UNIQLO takes summer lightly with the theme of its Spring/Summer Lifewear collection. It also is endeavoring to be light on the environment, with a repair studio to help lengthen the life of garments.
On Feb. 7, guests trooped to the Palacio de Memoria in Parañaque to see the new collection in the mansion’s garden, accompanied by celebrity couple, actor Matteo Guidecelli and singer Sarah Geronimo.
The items on display exhibited a cool and soft palette with soft greens, mauves, pinks, and ecru. Materials used include supima cotton and natural linen, allowing breathability in the coming hot months. Other factors considered meant pushing the Miracle Air, AIRism, UV Protection, DRY-EX and Blocktech lines, some of which have properties like waterproofing, water repelling, breathability, and quick-drying ability. Even layering has some room here: we spotted light olive-green knits and light, billowy jackets.
The new LifeWear collection was inspired by the call to “ease into lightness,” according to a company release. “The collection circles back to LifeWear’s central ideas of comfort and versatility and updated for the season with new fits featuring a clean and casual style for work and play.”
This season’s collaborations include one with their regular design partner model Ines de la Fressange, and also mid-century inspired pieces from J.W. Anderson, and a second collaboration with British designer Clare Waight Keller inspired by London artistic community Lavender Hill (available at the brand’s Manila flagship at Glorietta 5 on Feb. 23). Uniqlo T-shirts are also getting the animation treatment with prints from Naruto, Disney, and video game Metal Gear.
UNIQLO’s Manila Global Flagship Store will have a Color and Style Corner to help customers figure out their Spring/Summer looks. It is open until Feb. 15.
On a more serious note, Goergette Jalasco, Uniqlo Philippines’ Vice-President for Marketing, talked to BusinessWorld about their sustainability programs. These include a repair studio to mend or patch damaged Uniqlo clothes at the flagship store. “In the event that the items are beyond repair, we can also gather the clothes… and put them in our ReUniqlo box, which is located in all our stores. We will find ways so that we can reuse them,” she said. “What we do currently is just to fix clothes that are torn and give it a new life.”
They also have a partnership with the Haribon Foundation, where the two-peso charge that comes with the paper bag goes to the foundation’s conservation efforts. “We are trying to make things more sustainable in our stores. For every purchase of a Uniqlo paper bag, we are now donating two pesos to the Haribon Foundation,” she said.
Onstage during the fashion show, Ms. Geronimo wore the Uniqlo UV Protection Pocketable Parka and AIRIsm Cotton Bra Tube Top. While she praises the parka for blocking out 90% of the harmful UV rays in the environment, about the top, she says, “This is actually a personal favorite.” Her husband said, “You always wear it.”
“When I’m reaching out for my bra, ay, hindi na pala ako magba-bra (it turns out I do not need to wear a bra). It’s already innerwear and a top in one. I wear this for my dance rehearsals, my recordings,” she said. Mr. Guidecelli, wearing the Miracle Air Jacket, said that he can take it from a casual morning to a more sophisticated evening. “The sophistication is very quiet,” he said, his wife agreeing, saying, “Understated.”
“When it comes to style, I always choose the classics,” said Ms. Geronimo, saying that she likes to pair Uniqlo dresses with either sandals or sneakers on trips abroad. — JLG