Japanese high street label Uniqlo has earned cult status for their luxury collaborations for good reason: they have an eye for selecting chic labels, then offer their unique styles in wearbale cuts at affordable prices.
Who is the star of their Christmas 2022 collection? Marni - the quirky, colourful Milanese label where Francesco Risso has been creative director since October 2016.
The AW22 line, available to buy on December 1, is the second launch from the pair following the summer collection that came in May (you might have spotted the watercolour-style, painted check print shirts out and about - they were the staple of countless fashion editors.)
This time vibrant colours stay, but come splashed across Uniqlo’s famous HEATTECH products offering brightness to keep you balmy as the cold settles in.
“I wanted to investigate the aesthetic perception of the 60’s, flirting with clichés,” Risso said in a statement. “Patterns continue to inform everyone’s idea of Marni – as they sit at the core of our vocabulary and identify our graphic language.”
This is actualized across zingy, striped knitted dresses, cardigans and ribbed flares in cool blues and pinks or autumnal oranges, yellows and leafy browns. Block horizontal stripes adorn extra long scarfs in comparable colorways, while v-neck sweaters come in chunky crochets.
The hand painted prints which boomed in summer this time come on the HEATTECH polo necks. The three prints – either green, mosaic tiles, 60s sunset shade swirls or blue stripes – are an easy way to inject runway-ready character into a winter’s look, and will cost less than £20. A no brainer, really.
Other key pieces to look out for are two-toned, seamless puffer jackets in pale blue or a tiger orange, that are well cut to provide the perfect cocooning silhouette. There are also shock colour balaclavas which were a hit on the biggest AW22 runways, including Gucci, Loewe, Louis Vuitton and, of course, Marni.
“Last season, there was an overwhelming response to our first [Marni] collaboration line, and many customers could be seen wearing the items around town,” says Yukihiro Katsuta, Head of Uniqlo’s Research & Development. “The theme this season is the joy of being wrapped up.”
It joins the stronghold of Uniqlo collaborations, where simple capsules have provided longterm style longevity. These include a running partnership with Jil Sander, for a line called J+, first in 2009 for five seasons, again in 2014 and 2015, before it was revived once more for AW22.
They have also joined forces with former Hermès creative director Christophe Lemaire who made a selection of high end basics for AW15 and SS16, and more recently JW Anderson, for multiple drops starting in 2017.
If you’re itching to make a purchase before the Marni line drops in December, the JWA logo embroidered fleeces are available now (here) - and cost less than £60.
