How can a Japanese brand, Uniqlo be relevant in the Design Capital of the world, Italy?
Uniqlo, the Japanese clothing retailer, recently opened its second flagship store in in Rome, at Via del Corso 197, following the opening of the first store in Piazza Cordusio in Milan in 2019.
Uniqlo is emphasizing on the importance of getting it right in Italy. The marketing strategy of blending into the city with Italian & Japanese Arts and Artists and innovative restoration programs with local startups is a big contribution. This is a collective imagination of embracing Italy and its culture and a big shift from being the most fashion-oriented to becoming the real alternative to the big names in fast-fashion.
For the opening of the new store, located inside the historic Galleria Alberto Sordi, the brand collaborated with several Roman partners and artists. ”Our search for local partners started with a project launched together with Perimetro, a global community of photographers, offering a visual representation of our concept From Tokyo to Rome, and continued with more elaborate collaborations with local artists such as Simone Legno, Cecilia Sammarco and Giulio Castagnaro, who made their artistic contribution to our idea of Lifewear in Rome,” added Alessandro Poggi, marketing manager, Uniqlo Italy.
The store design is inspired by the history and architecture of Rome. Arches, travertine, wood finishes and warm tones pay homage to the city, giving the store a distinctive aesthetic.
Among the works by artists hosted in the store are those by Simone Legno, a Tokyo-based artist from Rome who is known as the creative mind behind Tokidoki, a lifestyle brand he founded in 2005 with other partners. Simone’s works are influenced by Japanese culture and characterized by a pop aesthetic, with distinctive characters that have become iconic in the collective imagination. Those who made a minimum purchase of €50.00 during the opening were able to receive the limited edition tote bag designed in collaboration with the Tokidoki brand.
It also hosts exclusive services such as the Re.Uniqlo Studio, a space dedicated to the repair, customization and recycling of Uniqlo garments, which offers customers the chance to make sartorial alterations and repairs to their garments. In addition to the usual repair services, Rome’s Re.Uniqlo Studio is collaborating with local tailor Le Tre Sarte to offer a bespoke experience for those who wish to reinvent their Uniqlo garments. In addition, artist Cecilia Sammarco has designed exclusive patches, which will be available as part of the repair services.
The store offers men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, spread over three floors on a total of more than 1,300 square meters. Built in the Art Nouveau style of architecture and first opened in October 1922, the shopping arcade was renamed Galleria Alberto Sordi more than 20 years ago to commemorate the late Alberto Sordi, an artist and leading man of Italian cinema, who was from Rome. The historic landmark was reopened in January this year after extensive renovation.
Fans of the brand can use the Click & Collect service, which allows customers to pick up their orders placed on the site quickly and independently at the store, while the UTme! Machine, present for the first time in Italy, is a tool that offers a customization service for UT T-shirt line.
For the occasion, the Japanese brand has also adopted a green area in the city of Rome, Il Giardino del Diamante, thanks to a partnership with Ridaje, a local startup with a mission to restore the city’s green spaces and training homeless people to become urban gardeners.
Image & Video Credits: Uniqlo, Fast Retailing Co. | Italy