Uniqlo sister brand GU is launching a brand called UG in partnership with designer Jun Takahashi’s Undercover label, according to a press release.
The new menswear line will be released in two parts, with the first collection of 19 pieces dropping March 14. That capsule will offer “a playful reinterpretation of GU staples,” including sweatshirts, utility pants and broadcloth shirts. This collection will feature Undercover’s signature “fang camouflage” pattern as well as inside-out and cut-off designs, per the release.
Some of the products designed specifically for this collection also will include an oversized two-piece outfit made with materials developed through collaboration, while other items will feature graphics of a fictional hamburger shop, drawn by Takahashi.
The concept for the UG line is based around the idea of “Silent/Noise,” per the release. It’s intended to offer “playful designs and unstructured styling that bring a slight sense of discomfort and surprise to everyday fashion.”
A second eight-piece collection will be released on April 18. Both capsules will be available at GU’s New York store, as well as online. Prices for both collections will range from $5.99 to $69.99.
This is GU’s second collaboration with Undercover.
Fast Retailing Group, which owns both Uniqlo and GU, said in the release that the entire Undercover team, led by Takahashi, was involved in the creation and production process of this new UG line.
“By forming partnerships with leading designers around the world to develop better products, learning about their commitment to craft and ways of thinking about manufacturing, GU hopes to offer products that allow everyone around the world to enjoy fashion freely,” the company said in the release.
Launched in 2006, GU has about 470 stores in Asia, plus e-commerce sites in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan.
Last year, GU opened a New York flagship store and launched e-commerce sites in the U.S. Prior to the flagship opening, GU had two popup storefronts in New York. The company, however, does not have other retail locations in the U.S.
GU previously collaborated with Rokh on a 22-piece women’s line, which was available in the company’s New York flagship and online.
