LUMINE has partnered with ANDREAS MURKUDIS to present tokyo sense, a new cultural platform for contemporary Japanese fashion, craft and design, during Paris Fashion Week Men’s. The project introduces Tokyo’s material-led culture to a European audience through retail, exhibition and editorial presentation.
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The Paris edition runs from June 14 to July 7, 2026, at 16 Rue des Minimes. LUMINE and ANDREAS MURKUDIS have selected around 30 Japanese brands, designers and makers for the program. The selection covers fashion, objects, books and craft, bringing several creative disciplines into one temporary setting.
tokyo sense examines Japan’s close relationship with manufacturing, materials and skilled production. The project also shows how contemporary designers develop those practices for current life. Each participant receives equal space within the presentation, allowing visitors to encounter individual approaches without a formal hierarchy between categories.
The format combines a multi-brand concept store, exhibition and media platform. LUMINE and ANDREAS MURKUDIS use the Paris setting to connect Tokyo with buyers, customers, press and fashion professionals in Europe. Many participating labels still have limited distribution on the continent, giving the project a direct commercial role alongside its cultural program.
Murkudis sees the platform as an opportunity to introduce the Japanese brands he works with to a wider network. He also considers the mix of clothing, objects and books essential to the experience. The range gives visitors several ways to understand how Japanese makers approach materials, production and daily use.
His collaboration with LUMINE also responds to the speed that often shapes fashion and cultural programming. tokyo sense gives every brand enough room for visitors to understand its work, methods and value. Selection and context guide the presentation, while the limited schedule gives the project a defined public presence in Paris.
The timing brings tokyo sense into Paris Fashion Week Men’s and places the participating brands before an international industry audience. The project also addresses the local Paris community through its public location and scheduled program.
LUMINE President and CEO Teruyuki Omote describes tokyo sense as the company’s first project in Paris. The launch follows the opening of LUMINE’s global flagship in Singapore and marks another step in the company’s international activity. Omote connects the project with Japanese attention to materials, detail and forms of production that continue to develop alongside modern life.
LUMINE plans to take tokyo sense to other cities through future editions. The company aims to build a recurring format that connects creative communities through curation, commerce and editorial presentation. The model gives Japanese brands greater access to international audiences while creating a focused setting for fashion, craft and culture.
To explore how tokyo sense came together, DSCENE editor Ana Markovic spoke with Andreas Murkudis about his partnership with LUMINE, the selection of 30 Japanese brands and the project’s Paris debut. Murkudis also discusses material experimentation, the value of quality and plans to bring tokyo sense to Berlin in 2027.
How did the partnership with LUMINE begin, and what made this the right project to develop together?
The collaboration started when Hiroyuki Murase from SUZUSAN introduced me to Mr. Omote, the president of LUMINE. They were searching for a creative advisor to help introduce Japanese brands to a broader European audience. Hiro suggested I would be the perfect ambassador, given my long-standing work with Japanese brands. I’m deeply grateful for this connection – it felt like the ideal opportunity to bridge these worlds.
Why did Paris make the most sense for the first edition of tokyo sense?
Paris was the obvious choice. It’s the heart of fashion, and a project like tokyo sense belongs there.
Tokyo has thousands of brands. How did you narrow the selection down to these 30?
It was incredibly challenging. We could have chosen 200 brands – there’s so much potential. But we were limited by space, and I wanted each of the 30 brands to have the room to shine and unfold their magic.
Was there one quality you looked for in every object, garment, or brand before including it?
The common denominator across the tokyo sense product selection – whether a brush, a book, or a blouse – is quality.
Many of the selected brands remain relatively unknown in Europe. Do you see your role here as a curator, retailer, translator, advocate, or a combination of those roles?
Having worked with Japanese brands since 2003 in my own stores – and because of my deep love for Japan – tokyo sense has been a project close to my heart from the very beginning. Together with MOON we created a newspaper for the project, featuring a map of other Japanese showrooms in Paris, along with restaurants and shops. My goal isn’t to gatekeep these brands but to inspire and motivate others to discover and fall in love with them too. There’s too much sameness everywhere, yet so much more to explore. It just takes a little research and courage!
What interests you most about contemporary Japanese design today, and how do you recognize when a brand has the potential to connect with an international audience?
Let me highlight EDOYA as an example. They’ve been crafting all kinds of brushes since the 18th century and had never sold their products outside Japan before. Their products possess an eternal beauty that immediately captivated me. We bought a small selection, and it sells wonderfully. It’s an old product, yet it feels fresh and surprising for the European market. There are so many more stories like this waiting to be told.
How does the Japanese approach to materials and production differ from what you usually encounter in Europe?
I see a greater passion for pushing the boundaries of materials. There’s more willingness to experiment with daring combinations and to take materiality to new levels.
How did you shape the physical space in Paris so that it reflected the character of the selected brands?
During my trip to Japan in March, I found inspiration in my hotel room. There was a small wall hanging with fabric stretched between a wooden frame, and I loved its lightness and elegance. It reminded me of shoji, a traditional Japanese interior element used to separate rooms. It was exactly the aesthetic I wanted for tokyo sense and I’m excited to see how it turns out.
Why was it important to include ceramics, books, beauty, and homeware alongside fashion?
Mixing product categories has been central to my store concepts since 2002. I do it because I want to show design in its widest and deepest sense. The mix creates exciting alliances and discoveries, making different concepts, aesthetics, and crafts visible.
What do you think European audiences still misunderstand about contemporary Japanese design, and what can tokyo sense help them see differently?
I don’t think there’s a misunderstanding – it’s more a lack of knowledge or readiness to dive into the depth of Japanese design and craftsmanship. That’s why we’re starting with tokyo sense and our 30 brands, while also pointing visitors to around 30-40 other Japanese brand showrooms, restaurants and shops across Paris through our newspaper map. We feel honored to spread the word and act as ambassadors and service providers for products from Japan.
Once the Paris edition closes, what do you hope remains from the project, and where could tokyo sense travel next?
I hope the response will be positive and that many people discover something meaningful in tokyo sense. I also hope more industry professionals will be inspired to visit Japan and explore its creative landscape. We’re already planning to bring tokyo sense to our store during Berlin Gallery Weekend 2027, as part of our projects for our 25th-anniversary celebrations.
tokyo sense runs through July 7, 2026, at 16 Rue des Minimes, 75003 Paris.
The next edition of tokyo sense will take place next year.
