November 9, 2006
UNIQLO Opens First Global Flagship Store in Downtown Manhattan
Bringing Japan’s Most Popular Casual Wear Brand into the Hands of Fashion-Savvy New Yorkers With a 36,000 Square Foot Store in SoHo, New York
NOVEMBER 10, 2006 (NEW YORK, NY) – After much anticipation, the wait is finally over. Today, UNIQLO, Japan’s most popular apparel retailer and a worldwide leader in casual wear, opened its first global flagship store and the world’s largest UNIQLO in New York City, the fashion capital of the world. Located at 546 Broadway, the 36,000 square foot UNIQLO SoHo NY features the very best of UNIQLO - stylish, high-quality and affordable clothing and accessories, complemented by an unparalleled modern Japanese shopping experience in a stunning architectural landmark.
“It is fitting that New York City is the home of our first global flagship,” said Tadashi Yanai, chairman and CEO of FAST RETAILING, the parent company of UNIQLO. “Not only is New York City the international fashion capital of the world, but it is also where the original idea for UNIQLO came to me while visiting as a young man in the late 1960’s. I was inspired by the bustling energy of the city and how some retailers were able to create a seemingly calm and organized environment that allowed shoppers to explore and experience at their own pace. Since that time, UNIQLO has grown into one of the largest apparel retailers in Japan and the first major Japanese apparel brand to go global. The UNIQLO SoHo NY global flagship store is the cornerstone of our plan to develop a strong presence in the United States by offering consumers of all ages the perfect balance of fashionable, basic casual wear at the lowest prices in the market."
The look and feel of the UNIQLO SoHo NY global flagship can best be described as “functional beauty,” featuring meticulous organization and streamlined design embodied in the iconic store architecture and fixtures. Designed by the renowned architect Masamichi Katayama, the global flagship authentically recreates the unique and pleasant experience of modern Japanese retail culture, offering an environment that is beautiful, clean, well-lit and organized and in which every customer is greeted with true Japanese hospitality. The look is simple, allowing the products to speak for themselves. However, in keeping with UNIQLO’s appreciation of heritage, this sense of modern simplicity is juxtaposed by the presence of key architectural elements of the original space, such as exposed brick walls and large white columns.
The completion of the UNIQLO SoHo NY global flagship is the inauguration of UNIQLO’s plan to transform into a global retail brand – becoming more than a company with stores around the world, but rather a company that transcends cultural boundaries, appealing to customers around the world. To best reflect this new stage in UNIQLO’s evolution, the UNIQLO SoHo NY flagship will feature unique products and styles only available at this location.
“In Japan, UNIQLO is best known for two key attributes, quality and basics. But the sheer size and scope of the new global flagship allows us the opportunity to experiment and to evolve the brand both here in the US and throughout the world,” said Nobuo Domae, CEO and president of UNIQLO USA, INC. “Consumers should expect the unexpected from UNIQLO in New York, meaning that the UNIQLO SoHo NY flagship will offer an impressive array of fashion-forward, on-trend pieces along with our signature items such as 100 percent Mongolian cashmere sweaters, fleeces and Japanese denim.”
Modern Japan in NYC
“Modern Japan” is an integral inspirational theme for UNIQLO's global flagship. Creative Director Kashiwa Sato was charged with expressing the atmosphere of today’s Tokyo throughout the retail space. To bring this theme to life the flagship will feature a large gallery space to exhibit limited edition and exclusive t-shirts designed for UNIQLO by top Japanese artists, including Yayoi Kusama, Nobuyoshi Araki, Takashi Honma, Osamu Tezuka, Godzilla, among others. There will be a total of more than 100 different t-shirts designed by 40 renowned artists. The T-shirts will be sold exclusively at the NY store during the fall/winter 2006 season. Beginning in spring of 2007 they will be sold in UNIQLO stores around the world.
A Global Brand with a Global Style
The UNIQLO SoHo NY global flagship will initially feature UNIQLO’s fall/winter 2006 collection, the first collection to include the participation of UNIQLO’s New York City design studio. Formed in early 2005, the New York design studio is part of a Tokyo-led project to capitalize on the wealth of creative talent from around the world. Design teams working collaboratively in Tokyo, New York, Paris and Milan developed UNIQLO’s fall/winter 2006 collection to express the brand’s global aesthetic and style. The international design team is headed by Yuki Katsuta, senior vice president of global research and design, who came to UNIQLO after serving as the vice-president of men's merchandising at Bergdorf Goodman.
