Quiet clothes

MANILA, Philippines - Mid-last month, Uniqlo announced the appointment of Christophe Lemaire as the head of a new line under the brand called Uniqlo U. After not one, but two near-sold-out collaborations with Lemaire’s self-titled label for the Japanese retailer for fall/winter and spring/summer, it makes sense. (He works together with partner in life and work, Sarah-Linh Tranh for his label and both collaborations.)

With Lemaire leading Uniqlo’s global design team as artistic director in their new research and design center in Paris, Uniqlo U’s first collection feature puffer coats, drawstring-waist trousers, hoodies and knit pullovers — all basics by virtue and more utilitarian in their function, stemming from Uniqlo’s brand DNA — but they’re not the usual basics. Visually, the palette itself — mustard, forest green, navy, slate and off-white — elevates each basic. There is also a more tailored fit and the fabrics are noticeably softer. (The erstwhile Hermes artistic director for women’s wear once compared Uniqlo’s knitwear to that of the high-end French fashion house.)

Lemaire’s philosophy for Uniqlo U is very much akin to American industrial designers Charles and Ray Eames, both of whom he referenced for this collection. Bringing Lemaire’s distinct aesthetic to a brand with as many as 1,800 stores worldwide is the realization of one of the husband and wife’s slogans: “The best for the most for the least.”

“To us, everyday matters. What we wear to live in deserves more thought, more simplicity, and more care. Clothing that transcends trends and becomes an ideal expression of who we are,” the Uniqlo U team said collectively in a press release announcing Lemaire’s new post. “Every form made for function. Every element endlessly considered. Every design thoughtfully deconstructed, tested and distilled to its most essential and sophisticated. This is simple made better, at its best.”

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Uniqlo U is coming to the Philippines in October 2016.