The Tamesis
To cut the ribbon on its reopened Ginza store, Miu Miu hosted a quintessential Tokyo night at three locations across the city to commemorate the past and present. To pay homage to the ever-charming quintessential girl from Miu Miu’s hometown, the brand launches Miu Miu Jazz Club; an experiential evening inspired by the many women who helped shape Japan’s jazz scene.
The incident occurred at the Ginza flagship store. Fans eagerly lined up across the street and on either side of the glass doors for Wonyoung, brand ambassador and K-pop star Ive. Her arrival was accompanied by screams and cameras as onlookers scrambled to get a closer look at the fashion star – who was wearing a stunning panama cotton crop top and skirt – before a team of security guards ushered her up a baby blue velvet staircase. (The outrage only lasted a moment, but the video continued to spread on social media like wildfire, as is to be expected these days.)
Once inside, guests were treated to an exclusive preview of the new Miu Miu Upcycled collection one day before its official launch. Overall, they both admired the white cotton tank tops and miniskirts embellished with glass beads, while dressing equally chic. Think: handkerchief tops and sequined mermaid skirts, pinafore dresses and slingback kitten-heeled loafers. As DJ Nina Yamada played jazz records by Carl Hancock Rux and others, the crowd reclined on velvet sofas next to green hydrangeas in glass vases, enjoying Laurent Perrier’s flutes and sparkling Saicho Darjeeling tea.
After sunset, the group made their way across the city from the Modern Fashion Party to the Xinjing Ballroom, where they immediately immersed themselves in the local culture. The ballroom opened in 1969 and has been transformed into a Miu Miu-designed cabaret club hangout kisaten (A Japanese tea room or café from the Showa era.) Red velvet curtains, mirrored walls, and a small coffee table with cotton shaded lamps further evoke that jazzy feel. kisa So beloved in post-war Japan that it’s easy to imagine the cigarette smoke once wafting through similar rooms.
Whiskey highballs and espresso martinis floated freely, while multi-instrumentalist and vinyl DJ Lily from vintage record store Ella Records set the mood. Rei Terakubo then took the stage for a lively performance that blended classic jazz and funk with house, hip-hop and R n’ B music.
Without warning, Hiromi, the acclaimed Japanese jazz pianist and composer, seemed to deliver a riveting thirty-minute set. Her fingers flew nimbly over the keys, rhythms and dynamics rising and falling, sometimes light as air, sometimes explosive, and when she stood up, stomping her feet or pounding her fists along the keys, still hitting every note with precision, leaving the once raucous crowd speechless.
The night ended next door at the Tokyo Kinema Club, a former cabaret now converted into a live music venue. Singer-songwriter Arlo Parks also flew in for the event and showed off his incredible artistry. Her voice filled the intimate space and cheered up the cheerful crowd drinking champagne and grapefruit cocktails.
Regardless of their background, every woman spotlighted that night—from Wonyoung to Hiromi to Arlo Parks—exuded the same independent and authentic spirit that makes the Miu Miu girl so unique.
