JAPANESE clothing brand Uniqlo has unveiled its Fall/Winter 2020 collection, which revolves around having clothes fit for the “new lifestyle,” with longtime collaborators British-Japanese designer Hana Tajima and French designer Ines de la Fressange introducing new styles for their respective lines.

The collection, which not only makes one yearn for a more normal outdoors (and holiday trips that were unfortunately cancelled), is all about “concepts impacting customers’ needs, wants, and aspirations,” according to the press preview on Aug. 27.

The Hana Tajima Fall/Winter 2020 collection is said to express “the world’s rich cultural diversity featuring universal designs with a focus on detail and comfort,” according to a press release.

Her collection features textiles with leaf and grass patterns and neutral tones of cold and warm colors to “emphasize subtle beauty.” The clothes are also meant for a relaxed fit to provide easy mobility and convenience and include loose-fitting shirt dresses and pants with adjustable waistbands, long skirts, long-sleeved tops, and matching separates; as well as an a-line dress in the muted colors of fall and winter. In a release on the US website of Uniqlo, she says, “I have worn the clothes of many cultures. I have used them to try to better see the Japanese part of me. I have worn Salwar Kameez, Abaya, and kaftans given to me by friends when I became Muslim. I wore family hand-me-downs, and black patent leather heels. 

“These dualities, these different identities exist in all of us,” she said.

The Ines de la Fressange collection — her 14th with Uniqlo — meanwhile is inspired by “individuals who symbolized female freedom and independence in the 1970s” such as Jane Birkin, Ali MacGraw, and Diane Keaton.

“The Fall/Winter 2020 collection salutes their enduring inspiration for women today,” the statement read.

The collection features 100% silk blouses, and wrap dresses and knitwear made with 3D knit technology, all of which Ms. dela Fressange considers wardrobe essentials. The 1970s bohemian culture is represented by twist pleated skirts and dresses with polka dot and paisley patterns.

Alongside the collections from Ms. Tajima and Ms. De la Fressange, the Uniqlo Fall/Winter collections also featured essentials from its own Lifewear line all of which are aimed to “provide ease when staying at home or doing daily tasks, to help stay stress-free when working, and to give support in keeping active and healthy,” said the release.

There is the Uniqlo Airism line, a set of basics designed to wick away moisture, release heat, and absorb sweat. The fabric used for the line also has some antibacterial and deodorizing ability. The polyester fabric is also made to feel smooth and stretchy -— perfect for when you’re wearing it all day.

The same principle governs the relaunch of the brand’s EZY Ankle Pants, since renamed to Smart Ankle Pants. The line is made with two-way stretch material that stretches up and down and from side to side, giving comfort without restrictions and constrictions especially when sitting or stretching. For easy maintenance, a special resin treatment was also applied on the fabric so that the center pleats do not easily loosen even after several washes. The line, selling for P1,490, features a comfortable elastic waistband while still being deceptively dressy. A new collection of Ultra Stretch jeans have been designed with the same things in mind: stretchy, flexible comfortability.

Fall and Winter collections anticipate temperature drops, so an outerwear collection featured textured suede jackets and tweeds. There’s also some new colors for the water-repellant pocketable parka.

The collection is now available online via the Uniqlo Online Store (https://www.uniqlo.com/ph/en/), at the brand’s physical stores, and the Uniqlo App available on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. — Zsarlene B. Chua, Joseph L. Garcia

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