Japanese global apparel retailer UNIQLO made its debut at the annual China International Import Expo (CIIE), held this year from 5-10 November in Shanghai. The event also marked the first time UNIQLO hosted The Art and Science of LifeWear, a LifeWear global brand exhibition, in China, following similar events in New York, Paris and London in previous years. And, featured in The Art and Science of LifeWear exhibit was none other than Shima Seiki’s WHOLEGARMENT knitting technology.
At 1500 square meters The Art and Science of LifeWear was the largest exhibition space in the customer goods category of the CIIE. The space, known as ‘Museum of Tomorrow’, showcased the innovation and technologies behind iconic UNIQLO products, the craftsmanship that goes into creating high-quality clothing, sustainability initiatives, as well as the first public exhibition of the upcoming +J collection in collaboration with legendary designer Jil Sander.
Additionally, with the upcoming of Double 11, or Singles’ Day Sales, the world’s largest online shopping festival, UNIQLO demonstrated its seamless online-offline integration by inviting customers to visit the Museum of Tomorrow through a simultaneous online exhibition on the UNIQLO Digital Flagship Store.
Jalin Wu, Group Executive Officer of Fast Retailing and Chief Marketing Officer of UNIQLO Greater China, said, “UNIQLO is pleased to have introduced The Art and Science of LifeWear and its product and services innovations to consumers in China, and around the world, through the CIIE platform. We hope that with our participation we could inspire a better future life, and new lifestyles, for people everywhere. UNIQLO is full of confidence about the Chinese market and consumers going forward, and the company plans to continue to deepen its roots into low tiered cities in China.”
The Museum of Tomorrow attracted more than 300 domestic and foreign media, as well as more than 200,000 visitors to experience the exhibition and understand the technology behind the products.
Museum of Tomorrow inspired future lifestyles with clothing of tomorrow
CIIE also saw the world first public exhibition of the +J Fall/Winter 2020 collection, which will be available in UNIQLO stores and online starting November 13. The collection marks the return of UNIQLO’s collaboration with Ms. Sander, who brings her signature modern style to this exceptional line for women and men.
Publicly displaying a knitting machine using Shima Seiki’s WHOLEGARMENT technology in China for the first time, UNIQLO showed the art of the revolutionary 3D seamless knitting, which fits the body perfectly and brings a new wearing experience of stylish comfort. The space also featured a BLOCKTECH lab, where experiments clearly demonstrated the high-tech utility outer’s windproof, waterproof and breathable functions, which provide comfortable protection against the cold.
Greeting visitors to the Museum of Tomorrow were Giant versions of Ultra Light Down jackets hanging in the air. The actual Ultra-Light Down jackets sold at UNIQLO feature a fabric made of a durable and light ultrafine fibre that is treated to eliminate down packs, combining warmth and lightness while being compact enough to easily fold into an accompanying pouch.
Showcasing UNIQLO innerwear offerings, the Museum of Tomorrow featured three experiments to demonstrate how the various functions of AIRism regulate the air under clothing, releasing heat and humidity to provide a comfy dryness. Another station highlighted the bio-warming technology found in HEATTECH innerwear, loved around the world since its inception in 2003.
UTs (UNIQLO T-shirts), which offer an array of authentic pop culture and art graphics from around the world, allowing the wearer to express their individuality, were also exhibited at the Museum of Tomorrow as a focal point of the world’s cultural and creative influences. At the UNIQLO Masterpiece Studio display, UNIQLO highlighted the quality created through persistent craftmanship, refined cutting and fabric selection, which defines the value of clothing.
In addition, UNIQLO’s global sustainable development and innovation efforts, which use the power of clothing to help protect the earth and care for people and communities, were also on display. CIIE also marked the world debut of BlueCycle, a rebranding of innovative UNIQLO water-saving technology that allows for significantly less water use in the jeans production process. This technology from the company’s Jeans Innovation Center, established in Los Angeles in 2016, was part of a wider exhibit highlighting the history and evolution of UNIQLO jeans and the six types of UNIQLO jeans fabrics.
LifeWear Exhibition Beyond CIIE
Fast Retailing is committed to becoming the world’s number one Digital Retail Consumer company. With this in mind, UNIQLO continues to turn information into products by understanding its customer needs and integrating online and offline functions to provide customers a seamless shopping experiences. During CIIE customers were also invited to visit the Museum of Tomorrow through a simultaneous online exhibition in the cloud through the UNIQLO Digital Flagship Store and get an up-close virtual experience of The Art and Science of LifeWear through the 10 innovative exhibition areas.
Watch the expo video…
Apparel that comes from the Japanese values of simplicity, quality and longevity. Designed to be of the time and for the time, LifeWear is made with such modern elegance that it becomes the building blocks of each individual’s style. A perfect shirt that is always being made more perfect. The simplest design hiding the most thoughtful and modern details. The best in fit and fabric made to be affordable and accessible to all. LifeWear is clothing that is constantly being innovated, bringing more warmth, more lightness, better design, and better comfort to people’s lives.
Shima Seiki WHOLEGARMENT technology
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