Famous jeweler celebrates the everyday with a Tokyo convenience store limited exhibition

Jewelry chain Cartier hopes to make you value the ordinary by displaying their famous Juste en Clou line in the same way as cup ramen and magazines.

French jeweler Cartier knows what makes for a gorgeous accessory, and have been crafting ornate bracelets, necklaces and watches since the 19th century. Their presence in trendy Tokyo neighborhoods is more recent, with their flagship store in Ginza being built in 2003 (though they had a boutique in the same area since 1991). Now there’s an additional major branch in Sapporo, with countless booths and boutiques at department stores across Japan.

In a recent announcement, Cartier revealed that they have something different in mind for their latest pop-up shop. Instead of a star-studded, glamorous studio, they’re examining less ostentatious ground: the unassuming grace of a local convenience store. That might seem a little too low-key for the glamorous fashion walks of Tokyo’s Omotesando district, but Cartier is sure to pull out all the stops to make it an unforgettable cathedral of class!

▼ The Juste en Clou collection was developed in 1970s New York and symbolizes humble beginnings with a single nail

The jewelry line in question is all about the common touch, with its primary design feature being a single iron nail. An unremarkable tool of stable hands, metal smiths and carpenters, the nail’s shape is cast in precious metal and curled into an elegant bracelet. Instantly, the nail shape is elevated above its meagre origins into the realm of celebrities, nobles and royalty!

The convenience store will open on September 21 and run through September 30, operating from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. throughout that time.

The Juste en Clou line will also star in a more conventional pop-up gallery in Roppongi Hills, with a longer run spanning from August 18 to September 30. Also of interest is a three-hour event that Cartier is running at Omotesando WALL&WALL called “Owner’s Night”. At 8 p.m. on September 28, guests can parade their own purchased Juste en Clou pieces while hobnobbing with other fine folk of wealth and taste.

▼ The Roppongi Hills pop up gallery looks as opulent as you’d expect

Of course, though the bracelets and the convenience store presentation emphasize the small and meagre, the price tags are anything but. The least expensive piece in the collection sells for 356,400 yen before tax (US$3,206) and more complex bracelets cost up to 3.5 million yen.

▼ Guess we won’t be going to Owner’s Night this year…

Omotesando is a great place to check out some of the fanciest fashions in the world, so make sure to take a trip to the convenience store while you’re in the area! And then maybe duck into a regular conbini off the side street and treat yourself to something cheap and delightful.

“Convenience store” information
Juste en Cleu KONBINI
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingu-mae 5-16-13
東京都渋谷区神宮前5-16-13
Open 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. (September 21 through September 30, 2018)
Website

Source: Cartier
Top image: Cartier
Insert images: Cartier (1, 2)

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