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News & Notes
Nigh Magazine
2025.6.13 update









LA MUSEUM

SHIBUYA


: Where Fashion Holds Aesthetic Thought








Two weeks to encounter the quiet presence and aesthetic essence of fashion. LA MUSEUM, curated by LAILA, returns with its second physical exhibition— ‘LA MUSEUM SHIBUYA’ opens in Shibuya on June 14, featuring around 50 archival pieces on view.






LA MUSEUM, the online museum operated by LAILA, will hold its physical exhibition “LA MUSEUM SHIBUYA” in a special venue in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Since their founding in 2002, LAILA has been decoding and drawing out the aesthetic sensibilities embedded in garments throughout fashion history. With a discerning eye and fluid sensitivity, they have curated and preserved maison vintage pieces from around the world, offering a timeless perspective on fashion free from the bounds of trends and eras.

In 2013, LAILA opened LAILA TOKIO in a backstreet of Shibuya. The boutique showcased archival pieces by Helmut Lang, Raf Simons, Maison Martin Margiela, BLESS, and others—curated through a poetic approach that gently reframed existing contexts. The space itself, a white, unmarked structure rebuilt from a mid-Showa-era Japanese house by artist Koichiro Kimura, featured over 8,000 pyramid pieces and more than a ton of glass concrete. Designed as a place to “converse with clothing,” it stood as an architectural embodiment of LAILA’s philosophy. In 2024, however, the Shibuya location came to a close due to aging infrastructure.

Still, LAILA’s practice did not come to an end. While continuing to operate by appointment, they had already been preparing a new direction: the launch of LA MUSEUM, an online platform that officially debuted in July of the same year. Collaborating with collectors across the globe, they digitized tens of thousands of archival pieces using 3D scanning technology. By capturing and publishing even the structural and sewing details in three dimensions, the project repositions fashion as something to be appreciated—highlighting the artistic and creative vitality embedded in garments, and extending that value to both contemporary and future sensibilities.





 
LA MUSEUM
Image Movie
2024

LA MUSEUM is an online museum that exhibits various garments from different periods of time.Since World War II, clothing and fashion have continually evolved alongside changing lifestyles and cultures. Each exhibition is curated according to a theme and displayed online. With just a digital device and an internet connection, anyone can easily appreciate these pieces from anywhere in the world. The initiators and operators of this museum project, LAILA, along with collectors from around the globe have used 3D technology to photograph and digitize tens of thousands of garments and accessories, making them available to the public. All exhibits can be viewed from a 360-degree angle, allowing viewers to see even the finest stitches in detail. LA MUSEUM aims to reimagine the way art is appreciated, not only by fashion enthusiasts but also by those who love visiting museums. This digital fashion database will not only serve as a treasure trove of inspiration for current fashion designers, but also as an innovative research resource for future fashion and art students. Plans include partnering with universities and vocational schools to offer students free invitations to exhibitions. Additionally, special projects for each exhibition will be conducted, such as tours with fashion professionals using NFTs and the production of catalogs. In an era increasingly dominated by commercialism, LA MUSEUM continues to focus on the “Art of Fashion.” Its primary goal is to preserve and pass down the artistry, creativity, and craftsmanship that humans have infused into clothing, contributing not only to the fashion industry but to society as a whole, guiding the future of fashion design in a more meaningful and valuable direction.

www.la-museum.com
 




Then, on May 31 of this year, LA MUSEUM hosted its first physical exhibition—“Margiela at Villa in the Forest”—a one-day, invitation-only event held in an architectural space nestled in the forests of Nagano. The exhibit featured 12 archival pieces from Maison Martin Margiela (1989–1999), along with original design sketches and video documentation. The experience, shared by only a select few visitors, became a quietly resonant memory.




 
   Margiela at Villa in the Forest
   Photo by Takashi Homma
 




Carrying that spirit forward, LA MUSEUM will present its second physical exhibition, “LA MUSEUM SHIBUYA,” from June 14 to 29 in a special venue in Shibuya. This installment will feature approximately 50 archival looks from the online collection “1950s–2010s Part 2: History of Modern Fashion Design.” Visitors can expect to see iconic pieces from the punk-era Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, as well as transformative figures in Japanese fashion such as Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo, and Yohji Yamamoto. The lineup also includes Martin Margiela, Helmut Lang, John Galliano, and Alexander McQueen—designers who helped shape fashion in the latter half of the 20th century.




Issey Miyake Comme des Garçons Yohji Yamamoto John Galliano Alexander McQueen





Additionally, the exhibition will screen a documentary photo series of Maison Martin Margiela’s Spring/Summer 1990 collection, taken by Shoichi Aoki in 1989. Also on view, for the first time in Japan, will be a 215-photo installation by Margiela originally created for the 2006 exhibition “La Force de l’Art” at the Grand Palais in Paris.









This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to engage with the accumulation of ideas that LAILA has woven through clothing. More than a presentation, it invites visitors to encounter the presence of each garment in person—absorbing its aura through the senses. It will be a meaningful experience not only for those immersed in fashion, but also for anyone drawn to art and culture.









Overview

LA MUSEUM SHIBUYA
Dates: June 14 (Sat) – 29 (Sun), 2025
Hours: 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Venue: LA MUSEUM SHIBUYA Special Exhibition Space
Venue: Token-Nagai Building B1F, 2-12-24 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Admission: Free
*Please download the LA MUSEUM app before your visit and present the app screen on your smartphone at entry.

LAILA TOKIO
laila-tokio.com

LA MUSEUM
www.la-museum.com










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