kat Clements

If Tokyo's Aoyama neighborhood wasn't already one of the globe's greatest shopping destinations, today's arrival of perennial L.A. favorite Satine would certainly make it so. Boasting a stock list that reads like a designer dream team, proprietor Jeannie Lee's first endeavor abroad (and outside of West Hollywood, for that matter) features must-haves from Rachel Comey, Lanvin, and Alexander Wang next to Tokyo exclusives by jewelry designer Lulu Frost and about-to-be-huge Heimstone. Her list of collaborators alone is enough to make even the biggest homebody want to hop on the next flight to Narita. From Steven Alan, Rebecca Minkoff, Leur Logette and others come one-of-a-kind pieces, which seamlessly celebrate the singularity of this remarkable new space.

With its custom-rigged antique console for screening classic fashion films and a vintage French jukebox found at Clignancourt, the boutique is tremendously personal. "We wanted it to feel like the inside of a girl's closet," says Lee, and what lucky ones their customers will have. In all of Aoyama, you'll find no other "closet" selling items from Martin Margiela Line 6 (and that includes the Margiela boutique itself). Some pretty insider stuff for the new kid on the block, and in an area so well known for its clubby cachet, it helps to have that sort of street-cred. But in the end it's not like they really need it.

Satine, Omuniqjarter 1F, Tokyo; +011 03-5774-5021 For more information, go to www.satineboutique.jp.

The toast of So-Cal retail makes its Far East debut.