Uniqlo Announces Spring Collaborations

Fast Retailing Co. Ltd.'s Uniqlo is ramping up their fashion for spring with the announcement of collaborations with Inès de la Fressange and Nigo.

Uniqlo design director Naoki Takizawa was inspired to contact de la Fressange after seeing a photo of the French fashion icon and former model wearing Uniqlo designs.

The pair met last May and worked closely on the collection which has a vintage French feel. "I wanted to make the clothes in her wardrobe," Takizawa explained.

"It's amazing the 'kawaii' taste that she brings," he added, using the Japanese word for "cute."

The collaboration is timely for de la Fressange as well, who has come back to her namesake brand and is in the process of relaunching it.

"[The Uniqlo collection] is very important because we don't yet have a licensee to do clothes," de la Fressange explained. "There will be, but it takes a long time. This is a great way to have an immediate worldwide presence."

She continued, "Everything can be mixed together. All kinds of women from all countries can wear it."

The Inès de la Fressange Paris Uniqlo collection will be stocked in all Uniqlo stores worldwide starting in March. Smaller stores will have a selection of the collection, while larger stores will carry the full collection of 70 items.

Uniqlo is also working with Nigo, the founder of street label A Bathing Ape and producer of hip hop group Teriyaki Boyz, as the first creative director of its UT line of T-shirts. His first designs for the Uniqlo have a distinct pop culture theme, and feature classic characters like Snoopy and Gizmo or Coca-Cola logos, for example.

"We pick up some trends and some feelings, but we have to have what people need in their closet from morning to night," he explained.

Photo By Dominique Maitre features features Inès de la Fressange and Naoki Takizawa