Third Time's the Charm: UNIQLO x JW Anderson

As a college student on a budget, UNIQLO provides me with timeless pieces that I can rewear for years without breaking the bank. While fast fashion is not particularly great for the environment or garment workers in other countries, it is often the only option for those on a budget. However, UNIQLO does not follow the typical fast fashion model, and their basics are known for being timeless pieces rather than just items that will be thrown out after a year.

For years, UNIQLO has sought to make designer pieces accessible to their audiences while maintaining a fairly affordable price point. Over the years, the Japanese retailer has collaborated with several notable designers such as Jil Sander, Christophe Lemaire, and Tomas Maier. For the past three years, UNIQLO has worked with English brand JW Anderson, releasing a collection for Fall/Winter 2017, Spring/Summer 2018, and now, Spring/Summer 2019.

JW Anderson’s third collection with UNIQLO was heavily influenced by British heritage while still catering to UNIQLO’s minimalistic aesthetic. The collection features reversible outerwear, duffle and tote bags, and lots of paisley, a pattern frequently used by Anderson in collections for his namesake brand. In reference to this collection, Anderson said that it was more personal to him and that it was a collection that he could see his little sister purchasing.

UNIQLO’s third collaboration with Anderson is reflective of the designer’s personal views on fashion. Despite being a creative designer for LVMH-owned brand Loewe and having his own luxury brand, Anderson stated in a previous interview that he began questioning the fundamentals of luxury fashion after being appointed creative director of Loewe. Rather than always striving for luxury, Anderson also stresses the importance of the democratization of fashion. His third collection with UNIQLO speaks to this idea, offering tank tops for under $15 and parkas for under $40.

The third UNIQLO x J.W. Anderson collection launched online and select stores on March 7th! To check out more of the collection, click here.

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Feature image and pictures of collection via.

Watch Out, A Wave of New Uniqlo Collabs Is Coming

I have always adored Uniqlo U. After two seasons of Uniqlo x Lemaire and four seasons of Uniqlo U, the brand has taken over my closet inch by inch. It has also become an industry leader with regards to collaborations. Uniqlo x ? used to be a major event just for fashion lovers; now the collaboration series has become a strong component of Uniqlo's brand identity. 

Uniqlo has worked with MoMA, Niko Luoma, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Disney, Marvel, Nintendo, style icons such as Ines de la Fressange and Carine Roitfeld, brands like Marimekko and Theory, and of course designers such as Hana Tajima and Jil Sander… The list goes on and on. For Uniqlo and its collaborators, every piece of clothing is an opportunity for fashion to intersect with affordability, versatility and mass appeal.

There are a couple of Uniqlo x ? to watch out for in the coming months. What’s better than beating the lingering winter and welcoming the impending summer with some shopping for warmer months?

JW Anderson SS2018: Available online April 19 8pm CST, in Chicago store April 20

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UT x Marvel Grand Prix 2018: online April 26 8pm CST, in-store April 27

Tomas Maier Clothes for Time-off: online May 17 8pm CST, in-store May 18

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Feature image via

Brands to Know: Uniqlo (Unique Clothing)

Uniqlo is arguably the best clothing brand for basics on the market right now. It tends to be grouped together with fast fashion brands such as Zara, H&M and Forever 21 but Uniqlo occupies a completely different niche. The defining features of fast fashion are not its quality or even its affordability, it is the rate that the brand pumps out new designs to stay on top of trends. As a business model, this works very well and attracts the majority of the population who do not look too closely into what they are wearing. 

Uniqlo is completely different.

Uniqlo puts out new designs seasonally and provides products that are extremely affordable, made with high-quality material and work with any wardrobe. They do not buy into trends (overly distressed denim, oversized flannels, overly distressed everything, zipper pants to name a few recent ones that others, like H&M, have taken advantage of us) and are always consistent with their Japanese minimalist theme. Rather than changing styles, Uniqlo regularly adds new technologies to their clothes. Some of the most popular ones are the Heattech, Ultra Light Down and Easy Care Shirts. Most fast fashion brands sacrifice quality when trying to put out new designs all the time. Instead, in the battle between quality and quantity, Uniqlo picked quality. This is not to say that they do not have a variety of clothing. Uniqlo offers everything from jeans to t-shirts to peacoats. Nearly none of their clothes are branded but they do put out collaborations regularly. Some of the most notable ones were Uniqlo x KAWS, Uniqlo x J.W. Anderson, Uniqlo x Lemaire and the UT artist collaborations.

I buy nearly all of my blank T-Shirts from Uniqlo, specifically, the Supima® Cotton Crewneck T-Shirts which are spun from U.S. grown Pima cotton. This cotton gives the T-Shirt an amazing silky and soft texture (very different from Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, Champion etc.). A similar T-Shirt from competing brands would run you about $30 while Uniqlo offers it for only $9.90. Not only is Uniqlo already ultra-affordable, they regularly have sales. The denim jacket pictured was marked down from $39.90 to $19.90.