Christophe Lemaire, Sarah-Linh Tran
Co-Artistic Directors
The mission of Uniqlo U is to “discover the LifeWear essentials of the future.” Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran served as artistic directors for the past ten years, guiding the collection through its evolution alongside the design team at the Paris R&D center.
Needless to say, functionality and beauty aren’t mutually exclusive.
The clothing Sarah-Linh and Christophe create is truly unique. That’s been the unerring constant over the past ten years. I think this results from their immense confidence and strong aesthetic sense. Sarah-Linh put it best.
“Each collection at LEMAIRE is premised on a balance between elegance and functionality. UNIQLO is all about making sure that quality far exceeds what’s expected from the price point. Their strength is taking pride in all aspects of production, from textiles to distribution, with an attention to detail and quality that’s quintessentially Japanese. Combine LEMAIRE with UNIQLO, and you get basic essentials with expert attention to color, silhouette and the fine details, taking everyday clothing to the next level. Whereas a luxury brand might reserve a performance material like BLOCKTECH for raincoats or the like, Uniqlo U might use it for an everyday coat as part of their essential lineup, any season. Our designs utilize the best natural materials, including premium wools like merino and lambswool. We’ve also developed new materials like the Milano ribbed knits. Over the past ten years, people have come to shy away from heavier items, favoring light and functional goods instead. Taking a cue from 1980s Japanese fashion, oversized styles have become widely accepted, though they’ve been part of the Uniqlo U game plan from the start. In my view, Uniqlo U’s designs are universal, embodying archetypes, while LEMAIRE has distinguished itself through its penchant for creating hybrid styles that draw from all kinds of cultural sources. The word archetype made me think of something. Our most successful thing like that was in 2017, when Uniqlo U launched its signature T-shirt as the ultimate basic tee. When we think up a design, the first consideration is materials. For jersey fabric, we might use a crepe-like jersey with a delicate ribbing, then adjust the weight or texture of the fabric and try the pattern out on all kinds of body types. Once the design is set, we choose a color palette that’s in keeping with the refined Uniqlo U sensibility. I’m so proud of all of the items we’ve created.”
Uniqlo U coats have loyal repeat customers every season. With every collection, Christophe and Sarah-Linh have paid particular attention to the color palette.
Uniqlo U 10th Anniversary Collection
Confidence in Form
Celebrating ten years, Uniqlo U refines its vision of “Future LifeWear Essentials” through a decade of applied research where industrial rigor meets a sensitive approach to clothing. Designed by Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran, the Fall-Winter 2026 Collection evolves its core archetypes into a coherent system of forms, materials, and colors, defined by precision, versatility, and enduring elegance, befitting their last collection.
It’s not a collaboration, it’s a partnership. Ten years of mutual inspiration.
Not to get too personal, but before I started working at UNIQLO, I spent a long time working as an editor for a magazine in Tokyo, and about thirty years ago, I got to interview Christophe Lemaire. He was in Japan to celebrate the opening of his first Tokyo store in Daikanyama. This was when just a handful of stores in Tokyo were stocking his clothes. They caught my eye, though, thanks to their high-quality, androgynous style, and gentle presence. Curious what kind of person was behind these designs, I set up a time to meet. In our conversation, the young Lemaire came across as sensitive and gentle, much like his creations. After so many years, I’m deeply honored to be interviewing him again. It’s worth noting that what originally sparked my curiosity about UNIQLO was the Uniqlo U collection, so perhaps this reunion was inevitable. This marks the tenth anniversary of Uniqlo U, the work of the beloved design team consisting of Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran. Visiting their studio in Paris, we talked about the last ten years and the new Fall & Winter collection.
Opened this year in the historic arcade of the Palais-Royal Garden in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, the LEMAIRE store is just around the corner from the fashion house’s design studio. The members of the staff, who come across as friends, are independent souls, hard at work on their respective projects. Christophe and Sarah-Linh work in a corner of the space, not separated by any kind of door or wall. Christophe welcomed us into their zone and started the conversation.
“Ten years ago, when we made our first collection with UNIQLO, the goal was to do things no other brand had done before, upending any and all preconceptions about what’s possible in mass-market fashion. Taking cues from the refined philosophy of LifeWear, we made uncompromising craftsmanship our standard. In practice, this meant turning the old idea that you get what you pay for on its head, creating top-quality designs that could be purchased at a reasonable price. As a designer, it’s such a joy to be able to make quality clothes that are accessible to everyone. Right after the first collection, I set up an R&D division for Uniqlo U in Paris, making space for the UNIQLO designers, pattern makers, and developers to come and work together as a team. This wasn’t just your average collaboration. It was a new endeavor, truly a partnership, and it’s taken us to some amazing destinations. Uniqlo U has influenced our work at LEMAIRE, and vice versa. Day in and day out, we take basic, classic items and fine-tune the materials, silhouettes, and colors, perhaps adding a little twist, then share them with the UNIQLO designers. Once they’ve refined the ideas through trial and error, they send them back for us to put it all together. That’s how we build the collections.”
Pictured on the left is a portion of the 2015 season catalogue of UNIQLO and LEMAIRE, which later became Uniqlo U. The logo consisting of three stacked rows of the letter U is from the early days.
But it’s time for the caravan to roll on.
This year’s Fall & Winter collection is their last with the brand. They’ll be passing the baton to the R&D design team in Paris, who will move ahead in their spirit from this coming spring. The 2026 Fall & Winter collection looks back on Uniqlo U’s greatest hits from the past ten years, putting a fresh spin on these new classics. The use of red as an accent color is a nod to the UNIQLO logo. Lemaire set the tone for what comes next with this inspiring message.
“At this point, it’s hard to grasp how meaningful these past ten years have been. One thing I can say for sure is that after a decade of working together, we’re leaving the collection in good hands with the UNIQLO team. From here on out, we’ll transition from partners to being friends. And I’m sure we’ll continue to inspire one another in the years ahead.”
UNIQLO will cherish all the lessons of this decade-long collaboration with these two designers. Thank you so much, Christophe and Sarah-Linh. Until next time!
The Paris R&D team has a massive store of fabric samples and a skilled pattern maker who creates finely detailed schematics.
