As part of their fourth collaboration with Marimekko, global apparel retailer, UNIQLO, will be releasing its latest limited-edition holiday capsule collection on Friday, November 27.
The brands have teamed up yet again this season to refresh your closets with new, stylish and functional capsule pieces of which you can expect to see cosy and comfy silhouettes that don Marimekko’s bold prints and colours. Of course, fronting the collection would have to be their new range of joyful printed dresses that carry some of Marimekko’s most iconic prints, as well as warm flannel apparel that serves as relaxed looks for you to lounge in.
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In an exclusive interview with Ms Minna Kemell-Kutvonen, Design & Product Development Director at Marimekko, and Mr Yuki Katsuta, Global R&D Head at UNIQLO, the two have shared their inspirations behind the collection, the challenges they faced during the pandemic while designing the range and more.
“We always start with the overall mood of the season and try to find the prints and colours that would best portray the message we want to send. This season, it is Joyful Together. This dialogue and highly collaborative process are very important to make sure that the prints and colours communicate our collection theme in a way that is widely understandable across different cultures.” — Ms Minna
“The collection combines the strengths of both brands: Marimekko’s bold prints and colourful design language with UNIQLO’s functional, affordable Life Wear for all. I always like to say that design democratizes art into functional everyday life solutions.” — Ms Minna
“Yes, I would say so. People now use the home now for a much broader range of purposes and move from one setting to the next in one space (home). Many of us work at home, spend leisure time at home so our window to the outside world is quite digital. In this collection, you can find items of great versatility suitable for both homing and working, depending on your mood. The collection prints and their colours have a warm, even comforting quality to them.” — Ms Minna
“I love everything with Maija Isola’s Kivet (stones) on it. That pattern captures a strong organic shape that manages to maintain its intrigue from one decade to the next. From this FW collection, I would also highlight the green and blue merino dress with the Lokki (seagull) print. I think it portrays the dialogue between a pattern and the garment beautifully.” — Ms Minna
“Well, I think that due to Singapore’s tropical climate, our tops and dresses that can be worn casually on their own are especially popular. The kids’ items that launched for the first time in Fall/Winter 2019 are also very well-liked. I am pleased that many Singaporean mothers have enjoyed designs that can be worn together with their daughters.” — Mr Yuki Katsuta
“This is our fourth collaboration line with Marimekko, and right from the beginning, we have been creating a collection that is sympathetic to and respectful of each other’s design philosophies. Making the most of the lovely and unique Marimekko prints, while also maintaining our UNIQLO simplicity and functional beauty is, I believe, the important significance of our partnership.
While creating the collection, we are in constant dialogue about right patterns, colours and styles, all of which enables us to prepare something beautiful that serves the daily lifestyle needs of our customers and fans.” — Mr Yuki Katsuta
“I believe that ever since it’s foundation, Marimekko has been empowering women of all ages around the world with their unique prints. Our collaboration line does not offer items for men because we want to respect the Marimekko brand philosophy. But saying this, we all must recognize that clothing is becoming more and more genderless and I feel that men are becoming better at adding prints to their daily wardrobe than before.
UNIQLO is “Made for All” and for us, the ideal is that everyone should be able to mix and match items of clothing according to their own lifestyle, so we hope that everyone, regardless of gender, will like this latest collaboration line.” — Mr Yuki Katsuta
“Our commitment to making great clothing begins with sourcing ethically produced materials, minimizing environmental impact, putting workers first, and developing innovative materials and technologies.
I also wish to emphasize sustainability in design, and not only in the sense of being environmentally friendly but also in the sense of being able to wear it for a long time. No matter how sustainable the process is, if a product is not worn for a long time, it is meaningless, so you could say that this is something that UNIQLO places great importance on.
And if customers wish to freshen up their wardrobes with items they no longer wear, they are welcome to give what I call is a ‘second life’ to our clothing. This is by recycling pieces so that we are able to reuse materials; in fact, we recently launched a global initiative called RE.UNIQLO to help us do that.
From beginning to end, we are committed to making high-quality clothing in a responsible manner.” — Mr Yuki Katsuta
The UNIQLO x Marimekko Limited Edition Holiday Capsule Collection launches on Friday, November 27, 2020. Prices range from S$9.90 to S$199.90. Visit their website for more information.
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