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Uniqlo Collaboration - Dragon Ball

Uniqlo is a Japanese clothing designer, manufacturer, and retailer. The company is a subsidiary of Fast Retailing, which was originally called Ogori Shoji. Founded in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1949, Ogori Shoji was a company that owned several clothing stores called "Men's Shop OS."

History of Uniqlo

In 1984, the brand expanded into Hiroshima Prefecture with the opening of a new clothing store called "Unique Clothing Warehouse," catering to both men and women. In 1988, during trademark registration procedures, the name was misinterpreted and registered as "Unique Qlothing." This error led founder Tadashi Yanai to change the name nationwide to "Uniqlo," as we know it today. The parent company was later renamed "Fast Retailing" in 1991, and the business expanded rapidly over the next three years, resulting in over 100 Uniqlo stores nationwide.

Soon after, Fast Retailing began selling exclusively Uniqlo-branded products. Designing and manufacturing its own products through outsourcing to Chinese factories reduced production costs, while its cutting-edge advertising campaigns, product quality, and retail practices were all hugely successful. By selling exclusively its own brand, Uniqlo cultivated a unique image among clothing retailers. The clothing lines were mostly very basic, with variations occurring mainly in colors and sizes. However, while it was also evident that Uniqlo based its product lines on current and upcoming seasons, the brand also managed to keep its style highly relevant to current fashion trends.

In 1998, Uniqlo opened its first store in Harajuku, Tokyo, and by 2001, it had over 500 stores throughout Japan. After Uniqlo and Fast Retailing were separated and Fast Retailing (Jiangsu) Apparel was established in China, the first international Uniqlo store opened in Shanghai, China, in 2002. Shortly after, four more stores were opened in London, England. After 2005, Uniqlo began expanding and opening stores in various countries, including the United States, Hong Kong, and South Korea. By 2007, there were over 700 domestic stores in Japan and a growing international presence, making it one of the five largest clothing retailers in the world (GAP, H&M, Inditex, and Limited Brands being the other four).

Uniqlo now has stores worldwide, including in countries such as Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, China, Hong Kong, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Vietnam, Denmark, and Sweden.

Uniqlo has become famous not only for its basic yet trendy "fast fashion," but also for its specially designed underwear called Heattech. Heattech is made from a special heating material that provides warmth without the need for layers. It can convert moisture into heat, keeping the wearer drier and warmer during cold temperatures and seasons. The Heattech line even extends to knitted hats and gloves.

Uniqlo Shonen Jump 50th Anniversary Collaboration

In mid-2018, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the weekly Shonen Jump comic magazine, Uniqlo released a line of printed T-shirts featuring various character designs from the magazine's stories, including Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, and other favorite series. The Dragon Ball designs included images of Vegeta feeding off the Saiyan Saga and the resulting battle against the rays, Goku and Frieza's final form standing face to face, and even one of Yamcha's death scenes during the fight against the Saibamen. The products were released gradually starting in April 2018, with the final line finally arriving in stores in July of that year.

Uniqlo x Kosuke Kawamura collaboration on Dragon Ball

In November 2019, Uniqlo partnered with Kosuke Kawamura to create a limited edition Dragon Ball print T-shirts and hoodies. The series features several interesting designs. For example, one black T-shirt features Great Ape Vegeta on the front and, on the back, a sword-wielding dragon Yajirobe flying towards its tail. Others include matching Goten and Trunks T-shirts, with Goten performing the fusion dance on the left side of a T-shirt with "FUUUSION!!" printed above while Trunks does the same on the right side with "HAAAA!!" printed above. Basic prints of Goku and Broly are also available, along with a particularly detailed collage of all the characters from the Namek saga arranged in a ball above Goku charging a Spirit Bomb. The range offers a variety of sizes and colors for men, women, and children.

Kōsuke Kawamura

Kosuke Kawamura, creator of the collaborative series Dragon Ball UT, is a world-renowned collage artist, graphic designer, and art director. He has worked on creating graphics for various clothing brands, including collaborative T-shirts. He is also known for designing concert and event posters, DVD and CD covers, advertisements, and other works, both domestically and internationally.