Uniqlo launches London campaign to reopen flagship

Japanese retailer Uniqlo is launching a London focused campaign as part of its Oxford Street flagship relaunch, which is set to reopen on March 18 following extensive renovation.

The ‘This Way to Utopia’ campaign aims to celebrate the vibrant cultural scene in London and features a TV advert showing some of the UK’s best young contemporary dancers, shot against unexpected locations around London, as well as an Oxford Street poster takeover featuring six cultural ambassadors, chosen by Uniqlo to reflect the “outstanding creativity, positivity and diversity of London” shot by renown photographer, Rankin.

The ambassadors include: Cate Underwood, a successful London-based photographer and model, and winner of the Bazaar Fashion Forward award; Hana Tajima, a Muslim designer and visual artist who produced a well-received collection for Uniqlo last year; Skepta, a rapper, songwriter and producer; Munroe Bergdorf, a transgender model, activist and DJ, who also works in fashion and is involved in raising awareness of transgender issues; Benji B, an influential DJ and record producer; and Sean Frank, a respected filmmaker and visual artist.

Fast Retailing’s creative president, John Jay, said: “London is a very important market for any global retail business. It is the most diverse city in the world which makes it a creative and cultural utopia and we want to celebrate this and be part of it.

"At Uniqlo, we believe ‘utopia’ is more than just a place; it is a means for self-expression through design, creativity and cultural diversity. We wish to celebrate the special connection we feel with London, which was our first overseas market almost fifteen years ago, and we believe that our new campaign and ambassadors showcase this in the best way possible.”

Uniqlo to relaunch London flagship on March 18

The campaign will see Uniqlo partnering with the Tate Modern and East London-based NTS Radio. The retailer will be the official sponsor of Tate Modern’s re-launch weekend in June and will also be the sponsor of a new Tate Modern event called ‘Uniqlo Fridays’, a series of late night events at the Tate Modern on the first Friday of every month starting in October. As well as the sponsorship, the Tate Modern will be curating quarterly events in the 311 Oxford Street store.

Additionally, the store at 311 Oxford Street will also host monthly events in partnership with NTS Radio, including a summer barbecue on the rooftop. Other monthly cultural events will include a talk from Olympic gold medal-winner Victoria Pendleton, and a yoga morning with Madeleine Shaw, both in April.

Uniqlo to reopen renovated Oxford Street flagship

The renovated store has been expanded from three floors to five, totalling more than 24,000 square foot, nearly doubling the size of the original space and will offer the largest Uniqlo sales floor in the world at the time of opening. The shop will also feature a new conceptual sales area where Uniqlo’s LifeWear concept will be on display, as well as a newly built roof terrace that will give shoppers views across London and play host to exclusive events, and will feature new technology including LED tickers and rotating mannequins.

The biggest change will be the new concept area, The Uniqlo WearHouse London, which gives a nod to the heritage of the brand's original name, The Unique Clothing Warehouse, whilst celebrating LifeWear. The new space can be accessed either from within the store or from its own private entrance and lift from Oxford Street, and will showcase an entirely different design and bespoke way of displaying clothes to demonstrate LifeWear to Londoners.

The flagship will also house the new Liberty London for Uniqlo collaboration and the full Uniqlo and Lemaire spring/summer 2016 collection, as well as the Uniqlo x Hana Tajima collection of modest wear, which will launch for the first time in the UK exclusive to the Oxford Street store.

Uniqlo Europe chief executive, Takao Kuwahara, added: “London was Uniqlo’s first market outside of Japan when we opened in 2001. Our London Global Flagship Store followed in November 2007, offering the largest Uniqlo sales floor space in the world at the time. The redevelopment, almost 10 years later, demonstrates Uniqlo’s longstanding commitment to London and our desire to continue to improve our offering for both a local and a global customer audience.”

To further enhance he customer shopping experience at the 311 Store, Uniqlo will launch a dedicated online shopping assistant. www.Uniqlo.com/311, which will act as a store guide, allowing customers to check stock levels at its other London stores, with the option to order online should they not be able to find what they are looking for.

The Uniqlo 311 Oxford Street store is set to open on March 18.

Images: Uniqlo