Juana de Arco’s New Home in Aoyama

By Kelly Wetherille |
July 29, 2013 |
Families, Fashion

I first stumbled upon Juana de Arco's small, crowded store in the back streets around Omotesando a few years ago, and I was drawn inside by the riot of color and print that shouted out at passersby from the shop window. With the popularity of the Buenos Aires-based brand growing, it has now moved into a larger locale not far away in Kita-Aoyama, making it far easier for customers to browse the huge selection of clothes without being overcome with sensory overload.

Juana de Arco is truly a brand for women—and girls—of all ages. Its founder, Argentinean designer Mariana Cortés, says that in creating the label, she wanted to make something “dedicated to all women born in this world, from babies to grandmothers.” Step inside the Aoyama shop and you’ll immediately see what she means. Cute-meets-sexy thongs and bikinis mingle with comfy yoga and lounge wear, while adorable kids’ clothes and toys are displayed alongside cushions and other home goods.

The uniting factor at Juana de Arco is that just about everything is done in brightly colored, printed jersey—often with more than one print per garment. The lingerie is both fun and comfortable, made of soft cotton with trimmings like lace and ribbons. One drawback is that the bras are all wireless, which doesn’t work for many women, but makes them a great choice for starter bras for teens and adolescents. Undies start from about ¥2,625, and wireless triangle bras from ¥4,200.

For little ones, there are the most squeal-worthy tank tops you have ever seen, with tiny butterfly wings attached to the back (¥6,825). You can also buy the wings separately, which is genius considering many kiddos will probably never want to take them off.

As for the ladies’ clothes, there are soft jersey nighties (starting around ¥12,600), relaxed yoga pants (¥13,650), leggings (¥10,500) and various styles of t-shirts, tank tops and camisoles (from about ¥7,875).

For those of you who don’t like to call attention to yourselves by wearing loud colors and crazy prints to your yoga class at the gym, Juana de Arco has the answer for you, too. On the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m., the store hosts an hour-long yoga lesson followed by brunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (call ahead to reserve a space). So head over to the store to kit yourself out (or shop online) before the next event rolls around.