Press Centre

7 April 2008

UNIQLO AND THE UT PROJECT

A t-shirt is more than just a t-shirt, it is an expression of who you are, how you feel, where you’ve been and what you love. UNIQLO is continuing it’s ongoing contribution towards a credible youth culture with the return of the UT project; a collection of over 700 unique t-shirt designs by artists and designers from all genres and aesthetics.

Priced at £12.99 for both men and women, the Summer 2008 UT project features t-shirt designs from famed modern 1980’s artists Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Manga.

Past credible influencers that have featured in previous UT collections have included renowned artists, designers, photographers and musicians including; Terry Richardson, Nobuyoshi Araki, Kai Khüne, Bjorn Copeland of Black Dice, Kim Jones, Gareth Pugh, Peter Saville, Solve Sundsbo and many more.

UT Advertising Campaign
UNIQLO have collaborated with acclaimed photographer Daniel Jackson to create an ‘anchor’ advertising campaign featuring the ultimate in self-expression; New York style icon Chloe Sevigny and Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano. UT Matt Irwin Collaboration

A secondary ‘supporting’ campaign of 200 portraits, has been shot by Matt Irwin, editor of Less Common magazine. A multi-media grassroots search for talent, that included street-casting and canvassing the ultimate self-expression destination; MySpace, resulted in a 10-day trans- Atlantic shoot, featuring up-and-coming artists and future visionaries of both London and New York. The complete collection of Matt Irwin photographs will be featured in UNIQLO Paper No. 4; UNIQLO’s in-house magazine, in stores from the beginning of April.

A select group of images will also be featured in an outdoor campaign, as well as in UNIQLO stores worldwide. Keith Haring and Jean- Michel Basquiat Pop art works fantastically well on t-shirts, not as an art form that has been officially recognised as art, but rather an art form that has emerged from popular roots. UNIQLO have conveyed the idea that art is all around us in our daily lives to be enjoyed by all and have created tributes to both Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat to celebrate the impact both artists had on today’s youth culture.

Keith Haring was one of the great modern artists of the 1980’s. His talent and creative originality have led to his works being displayed in galleries and
museums throughout the world and his popularity endures today despite his early death in 1990.

Jean-Michel Basquiat was one of the leading American modern artists of the 1980’s. Even after his death in 1988, modern artists continue to be heavily influenced by the bold composition and colour of his works. UNIQLO has used Basquiat’s stunning graphics to give a “rock” feel for men’s t-shirts and a modish style for women’s t-shirts.

50th Anniversary of Manga Magazines
UNIQLO is going back to its roots to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Manga weekly magazines ‘Shonen Sunday’ (published by Shogakukan) and ‘Shonen Magazine’ (published by Kodansha) by creating a t-shirt collection by four different Manga artists to celebrate the pioneering comic books.
Featuring designs by artists such as Oasmu Tezuka, Takao Saito, Taiyo Matsumoto and Asao Takamori, this homage to the world-renowned aspect of Japanese culture will resonate with audiences of all ages and bring a slice of Japanese culture to the high-street.

About Shonen Sunday
About Shonen Magazine
*Shonen Sunday and Shonen Magazine’s official 50th anniversary will be March 2009.

For further information, samples or images please contact:
Bernie Harrington – Account Director
e: Bernieh@moduspublicity.com
t: 020 73311428

Joel Thomas – Account Manager
e: Joelt@moduspublicity.com
t: 020 73311454

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