East meets West in Uniqlo’s latest offering
If there is one thing that is a constant in Emily Cooper’s wardrobe, it is the “Mona Lisa” bookbag she always carries with her during French class. It is simple yet chic and puts Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece closer to the masses—not that it needs to, but you get the paint. Fashion becoming the canvas for famous artworks is not new, think of Christian Dior channeling Niki de Saint Phalle in couture, Coach paying homage to Keith Haring through ready-to-wear, and the latest, Michael Cinco with his reimagination of the works of Gustav Klimt. Now, if you’ve been wanting to put an artistic spin on your wardrobe, this t-shirt collection is the one to check out.
Following the success of its collaboration last year, Uniqlo and the Musée du Louvre are again bringing the art world to everyone’s closet with their latest line together with graphic artist Yu Nagaba. Unlike its past, pop art-like line, “The Louvre x Yu Nagaba” collection explores a sense of contemporary and simplicity as Nagaba reinterprets the museum’s priced pieces with his minimalist illustrations, presenting a fresh perspective on Western art.
“When I started expressing myself in the simple lines I use today, the first painting I emulated was the ‘Mona Lisa.’ I thought the best way to show off this style would be through an image that people already know and love,” Nagaba says. “So it was deeply meaningful for me to return to the ‘Mona Lisa’ for this project and I really enjoyed the process of finishing the pieces while closely examining the characteristics of the original artworks.”
The collection draws on a variety of motifs from the more than 35,000 works displayed in the Musée du Louvre, including Greek sculpture, European painting, and Egyptian art. Apart from the ‘Mona Lisa,’ the UT collaboration collection also showcases the graphic artist’s illustration of Vermeer's “Astronomer,” the “Nike of Samothrace,” among others. Aside from the collection, the partnership between Uniqlo and the Musée du Louvre includes several educational programs held at the museum.
In time for the local celebration of Arts Month, the collection is set to be launched on Feb. 14, in all Uniqlo stores and online.
Check out the collection here.
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