Uniqlo's Fall 2009 Heat Tech campaign features Lily Donaldson, Coco Rocha, Erin Wasson, Sasha Pivovarova, Karlie Kloss, Sessilee Lopez, and Tao Okamoto posing in front a scenic snowy mountain. Esquiresays the Heat Tech material is "a mixture of rayon and milk protein that traps body moisture and uses it to retain heat." The clothes look comfortable but these models need to put on a hat and scarf if they are going to be standing outside where it is cold enough for there to be snow on the ground.
Bloombergreports that the Uniqlo store is a hit in Paris. Bloomberg says people were lining up outside the store in the rain for the chance to buy one of Uniqlo's 40 Euro cashmere sweaters.
Two days earlier, it was "impossible to get inside" the store, which is across the road from the Galeries Lafayette department store, Guillaume Terne, 24, said. "There has been so much talk about the brand that I simply couldn't miss it."
While the global recession has hurt luxury brands, Uniqlo's owner, Yamaguchi, Japan-based Fast Retailing Co.'s profit for the fiscal year ending August may jump 23 percent to a record on increased demand for the chain's $45 jeans and $17 camisoles with fitted bra cups. The debut of +J, a brand overseen by German designer Jil Sander, may help sustain sales that jumped 32 percent last month.
Uniqlo's website does not let you search for cashmere sweater. You can only browse by its pre-selected categories. If the cashmere sweater that Parisans were willing to wait in the rain for is sold from Uniqlo's website, it isn't easy to find. Ironically, rain was blamed for Uniqlo's sales drop in July.
Reuters reports that Uniqlo's July sales fell over 4% in July. It was the first drop for Uniqlo in nine months. Unseasonably rainy weather is being blamed for the drop in sales.
Fast Retailing (9983.T) said on Tuesday same-store sales at its Uniqlo casual-clothing chain in Japan fell 4.2 percent in July, the first drop in nine months, hit by unseasonably rainy weather.
The company has been one of very few winners among Japan's major retailers amid the recession, logging strong monthly sales growth by attracting thrifty consumers.
Fast fashion retailers like Uniqlo and Forever 21 had been thriving in Japan despite the recession until this month. Uniqlo had a big jump in sales in May. If the weather improves then maybe Uniqlo's sales will rebound.
Jil Sander's new collection for Uniqlo will be
called +J, reports WWD.
On Wednesday, Uniqlo unveiled the name and simple black logo in sans serif font, true to the designer's minimalist sensibility.
As reported, the Japanese fast fashion brand, which is owned by Fast Retailing Co. Ltd., and the German designer had to find a creative detour around the fact that fellow Japanese firm Onward Holdings Co. Ltd. owns the designer's former fashion house and retains commercial rights to her full name.
Jil Sander's creative role at Uniqlo extends beyond the +J collection to the brand's other apparel and accessories for men and women. But it is understood that the designer is focusing her initial efforts on the fall/winter launch of this newly created collection, flying frequently between her home in Hamburg, Germany and Tokyo.
We are so excited for Jil Sander's return to fashion. And to be designing for a lower priced line like Uniqlo just makes it all the more exciting. It's been five years since she left her own design house after disagreements with the Prada management. The new line will be sold at Uniqlo.com and in the flagship stores. There has been no launch date set.
Japan's Fast Fashion Retailers Weathering Economic Storm
Japan, the world's second largest economy, has been hit hard by the global recession. Now there are a few signs that things might be improving in the retail sector. Fast fashion stores such as Forever 21 and H & M are doing better. But luxury stores are still really struggling.
On Wednesday, The Bank of Japan released its closely monitored business sentiment survey, the tankan, which showed an improvement from a record dip in March but still came in lower than expected and languished in negative territory. The quarterly index gauging large manufacturers' pessimism about the economy rose to minus 48 from minus 58 in March.
Separately, household spending rose for the first time in 15 months, gaining 0.3 percent in May, although some attributed much of the improvement to an isolated event: the government’s 12,000 yen ($125) in cash handouts to each resident.
"Japan's output has bottomed out, thanks to progress made in inventory adjustments, but demand is still weak," said Maiko Noguchi, senior economist with Daiwa Securities SMBC in Tokyo. "[The] improvement in consumer sentiment seems to have been materialized largely by the Japanese government's stimulus measures. Income is likely to continue declining for the time being, and over the medium to long term, Japan’s economy is likely to make a low-level flight."
Consumers aren't likely to do much shopping as job cuts persist, Noguchi said. Japan's unemployment rate just clocked in at 5.2 percent, a five-year high. "We think deterioration in employment will continue to weigh on consumer spending for some time to come," she said.
While fast-fashion players like H&M, Forever 21 and Fast Retailing's Uniqlo are thriving in such a price-sensitive climate, luxury goods companies and department stores continue to suffer. It's a scene dominated by early summer discounts, jam-packed sample sales and empty flagship stores along Omotesando Avenue.
Experts say that the luxury retail market could have been permanently damaged in Japan and that even when the recovery comes consumers won't be spending liek they used to.
Uniqlo reported a 18.4% increase
in sales for May for same store sales. The Japanese fashion chain has been doing quite well this spring, even in Japan where the recession has hit consumers hard.
The number of customers visiting Uniqlo's 648 domestic locations increased 18.7 percent in the month, thanks to warm temperatures and the chain’s massive sales promotion for items such as polo shirts.
However, average spending per consumer slipped by 0.3 percent compared with the same month a year ago.
