9 of the Strongest Uniqlo Designer Collaborations
From NIGO to Pharrell, the Japanese chain has seen some big names come through its design doors.
When you think of fast fashion and designer collaborations, it’s likely your first thought was “H&M.” While the Swedish fast fashion behemoth definitely makes headlines for its high fashion collaborations and jaw-dropping line ups, Uniqlo has been, arguably more quietly, also edging into the top spot for stellar designer-fast fashion collaborations. In fact, Uniqlo tapped Alexander Wang for a 5-piece dress collection back in 2008 — way before his frenzied collection for H&M in 2014.
Uniqlo has long supported designer collaborations, launching the Uniqlo Designer Invitation Project back in 2007. The project has since seen the Japanese fashion pillar release collections with designers such as Phillip Lim, Charlotte Ronson, Vena Cava, Opening Ceremony and more. Here, we take a look back at some of the best Uniqlo designer collaborations in history, and some current ones you’ll want to keep an eye on.
Jil Sander’s “+J”
The +J collection at Uniqlo is definitely one of the most memorable and one we wish was still around. In collaboration with Jil Sander, the collection debuted in 2009 to much fanfare and lasted for five seasons. The collaborative line was called +J due to the fact that another company owns the designer’s former eponymous fashion house (Jil Sander), and held the rights to her full name. A shame, for sure, but the collections it spawned are still highly sought after. So much so, that Uniqlo brought back the collection’s hottest pieces in a “Best of +J” release in 2014 and 2015. We’ve still got our fingers crossed for another revival, though.
Opening Ceremony for the Designer Invitation Program
Back in 2009, Opening Ceremony designed a menswear collection for Uniqlo as a part of its Designer Invitation Project. Released in March of that year, the collection boasted simple basics including a stellar range of button-down shirts and cardigans. Its pared-down sensibilities were most definitely welcome, in addition to the very reasonable price point — button downs began at $29 USD and suits under $100 USD.
Theory’s “T Down”
Introduced for the fall/winter season in 2012, New York’s contemporary label Theory teamed up with Uniqlo to release a line of winter jackets. Entitled the “T Down” collection, pieces boasted color-blocked neutrals of darker color palettes. Styles included both the Banff Classic Puffer Vest and Big Sky Classic Puffer Jacket. Once again, prices were very reasonable with the vest coming in at $99 USD and the jacket at $150 USD.
Undercover’s “uu”
Later on in 2011, Uniqlo announced a collaboration with Jun Takahashi’s UNDERCOVER. This time around, the Japanese retailer and fashion designer released a family-friendly collection with lines for men, women and children. Entitled “UU,” its menswear offerings included a range of basic outerwear at very reasonable price points. According to Takahashi, this opportunity with Uniqlo allowed him to offer UNDERCOVER pieces to both children and those who may not be able to afford its pieces. The collaboration lasted for another collection, and was revived in 2014 except this time, it was solely for childrenswear.
Alexandre Plokhov of Helmut Lang’s “Urban Sweats”
Here’s another one we wish were still in stores. Alexandre Plokhov first collaborated with Uniqlo as a part of its Designer Invitation Project for a small capsule collection. Fast forward to 2014, and Alexandre Plokhov returns to Uniqlo with a more comprehensive offering. Entitled “Urban Sweats,” the collaboration saw a range of not-so-basic sweats in a range of contemporary silhouettes.
Christophe Lemaire
Christophe Lemaire is the latest designer to grace Uniqlo’s affordable clothes’ racks. The French designer is not only a stellar fashion maestro in his own right with an eponymous brand, but his previous role was creative director of the legendary Hermès. It was announced that Lemaire would be collaborating with the Japanese mainstay in 2015 with its first collection dropping fall/winter. His designs boast a clean minimalism and the effortless French aesthetic he’s known for. With luscious knits and structured sweaters, the pieces are budget-friendly and definite must-haves. Check out the latest lookbook here for spring/summer of this year, with a release date March 18.
NIGO for UT
Perhaps Uniqlo’s most famous — and most important– collaborator, NIGO holds the title of Creative Director of Uniqlo’s UT line. UT is Uniqlo’s graphic T-shirt arm, and NIGO has held this position since he left his own label A Bathing Ape in 2013. UT is known for its endless collaborative T-shirt collections. Names such as Pharrell Williams, Medicom Toy, Andy Warhol, Disneyland and hundreds more have launched T-shirts with the line. Since its inception, the UT line has made itself a one stop shop for all graphic T-shirts. The beauty of the UT line and what makes it so special is the artistic direction and design — these aren’t your typical branded graphic T-shirts. NIGO himself has stated that he oversees the design of over 1,000 T-shirts a season — a daunting task indeed, but one we’re sure he’s up for.
Pharrell Williams
Promptly after NIGO’s appointment as Uniqlo’s creative director, the designer appointed close friend and collaborator Pharrell Williams to be the face of Uniqlo’s UT line in 2014. The match worked out well, with Pharrell a huge supporter of Uniqlo’s line of graphic T-shirts. So much so, that he launched his own line of UT garment with his imprint i am OTHER.
Medicom Toy
Another name that is all too familiar with HYPEBEAST culture is Medicom Toy. The Japanese toy maker collaborated with Uniqlo’s UT line for two seasons in 2013 and 2014. Both collections saw a range of T-shirts donning various artistic prints in addition to plenty of BE@RBRICK shirts. The cherry on top of this collection was that every shirt purchased came with a special edition BE@RBRICK — an immensely good deal.