UNIQLO in the United States
The UNIQLO SoHo NY global flagship is located at 546 Broadway, between Prince and Spring Streets. Store hours: Monday – Saturday 10 AM – 8 PM, Sunday 11 AM – 7 PM.
In addition, UNIQLO now has three other permanent stores in the U.S. and two temporary stores:
- UNIQLO Menlo Park Mall – Edison, NJ
- UNIQLO Rockaway Townsquare – Rockaway, NJ
- UNIQLO Freehold Raceway Mall – Freehold, NJ
- UNIQLO Rockefeller Temporary Store – 30 Rockefeller Plaza on the Concourse Shopping Level
- UNIQLO Upper West Side Temporary Store – 2231 Broadway, between West 79th and 80th Streets
About Uniqlo
Clothing says a lot, but can say it better. UNIQLO designs, manufactures, markets and sells casual wear that can be worn by anyone, any day. Rather than dictate a look, UNIQL provides people everywhere with the piece they need to create their own style. And style comes from within, which is why the UNIQLO logo is nearly invisible, tucked away inside the garment.
This concept, along with an unwavering focus on quality and value, has guided UNIQLO’s actions since the establishment of its first store in 1984 Hiroshima, Japan. Today UNIQLO has grown to over 760 UNIQLO stores worldwide and is household name in Japan.
From t-shirts and sweaters to denim, outerwear and trend items, all of our clothes are made according to exacting Japanese standards for quality and come in an astonishing variety of colors and styles. UNIQLO is committed to providing customers with true excellence and innovation in casual wear, from the design and functionality to the fit and color choices. As a company, UNIQLO controls every stage of the creation of its products—from the fabric used to the stringent production control program at the factory and finally to the display at the store. We use the world’s best resources to give customers something better every time.
UNIQLO is a brand of FAST RETAILING and among the top 10 specialty apparel retailers in the world. Other group companies include Theory in the U.S., COMPTOIR DES COTONNIERS and Princesse tam.tam in France, and g.u., CABIN, ONE ZONE, FOOT PARK, VIEW COMPANY and ASPESI in Japan. For any press related inquiries, visit www.uniqlo.com or www.fastretailing.com.
FOR INFORMATION:
Alexandra Cohan
UNIQLO USA, INC.
(212) 221-9037 ext. 232
alex.cohan@uniqlo-usa.com
Ellie Hawke
Paul Wilmot Communications
(212) 206-7447 ext. 54 / 22
ehawke@greatpress.com
October 31, 2006
LISTEN UP WORLD! 15 Amazing Break-the-Mold Japanese Bands
NOVEMBER 1, 2006 – NEW YORK and TOKYO – SYNCHRO / FROM TOKYO TO NEW YORK is a compilation of 15 numbers by Japanese bands that deserve global recognition, created to celebrate the opening of UNIQLO SOHO NY. The groups on this CD blow away old categories like major versus indy, genre, age, and geography. Jazz, lounge, techno, house, hip-hop, electro, you name it, but why draw lines in this chaotic music scene where genres blend and blur, evolving a musical sensibility unlike any other in the world. The numbers on this CD are very Japanese and all music. Are you ready for it?
