news

At present, the consumption trends of Chinese consumers are changing with each passing day, and they are more pursuing factors such as health, safety, comfort and sports. The well-known international clothing brand UNIQLO adheres to the brand concept of "LifeWear" and takes the needs of the public as the starting point. At the just-held 2024 Autumn and Winter New Product Launch Conference, it brought a series of timeless products inspired by the diverse mix-and-match charm of Edinburgh and the modern color style of the Nordic city of Stockholm.

The air-locking technology brings the originally heavy and not warm enough cotton clothes into a new era of lightweight warmth; the DRY-EX quick-drying technology allows you to stay dry even when you are sweating profusely; the first three-party collaboration between KAWS and Warhol, the next hit IP is on paper... With the combination of technology and creativity, Uniqlo is breaking the traditional imagination of the clothing industry.

Technology takes center stage in outdoor fashion

After the beginning of autumn, the weather gradually turns cooler, but the trend of outdoor sports is gradually heating up. With the development of technology and the change of public demand, clothing that combines outdoor sports functions with daily comfort is being redefined. In the list of "100 Greatest Modern Designs" launched by Fortune magazine, only one clothing product was selected, which is Uniqlo's high-end lightweight down. This time, Uniqlo once again led the development of the industry. The new autumn and winter product PUFFTECH air cotton jacket brings the heavy and not warm traditional cotton jacket into a new era of lightness.

PUFFTECH air cotton jacket uses the air lock technology innovatively developed by UNIQLO and Toray. The unique filling material in the cotton jacket is a granular filler made of extremely fine 3D hollow fibers. The diameter of each fiber is only about one-fifth of the diameter of an ordinary hair, so that more air can be accommodated in a unit volume to form an air insulation layer, which makes the body feel as light as being wrapped in air. A men's jacket weighs only 500g, while a traditional men's cotton jacket generally weighs up to 2kg. Not only that, PUFFTECH air cotton jacket is also moisture-proof and waterproof, and can easily cope with wet and cold environments, light rain and snow weather. It is also because of this versatility that it can achieve multiple scenes from indoors to outdoors, from daily life to sports.

In the just concluded Olympic Games, an interesting detail made UNIQLO's clothing fabrics once again the center of discussion. In the Paris Olympics, the "battle uniform" of Swedish table tennis player Moregaard caused heated discussions. In the fierce competition, Moregaard was sweating profusely, but his uniform was still refreshing. This eye-catching uniform came from UNIQLO. It can be seen that UNIQLO has put a lot of effort into the technological content of its clothing.

According to the Beijing Business Daily reporter from the Uniqlo brand, the team uniforms that accidentally went viral this time are made of Uniqlo's DRY-EX quick-drying technology. Uniqlo mentioned to the Beijing Business Daily reporter, "What people ask about most is actually the DRY-EX quick-drying series that Uniqlo has been selling. It has 1-second sweat-absorbing technology and the residual moisture is less than 5% in an hour. The special-shaped treatment of the fabric fibers allows moisture to be quickly discharged." In addition to DRY-EX quick-drying clothes, Uniqlo also uses DRY-EX fabrics that absorb sweat in 1 second in many product lines, such as men's and women's POLO, super-elastic and worry-free pants, etc.

The first three-party joint hits emerge in endlessly

Uniqlo not only keeps up with the trend of the times, but also has its own philosophy in creating hits. Collaboration is nothing new, but under the wave of IP, Uniqlo's products have always been deeply rooted in people's hearts. From the "one-shot" collaboration with KAWS to the annual designer collaboration series, Uniqlo is constantly "opening up".