Total May sales, including direct marketing, rose 25.7 percent and the number of consumers increased 26.3 percent. Average spending per consumer was down 0.5 percent.
Perhaps all those ads starring Agyness Deyn are spurring sales.
Agyness Deyn and Gabriel Aubrey run in slow-motion in New York City this commercial for Uniqlo's sportswear. They also jump up over a fence so they can see a couple dogs catching frisbees. Take a look:
Agyness Deyn is the Face of Uniqlo's Summer Campaign
WWDreports that Agyness Deyn is the new face of Uniqlo. Agyness is part of the brand's summer sports campaign which kicks off June 1st. Uniqlo likes Agyness because they say she reflects a "fresh, youthful and vibrant" side of life.
"Agyness reflects a fresh, youthful and vibrant side of life, which was perfect for the campaign," said Amy Howarth, head of press and marketing at Uniqlo in the U.K. The ads, shot in New York by photographer Dan Jackson and styled by Nicola Formichetti, show Deyn jumping around in Uniqlo's signature brightly colored ensembles, such as pink denim shorts paired with a pink hoodie; and a royal blue T-shirt dress and matching baker boy cap.
Agyness isn't having any trouble finding work these days. We like her look in the new Voeslauer campaign.
Uniqlo has inked a deal to sell its clothing online in China.
Declaring ambitions to create Asia's most globally recognized brand, Japanese retailer Uniqlo on Thursday launched an online store for China in partnership with Mainland Internet giant Taobao.com.
"Just as everyone drinks coffee, and that has been turned into Starbucks, everyone wears clothes, and that can be made into a universal Uniqlo experience," said Jack Ma, or Ma Yun in Chinese, chairman and chief executive of Taobao's parent Alibaba Group.
"Look at McDonalds, Starbucks and such, they are all U.S. brands. We hope a Chinese or Japanese brand will become like them," added Tadashi Yanai, founder of Uniqlo and president of its parent company Fast Retailing Co. Ltd.
Under the partnership, Uniqlo will have both a virtual shop on Taobao, plus a dedicated China Web site, uniqlo.cn, which will operate and sell through Taobao’s system.
Uniqlo opted to operate through Taobao in order to avail itself of the Web site's user base of 100 million, who conducted 99.96 billion yuan, or $14.6 billion at current exchange, in transactions last year, according to the company. In recognition of limited credit card use in China, the new Uniqlo online store allows shoppers to purchase through their existing Taobao accounts. The collaboration additionally emerged out of Tadashi and Ma’s friendship since meeting at a conference two years ago, both emphasized.
The launch will give Uniqlo a toehold in the huge and mostly untapped Chinese market. Taobao is currently pursuing an aggressive expansion strategy. The president of the company, Lu Zhaoxi, said that they originally modeled the company after Ebay, but that model is now too small for the company's growth plans.
German designer Jil Sander has accepted
a position with Japanese firm Uniqlo, which will mark the comeback of the designer who left her own label in 2004 over a dispute with the new owners.
The German designer has just signed a "design consulting agreement" to oversee the men's and women's apparel at Japanese retail giant Uniqlo. Sander and executives from Uniqlo's parent company Fast Retailing Co. Ltd., held a press conference here Tuesday to outline the terms of the deal.
"Some of you [have known] me since I have been engaged in fashion but I'm not interested in the past. Let us talk today about the future" the designer, clad in a black knee-length coat, told journalists assembled at the Four Seasons Hotel. "I'm here in Tokyo for something completely different. The challenge for me is to establish a premium quality in a democratically-priced range."
Although Sander will not receive an official title at the company, the designer will take over the creative reins for all the retailer's products excluding accessories and children's wear. The Japanese brand and Sander are also working to develop a special Uniqlo collection, bearing the designer's minimalist look, set to bow for the fall season. Details regarding the collection have not yet been disclosed.
As reported in WWD last week, Sander was spotted at the Première Vision textile trade show in Paris in February, which reignited ongoing speculation she planned to return to the fashion world. Sander famously left her namesake label for the second time in 2004 after clashing with the brand's former owner, Prada Group, and its chief executive officer, Patrizio Bertelli, over creative and control issues.
Uniqlo is actually doing quite well during the recession, which is hitting Japan's retailers hard. Tadashi Yanai, the chairman of the company is Japan's richest man. He is worth $6.1 billion.
Uniqlo has unveiled the list of guest designers who have created looks for the company's Spring 2009 collection.
The lineup will include a Steven Alan collection for women, and Opening Ceremony line for men, bowing in March. Shipley & Halmos will unveil a women's collection in May and Gilded Age will offer designs for men. Prices range from $19 to $79.
"We're always looking for designers who will bring a different and fresh perspective to the brand,' said a Uniqlo spokeswoman. The Japanese retailer chose Steven Alan because "women's shirting is such an important category and it's really making a comeback to fashion," she said. "We wanted to work with someone that had a very strong authority in this category."
Alan said he was able to translate his "subversive take on the classics" for the retailer. "Uniqlo is detail oriented,” he said. "We spent three hours picking out buttons."
*****
Jeff Halmos and Sam Shipley worked on Trovata before launching Shipley & Halmos, a line consisting of simple shapes rendered in luxurious fabrics. Dresses at Uniqlo will be priced between $60 and $70, while dresses by Shipley & Halmos at Barneys New York cost between $400 and $700.
You can see the stylebook for Uniqlo's Spring 2009 collection at Uniqlo.com.
Bloomberg 