Tomoyuki Tanaka / Fantastic Plastic Machine
RELEASE DATE
November 10, 2006
TRACK LISTINGS
| 1. |
Magic Colors (exclusive mode) / TAKESHI NAKATSUKA |
LISTEN |
| 2. |
Make Somebody Smile feat. Paul (Smile and Super. edit) / i-dep |
LISTEN |
| 3. |
Different Nu Nu (Pt.2) / Towa Tei |
LISTEN |
| 4. |
STRIP GRIND / HIFANA |
LISTEN |
| 5. |
CHUNK FUNK EXPRESS FEAT. TUCKER / UC A.K.A. DJ UPPERCUT |
LISTEN |
| 6. |
sweats / eater |
LISTEN |
| 7. |
dance dance dance dance / Fantastic Plastic Machine feat. SU (RIP SLYME) |
LISTEN |
| 8. |
APACHE / AFRA&INCREDIBLE BEATBOX BAND |
LISTEN |
| 9. |
kick&snea's ballade / MU-STARS |
LISTEN |
| 10. |
lalala / ALTZ |
LISTEN |
| 11. |
SCREW THE PLAN FEAT. OLYMPIC LIFTS (dEAD deAD HALF gOOD REMIX) / HALFBY |
LISTEN |
| 12. |
SkyHigh / FreeTEMPO |
LISTEN |
| 13. |
Spartacus / INO hidefumi |
LISTEN |
| 14. |
Music is mine / Nujabes |
LISTEN |
| 15. |
New Birth / Cubismo Grafico |
LISTEN |
October 16, 2006
UNIQLO Unveils Temporary Locations in Rockefeller Center and the Upper West Side and Offers a “Sneak Preview” of the Soho NY Global Flagship
UNIQLO Global Flagship Store in Soho NY set to open November 10, 2006
OCTOBER 12, 2006 – NEW YORK and TOKYO – Taxi tops, phone booths, posters, billboards and roving Cargo Container stores—what else will UNIQLO, Japan's most popular apparel retailer and a worldwide leader in casual wear, think of to create even more excitement for the November 10th opening of UNIQLO Soho NY, the brand's global flagship and the world's largest UNIQLO? New Yorkers won't have to wait long to find out as UNIQLO today announced the opening of two temporary store locations in Rockefeller Center and at 2231 Broadway on the Upper West Side. Both shopping spaces will give consumers the opportunity to “sneak preview" what's to come this November when the UNIQLO Global Flagship opens—stylish, quality and affordable clothing complemented by an unparalleled modern Japanese shopping experience.
“Our global flagship will be very different and unique from anything seen from UNIQLO, either here in New York or in Japan," said Nobuo Domae, CEO and president of UNIQLO USA INC.“UNIQLO's root concepts are quality and basics but the new global flagship will add a further element to the mix – a sense of global fashion and style. We felt it was important for both our loyal consumers and those unfamiliar with UNIQLO to get a sneak preview of the flagship merchandise, and the Rockefeller Center and Upper West Side preview stores are an exciting way to showcase our products' new look."
The Rockefeller Center preview store will be located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza on the Concourse Shopping Level. The 1,100 square foot shopping space will be open to the public beginning Friday, October 13, and will remain open until the end of the year. The 1,200 square foot Upper West Side preview store will be located at 2231 Broadway between West 79th and 80th streets and will be open before the end of the month.
As is always the case with UNIQLO,, the Rockefeller Center and Upper West Side preview stores will be stocked with stylish, high-quality clothing at affordable prices like its extremely popular cashmere. In addition, consumers can expect these shopping spaces to have other items that will reflect sophisticated fashion, a pop of preppy and even urban country looks.
With the weather getting brisk, women can wrap themselves up in cashmere sweaters, trenches and velvet blazers while sporting one of the hottest items of the season: skinny jeans made of the finest Japanese denim in a variety of washes (starting at $39.50). For men, corduroy blazers and moleskin jackets are the perfect layering pieces to go with the wide variety of cashmere and denim options offered by UNIQLO (starting at $39.50).
Once the UNIQLO Soho NY flagship opens on November 10, both preview stores will remain open, shifting into more concept-oriented shopping spaces similar to the UNIQLO Cargo Container stores. Recent Cargo Container stores featured “100% Cashmere" and the “Japanese Pop Culture T-Shirt Project" concepts.
UNIQLO's Rockefeller Center preview store is located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza on the Concourse Shopping Level. Store hours: Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
UNIQLO's Upper West Side preview store is located on Broadway between 79th and 80th streets. Store hours: Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
September 11, 2006
UNIQLO Appoints Maria Dziedzic As Design Director for Men's
New York, NY September 11, 2006 – UNIQLO announces the appointment of Maria Dziedzic as the design director of men's. In this position, Ms. Dziedzic will report to Yukihiro Katsuta, president of Uniqlo Design Studio NY, Inc. She will oversee the men's design team in New York as well as collaborate with the Uniqlo global design team with offices in Paris, Milan, and Tokyo.
