We interviewed White Mountaineering founder Yosuke Aizawa about the collection.
How did your first ever collaboration with UNIQLO come about?
I've always had the theme of family in mind so I thought I could complement UNIQLO's LifeWear philosophy of "Made for All", which matches my ideals as a fashion designer.
How did you translate the style of White Mountaineering, which crosses from urban life to the outdoors, in this collection?
Sports and the outdoors can be easily incorporated into your daily life, such as by going to a park or just taking a walk.
The collection isn't just about creating fashionable clothing; but also incorporating functionality for easy movement and details from outdoor garments, such as textures and heat retention technology. I wanted to put the technology and knowledge I had gained through creating outdoor wear into this collection with UNIQLO.
"Easy to move in and comfortable to wear" is the philosophy behind the collection.
What are the key details and designs you are most passionate about?
One of my main considerations when designing clothes is the movement of the wearer. Clothes should be easy to move in and not create stress.
Even when sitting in a chair, driving a car, or walking, your joints are always bent. Human beings don't stand upright all of the time.
To apply the knowledge I have learnt about sportswear and outdoor clothing from White Mountaineering to UNIQLO, I had to consider the diverse customer base. Three-dimensional cutting was definitely an important process for this collection.
The way you value the communication that can be created through clothing is impressive.
I've worked with various people over many years, and fashion is a very important facilitator of communication.
I think clothing should also be considered a common language, in the same way as music and art.
After this collection is released, I would be very happy to see someone wearing the collection as part of a casual outfit.