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What's the very first thing you see when walking into the new Uniqlo Fifth Avenue flagship? It's not the +J, the cashmere or even the $9.90 denim. The first thing you see when walking into the Uniqlo is the bank of three towering escalators. They're easily the most photographed feature in the store (even at the opening party).
Rising from the first floor entrance straight to the third floor, they're almost unavoidable. The placement encourages you to go all the way up, all the way back and work your way down?visiting nearly every department on the trip. Clever!
But do you see what we see? These escalators may have a twin in Tokyo, at Roppongi Hills to be more specific. It's not the Fifth Avenue of Tokyo, but not too far off. Roppongi is a destination for shopping and doing business, and the escalators descend through a subterranean mall to the Roppongi subway station. Uniqlo execs would be familiar with these escalators, thus the chances of modeling the Fifth Avenue set on them is better than nil.
Perhaps we're grasping at straws, but it can't just be us who?upon first walking through the doors of the flagship?immediately thought the word "Roppongi." Oh, and the staircases aren't too bad either.
· All Uniqlo Fifth Avenue coverage [Racked NY]
· A Uniqlo Airplane? Not as Far-Fetched an Idea as You Think [Racked National]