New York-based fashion sensation Bode has officially planted its roots in Japan. In scouting the location for the brand’s flagship store in Tokyo, designer Emily Adams Bode Aujla made a characteristically thoughtful choice to bypass high-energy fashion districts like Shibuya and Aoyama — instead, Bode has settled into the ground floor of an apartment building in the quiet residential streets of Yoyogi-Uehara.
The opening, which marks Bode’s fifth standalone store globally, feels less like a corporate expansion and more like a natural homecoming: Japanese consumers and retailers have been some of the most dedicated champions of the brand’s upcycling approach and craft-driven storytelling since its 2016 debut.
“Early on, Bode’s approach to one-off pieces made from vintage textiles may have felt like an alien proposition to Western buyers, but Japanese consumers have historically had a strong appetite for the handcrafted and slower fashion narrative the business is built around,” writes fashion journalist Ashley Ogawa Clarke.
Following the success of Bode’s New York, Los Angeles and Paris locations, Bode Aujla notes that the brand is opening around one store per year at the moment, and that Seoul may be the next city to welcome a flagship store.
Crafting Bode’s Tokyo Flagship
As one of Tokyo’s most beloved, peaceful neighborhoods, Yoyogi-Uehara perfectly mirrors Bode’s core philosophy of intimacy and domesticity, embedded in a community where families live, work and spend their leisure time. To bring this vision to life, Bode once again collaborated with Green River Project LLC, the design firm led by Aaron Aujla and Ben Bloomstein.
The interior is a masterclass in design, drawing inspiration from the work of Cezch-American architect Antonin Raymond, known for blending Western modernism with traditional Japanese techniques in landmark projects like the Italian Embassy Villa in Nikko. Inside, the furniture and decor reference the historic Kennedy Restoration of the White House from 1961-63.
It’s a space that feels impeccably curated, yet effortlessly warm and lived-in. The entrance features a reproduction of a painting from JFK’s Oval Office by artist Matt Kenny, while the fitting rooms house an Egyptian landscape by Kurt Beers, flanked by Iranian brass vases holding dried hydrangeas from Bode Aujla’s Connecticut garden. Notable Japanese details include recycled wood doors with gorgeous green glass windows from Hiyama, Kanagawa, and a centerpiece hut made of salvaged cypress, built entirely by hand.
Alongside full seasonal collections, the store offers one-of-a-kind pieces made from vintage and antique textiles, as well as other original souvenir items.
About the Brand
Founded in 2016 by Emily Adams Bode Aujla, Bode is a luxury fashion house that revolutionized the industry by elevating antique textiles and traditionally female-centric crafts — quilting, mending, appliqué and beyond — into the realm of high-end tailoring.
The brand is celebrated for its commitment to preservation and storytelling, using materials like Victorian quilts, grain sacks and vintage linens to create singular garments. Bridging sentimentality and modernity, Bode has become a cult favorite brand for those who value sustainability, heritage and craftsmanship.
Beyond its aesthetic and conceptual appeal, Bode represents a shift toward a more empathetic and intellectual approach to clothing. Bode Aujla was the first female designer to show at New York Fashion Week: Men’s in 2017, and her work consistently challenges ideas of masculinity by incorporating traditionally feminine domestic arts.
Today, the brand is a global powerhouse that maintains the soul of a small-scale atelier, garnering prestigious accolades like the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year award in both 2021 and 2022. By building a community of collectors who view their clothing as wearable heirlooms, Bode has effectively redefined American luxury for a new generation.
