Here's what goes behind the seams of the brand's latest offering.
Sustainability and technology have been at the core of Uniqlo. Through the years, the Japanese retail giant has formulated ways of designing clothes in a much greener sense, from maximizing its resources to minimizing its use of water – ultimately, building a brand that centers on the wellbeing of humans and the planet.
In Charles Baudelaire's essay The Painter of Life, the French poet discussed beauty in permanence – that one must find a distinctive style, a fixed aesthetic, and do it in variation.
That kind of idea led the brand to introduce Lifewear, which “is the Uniqlo concept that expresses simple, high quality, everyday clothing with a practical sense of beauty designed to make everyone’s life better.”
Conceived thoughtfully with people's changing needs in mind, LifeWear adheres to a promise of continual progress toward something better. It features the best materials, modern elegant lines, and superior comfort, all aimed to provide ease when staying at home or doing daily tasks, and to support keeping active and healthy.
For its fall/winter 2020 offering, Lifewear aims to highlight the innovations that the brand had worked on for years under the theme Sustainable Cities, presenting closet staples for today's sustainable urban living.
GARMENTS OF THE FUTURE
For Sustainable Cities, Uniqlo focuses on three categories inspired by urban landscapes and architectural aesthetics. Here are the lines to move your style transition forward:
The Outdoors
Tinted in earth tone shades and warm autumnal colors, The Outdoors highlights coats and jackets that are eco-friendly and temperature sensitive. Uniqlo introduces its line of Ultra Light Down and Hybrid Down Jackets that feature detachable hoods and a new three-dimensional design that does not restrict arm movements. The line's sporty and utilitarian aesthetic, mixed with the brand's Blocktech innovations, gives versatile pieces fit for cold and humid weather.
Arts and Design
Think of layering in muted palettes of blues, grays, and neutrals. The Art and Design line features looks in easy suits and sweaters for men, and georgette blouses and pleated skirts for women. The preppy quality makes for timeless and functional pieces, perfect for social gatherings online or offline.
Work and Craft
Rounding up the Sustainable Cities theme is Work and Craft. The line fits today's demand for "workleisure" pieces as we balance life and work at home. Unlike the two other lines, it explores more on prints such as the classic stripes, dainty florals, and plaid. Its splashes of fall colors make a spiced up WFH outfit.
DESIGNERS' TOUCH
Working with global designers is Uniqlo's key in keeping Lifewear relevant and fashion forward. For its fall/winter offering, the brand worked with international designers from New York and Paris.
Ines de la Fressange
The brand's latest collaboration with French designer and fashion icon Ines de la Fressange is inspired by individuals who symbolized female freedom and independence in the 1970s. Jane Birkin, Ali MacGraw, and Diane Keaton became fashion leaders and symbols of women’s liberation during that decade.
Hana Tajima
New York-based designer Hana Tajima focuses on women's identity and the power of clothing in her collection with Uniqlo. "Women today are advancing in society as all kinds of boundaries come down," the brand says. "The clothes women choose to wear each day can highlight their unique nature, and allow them to feel refreshed while providing all-day comfort."
The collection expresses the beauty of independent women through silhouettes and details. Textiles with leaf and grass patterns, and neutral tones of cold and warm colors schemes, emphasize subtle beauty. The collection also provides pieces that can be styled to fit the daily changes in women’s bodies and mood.
Uniqlo U
Adding a sense of luxury to the brand's concept of Lifewear is artistic director Christophe Lemaire with his latest Uniqlo U collection featuring Future Lifewear essentials. Christophe and his team in Paris reimagine everyday clothing using innovative materials, and shaping them into contemporary silhouettes.
Using textiles such as corduroy, satin, viscose, and knit, Uniqlo U gives refined looks with a rich sensibility and details that merge masculine and feminine silhouettes. Think of neutral (color) territory.
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