The Japanese casual wear brand Uniqlo is definitely most well known for its selection of mostly cashmere items and knitwear. In Paris they debuted a new collection and exhibition called ‘The art of Science and Lifewear’. The exhibition ran until the 29th of September at Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume, coinciding perfectly with the iconic Paris fashion week.

Uniqlo’s exhibitions are not one to be missed. Showcasing selections of materials to the way they choose to dye them. If you’re interested in fashion and textiles you should definitely make sure to attend uniqlo’s events in the future. 

Tadashi Yanai, president and CEO of Fast retailing, which is the owner of the uniqlo company made a brief statement explaining the exhibition perfectly “we present here our entire journey, from material selection, craftsmanship and design, through the latest in production and finishing technologies”. Which sums up the content of this exhibition perfectly, taking you through the process from start to finish. 

As one of Japan’s most successful apparel brands worldwide. They pride themselves in creating quality products no matter how long the process. “The idea is that quality products take time to be made, so we take our time” said John C. Clay, uniqlo’s creative director. Taking a virtual visit inside the process at this exhibition helps us understand what goes on and how much goes into making these products, made to be sustainable.

One area of the exhibition shows four images focused on what the factory looks like from the inside, giving us a behind the scenes peek into a very real side of the process.

Yuki Katsuta San, who is the head of research and development at uniqlo made sure to mention what sustainability means to them. They mentioned that “it means using fair trade and organic materials, saving water etc” which is something that the company keep doing their best to improve on. They also said “but sustainability also means offering products that last” and that the aim is for the brands knitwear is for it to last 5, 10 or even twenty years, rather than ending up being in the trash after a year or a few uses. 

The exhibition was over two floors in the beautiful and very minimalist venue. It also unveiled some new capsule collections by the brand, and these pieces were available in an extremely exclusive pop up store, which was a special opportunity for those attending. Some collections were in collaboration with other labels such as Maison Labiche.

With all this on offer, the exhibition was something very unique and interesting. Especially being able to get a look at the process of such a large fashion brand. Exhibitions by uniqlo are something you’ll definitely want to see in the future, you can find their most recent news and updates here.