This time, UNIQLO teamed up with street culture artist KAWS and pop art godfather Andy Warhol for the first time to jointly create the UNIQLO KAWS + Warhol collaboration series UT, which will be officially released on August 23. Previously, the two artists have collaborated with UNIQLO many times. Whether it is various classic images of KAWS or popular patterns such as Campbell's soup cans and Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol, they have appeared in UT's product lineup many times, and their popularity is remarkable. This collaboration combines the iconic works of the two masters with UNIQLO UT. KAWS's classic reappearance, BFF, COMPANION, ACCOMPLICE dolls and the iconic "XX" elements give UT a playful attribute; Andy Warhol's rock banana pattern designed for the album cover of the legendary band "The Velvet Underground" and classic lips elements all appear, presenting a brand new visual impression for UT.

Uniqlo also collaborated with the Shanghai Museum on the UTme! series, which transforms art treasures into fashion items. Uniqlo said, "The UTme! series extends the fun of bronze artifacts and has more than a dozen different styles. After buying this T-shirt, many young people will also want to see the exhibition at the Shanghai Museum. The sales of the entire series are very impressive."

When it comes to combining high-end and everyday relaxation, UNIQLO: C series is definitely on the list. UNIQLO: C series is presented by high-end designer Clare Waight Keller. As the former creative director of Chloé and Givenchy, she once said that the design process of UNIQLO: C is no different from the design process for luxury goods in the past. "For me, design is always design. Designing a $10 chair and designing a $1,000 chair are both designs. What we have to do is to make the best design at different levels." Under this concept, UNIQLO: C makes high-end design into daily wear, realizing the popularization of design and fashion. This season is the third collaboration between UNIQLO and Clare Waight Keller. It also launched a men's wear series for the first time. The design inspiration comes from the Barbican Art Center, a landmark building in London. Inspired by the modernist practical architectural style, it brings new urban rhythm products that combine high-end taste and free style. It will be launched on September 6.

When individual items are endowed with artistic value, and when affordable and high-end products coexist, the emergence of co-branded products becomes a matter of course.

Stores are windows that maximize the sense of experience and create trendy landmarks in the city

Good products also need good communication windows, and upgraded stores are the best bridge to connect with consumers. Currently, UNIQLO has more than 900 stores in China, all of which are directly operated. After having a certain number of stores, UNIQLO began to pursue the efficiency of a single store. Through the experience and service of the store, the brand image of UNIQLO is conveyed to consumers as having quality, technology, and design concepts. "UNIQLO currently has a big strategy, hoping to further leverage the brand's store advantages in China and implement 'individual store management'. The main purpose is to upgrade to higher-quality stores. Quantity is of course important, but quality is also important." UNIQLO said.

On the one hand, UNIQLO will upgrade the original stores, expand the area, and renovate them. Some stores will be renovated and expanded after the lease expires. For example, the UNIQLO Kunming Plaza store, which has been rooted in Kunming for 10 years, will be renovated and reopened in the near future. On the other hand, new stores will be opened. The first UNIQLO store in Sanya will open during the National Day holiday. In the next two months, UNIQLO will open nearly 20 new stores, and nearly 50 new stores will be opened in China every year.

In terms of experience upgrade, some city flagship stores sell UNIQLO fresh flowers while selling clothing. The stores are not only a space for displaying goods, but also for joint cooperation with cities. When opening a new store in Wuhan, UNIQLO once launched the Wuhan Hankou No. 2 Factory "River City Fun" series and Zhou Hei Ya "Fireworks Taste of the World" series UTme! with the local No. 2 Factory Soda and Zhou Hei Ya. In the "Different City Fun" series UTme!, the pattern of Shanghai uses hairy crab elements, Beijing uses Peking Opera mask elements, Chengdu uses panda elements, etc. Walking through UNIQLO stores, you will find that the displays are adapted to local conditions and have their own characteristics, so that each store has something to visit. The Beijing Sanlitun Taikoo Li flagship store and the Shanghai Huaihai Middle Road global flagship store have become trendy landmarks in the city.

"Uniqlo attaches great importance to the Chinese market and is very aware of its importance. Our requirement for ourselves is to continuously improve the quality of individual stores to better meet the growing needs and changes of consumers," said the Uniqlo brand.