HW TO KNOW
HERWORLD JAN 2020All of Uniqlo’s
Lifewear,
including its
seasonal
collections
(like S/S ’20)
are designed
for form and
function: rayon
blouses with
bow-ties are
wrinkle-resistant,
and sweaters
with puffy sleeves
retain their shape
courtesy of 3-D
premium knits.It’s bliss when
Rebekka Bay, the
creative director
of Uniqlo Global
Innovation Center
in New York,
doesn’t have to
think about what
to wear to work,
lunch dates or
concert dates.
Better yet if she
can wear the same
outfi t throughout
the day and not
have to head home
to change. “When
we lead such busy
lives, who has
time for that?”
asks Bay.
There’s also
the fact that
with a world
that’s “smaller”,
climate change
and fl exible
working spaces,the modern
customer’s
lifestyle needs
have evolved, and
will continue to
evolve.
All these are
not lost on the
Danish Bay. When
she joined the
Japanese brand in
2017 after stints
at Gap and Cos,
she thought she
wanted to bring
more premium
materials to
the brand. Now,
her focus is to
create products
that can adapt to
change. “In the
near future, I
believe we’d want
to increasingly
live with less, and
want our products
to do more.”
And this is
where innovation
will lead the way
for all of Uniqlo’s
apparel range
Lifewear.
“Innovation
is about being
ahead of people’s
wants and
needs, trying to
understand what
people want even
before we know
we want it,” says
Bay. “Innovation
(also) comes
from wanting tomake lives better,
producing clothes
in synthetic
fabrics, like our
3-D premium
knits, that check
all the right
boxes – they hold
their shape, are
super lightweight,
dry within an
hour, and do not
wrinkle.
“We want our
products to do
more, to cater for
more situations
and diff erent
climates. So when
customers wear
Uniqlo, they are
comfortable and
confi dent.” – MSFunctional
Dressing As A
Way Forward
Creative director of Uniqlo,
Rebekka Bay (pictured right) on how
the near future will dress: timeless,
cross-seasonal and ever-evolving.30