A graduate of London's Royal College of Art, Maria Dziedzic was a freelance design consultant for such companies as Stetson, Todd Smith, Federated Department Stores, and Elie Tahari menswear just prior to joining UNIQLO. Before her freelance position, she worked at Michael Kors for 4 years where she served as vice president menswear design for the Collection and Michael lines. There she was in charge of all aspects of design direction, brand development, and positioning for Michael, which launched in 2005. Prior to that, Dziedzic worked as the design director of menswear at Saks Fifth Avenue, overseeing the private label brands for the company. Previously, she was the creative director of menswear at Nautica Int. Dziedzic has also held design positions at Gucci and Seattle Pacific Industries.
Yukihiro Katsuta said, “With her tremendous experience in the menswear arena, Maria is the ideal choice to lead the men's design team here in New York. She understands the Uniqlo vision and the lifestyle that our customer aspires to lead. At UNIQLO we strive to deliver high quality, high taste clothing at a great value..”
Ms. Dziedzic said, "I am thrilled to be joining the UNIQLO team and look forward to working with such a talented group of designers. Having a keen knowledge of the menswear industry, I hope to bring this already successful global brand to the next level by sharing my insight and perspective."
June 13, 2006
From Tokyo to New York: About UNIQLO
UNIQLO is Japan's most popular apparel retailer and a worldwide leader in casual wear. The brand's mission is to empower all individuals through the clothing they choose to wear. Rather than become characterized by a brand, UNIQLO encourages its customers to integrate its pieces into their own unique style. UNIQLO's Soho global flagship will be the brand's largest retail store anywhere in the world, featuring exclusive products and styles in a dynamic, cutting-edge environment. UNIQLO has recruited many of the industry's top talents, stars and arbiters of style to design and manage the 35,000 square foot Soho flagship.
Working with over 100 factories throughout Asia, UNIQLO is distinctive in that it combines the quality and craftsmanship that is synonymous with Japanese culture with the ability to manufacture in high volume, thereby offering consumers affordable everyday products with exceptional attention to every detail. For this reason, UNIQLO's can offer its customers denim from the same denim fabric mill used by many high-end denim brands at a substantial savings.
Other brands have basics, but UNIQLO's are made according to the Japanese tradition of exacting quality. Every element of production is overseen by their takumi team – fourteen Japanese textile masters, each with over 30 years of specialized experience in their field (sewing, dying, fabric, etc.). UNIQLO places a special emphasis on precision, function and special details that enable the customer to put together their very own look. Each UNIQLO product represents several distinctly Japanese qualities -- classic simplicity and tranquility combined with advanced technology and up-to-the-minute modernity.
Other brands value their customers, but only UNIQLO's Soho flagship store can truly represent the unique experience of Japanese retail culture, offering an environment that is beautiful, clean, well-lit and organized. UNIQLO takes a democratic approach to sales, striving to offer clothing that is universally appealing to all ages, genders and cultures. True Japanese hospitality greets every customer at UNIQLO, where people come first and all are treated with kindness and warmth.
The Fall / Winter 2006 collection is the first to include the participation of UNIQLO's New York design studio, which was founded in the fall of 2005. The New York Design Studio is part of a Tokyo-led project that also includes design teams in Tokyo and Paris. The project is headed by Yuki Katsuta, Senior Vice President of Global Research and Design, who came to UNIQLO after serving as the vice-president of men's merchandising at Bergdorf-Goodman.
The collection presented to you today is made up of three individual categories:
Sophisticated Minimalism offers consumers simple, modern looks with sharp tailoring and fitted silhouettes with a bit of a twist that are perfect for the office. The line is monochromatic, using a very sophisticated color palette of black / gray contrasting with white / beige. Celebrating the classic beauty of a white shirt, the line also includes tight pants and skinny ties to create a streamlined silhouette.
Sophisticated Fashion is stylish and fashion conscious, incorporating a color pallet of brown, beige and off-white with strong accents of red for men and pink for women. This is the perfect daywear for the modern fashion conscious career man.
The Preppy Student category includes timeless, classic looks inspired by Ivy League college students in a color palette of browns with candy inspired pastels. Men's products include classic shirts, argyle sweaters and looser corduroy pants for a more casual silhouette.