Uniqlo previews experiential knit exhibition and capsule collection in Paris

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Sep 27, 2018

Fashion retailer Uniqlo previewed a special exhibition in Paris on Thursday. Called The Art and Science of LifeWear: Creating a New Standard in Knitwear, the experiential event in the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume “showcases the art, colour, craftsmanship and Japanese technology” in its knit offer.

It’s the first time for the brand to hold an event coinciding with Paris Fashion Week, and the company's first large-scale exhibit that’s open to the public.

“Knitwear is a product line that best exemplifies Uniqlo’s LifeWear philosophy,” said founder and CEO Tadashi Yanai. “We present here our entire journey from material selection, craftsmanship and design, through the latest in production and finishing technologies, and I hope the public will gain a deeper understanding, and appreciation.”

And in addition to this, to celebrate Paris Fashion Week, visitors have exclusive access to buy items from a new collaboration with three local brands, Maison Labiche, Keur Paris and Andrea Crews, which the firm said “all add fun and witty embroidery to the quality of Uniqlo cashmere.”

For the exhibition, the knitwear is shown in a series of installations across themed zones. They include the ‘Art - Knits in a Hundred Colors’ zone that aims to show the “kaleidoscopic colours” of its cashmere, extra fine merino and premium lambswool.

In the ‘Science - The Future of Knitwear’ zone, it demonstrates how its use of WholeGarment tech uses carefully calibrated 3D silhouettes for seam-free knitwear.

The ‘Traditional Craftsmanship of Knitwear’ zone shows the mix of tradition and the latest automation approaches and production technologies it uses. In this room, visitors get an inside look at the interior of a factory in China.

And the ‘Fashion - Perfect Styling’ zone focuses on the “latest styling and looks that include Uniqlo U knits from the Paris R&D Center, led by Artistic Director Christophe Lemaire.”