Uniqlo started off in 1984 as an apparel store in Hiroshima, Japan, by Tadashi Yanai, who learned the ins and outs of the trade through his father’s menswear shop. At a time when casual clothing was associated with young people in the early 1990s, Uniqlo introduced its specialty store retailer of private label apparel, or SPA, system. The philosophy behind the move—that everyone should be able to easily purchase clothing—rounded out the brand’s concept of maintaining a reasonable price structure, simple logo-free designs, and practical garments made of high-quality materials. Now thought of as “LifeWear,” Uniqlo’s products are essentials sold in more than 2,500 stores worldwide, including the company’s home base city Tokyo. Today, Uniqlo’s functional products such as the HEATTECH and AIRism lines have become indispensable wardrobe staples, and the brand continues to evolve and provide new clothing experiences through collaborative collections like Uniqlo U and Uniqlo : C

“I always want to be respectful of the general public when I work. That’s why I was drawn to Uniqlo’s attitude and worldview. The brand wants to deliver good things to as many people as possible.”

- Takahiro Kinoshita, Creative director of Global Creative Lab Tokyo & Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.

“What Uniqlo defines as clothing features a sense of beauty in hyper-practicality. We focus on essential, necessary designs, and we don’t go beyond that. We set ourselves apart from other brands not through design but through being mix-and-matchable. In other words, clothes that look good on anyone in the world. ”

- Tadashi Yanai, Chairman & CEO of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.

Table of contents

INTRO

08 PUBLISHER’S NOTE

CHECK OUT THE CART Items in customers’ shopping bags at Uniqlo stores in Seoul and Tokyo

OPINION: W. DAVID MARX The history of the Japanese fashion scene by Tokyo-based writer W. David Marx

VISIONARIES Contemporary LifeWear pursued by iconic Japanese fashion houses Mame Kurogouchi and White Mountaineering

OPEN YOUR WARDROBE A peek into the wardrobes of customers who put their own spins on Uniqlo LifeWear

OPINION: YUKIHIRO KATSUTA Uniqlo’s global head of R&D lays out the brand’s roadmap

MATERIALS Eight signature materials that shape the quality and utility of Uniqlo LifeWear

ROOT OF JEANS The Jeans Innovation Center, managing the quality, style, and technology of Fast Retailing jeans

ESSENTIALS Uniqlo staples boasting top-quality designs and meticulous details that make them steady sellers

CREATIVE BONDS Uniqlo U and Uniqlo : C, contemporary LifeWear lines reimagined by the iconic brand Lemaire and designer Clare Waight Keller.

COLLABORATIONS Significant partner collections that enhance the brand’s style and product lines

OPINION: TAKAHIRO KINOSHITA Global Creative Lab Tokyo’s global creative sheds light on the concept of LifeWear and the purpose of LifeWear magazine.

LIFEWEAR MAGAZINE A publication highlighting Uniqlo’s brand ethos and aesthetic as well as its Global Creative Lab Tokyo

SPREAD CULTURE The UT message, celebrating pop culture from every corner of the world

OPINION: NIKOLINA JOHNSTON The chief operating officer of Uniqlo Scandinavia explains store operating systems and global market entry strategies.

RETAIL GUIDES A look at space and service manuals that are distributed to every location worldwide

PROTOTYPE CONCEPT STORES Strategic stores designed toexpand Uniqlo’s shopping experience through special localized content

EVERYWHERE, EVERYWEAR The ultimate LifeWear that embodies the value of “Made for All”

INTERVIEW: JOHN C JAY The global creative officer talks about how to disseminate a brand philosophy based on cultural trends.

INTERVIEW: TADASHI YANAI Uniqlo’s founder talks about the brand’s past, present, and future.

INNOVATIVE HUB Uniqlo City Tokyo, the global nerve center that sets the brand’s strategy for its stores all over the world

COMMUNICATIONS Uniqlo’s brand communication exemplifies the quintessence of LifeWear.

DIGEST Numbers and statistics that point to Uniqlo’s position in the global market

OUTRO