Puffa jackets aren't anything new but when Christopher Bailey showed them over traditional suits at Burberry's A/S13 menswear show, it quickly became apparent that they would make a comeback and they definitely have. Peter Pilotto showed them last too season and now, Comptoir des Cotonniers and Uniqlo have embraced it.
The pair have teamed up to create, Mademoiselle Plume, an ultra lightweight version of the more traditional puffa that we all know, which is said to combine the French brand's aesthetic with the Japanese retailer's technology. The unique feature is the lightness. The combination of light nylon and feathers makes it warm but without the bulk.
According to Comptoir des Cotonniers style director Delphine Ninous, the aim of the partnership was 'to offer a fashionable, feminine and lightweight down jacket in line with the lives of today's women.' And it makes sense. You want something that keeps you warm and dry but still makes you feel confident. The fact that you cold fold it away in your bag without it getting creased isn't a bad thing eiter. Am I queuing up to buy one right now? Well no, but with the weather getting worse, ask me in a few weeks and my answer might be different.
The jackets are limited edition and are available to buy in Comptoir des Cotonniers and UNIQLO stores now priced at £85.
Charlotte Free is doing really well. Despite only being discovered last year by IMG, she's already appeared on the cover of Wonderland magazine, fronted campaigns for Uniqlo and walked for Vivienne Westwood and Roksanda Ilincic and it doesn't end there. This weekForever 21 announced that they have booked the model as new face. So far she's appeared in their look book images and shot a short video for the American high-street retailer but I'm sure there's a lot more to come.
To celebrate the launch of Uniqlo's collaboration with Orla Kieley and their new line of bright coloured trousers, the retailer secured Cindi Lauper and Tavi Gevinson to front the campaign. While you're instant reaction, like mine, to the combination is likely to be a big question mark, it actually makes sense. By using 15 year-old Gevinson and 58 year-old Lauper, Uniqlo want you to know that the line is appropriate for all ages and besides, the pieces actually look like things you can imagine both wearing.
This is a really big move for Gevinson. Although her journalistic ability has won her recognition in the publishing and fashion world, this is the first time a big brand has taken her on in a modelling capacity and something tells me that this won't be the last.
In the past Uniqlo have secured everyone from Karlie Kloss to Raquel Zimmermann to appear in their campaigns but for their latest ad, they've not been so obvious with their line-up. The ads, set to launch this week, mark the opening of the Japanese brand's New York flagship stores on Fifth Avenue which will officially open it's doors on October 14 and on 34th Street, which opens on October 21.
Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon stars in the campagin alongside Laura Linney, John Leguizamo, Darren Criss, Esperanza Spalding, Gregg Breinberg and Tumblr founder David Karp. The unexpected line-up is part of their 'Made for All' message of inclusion, WWD reports. “Through the ‘Voices of New York’ cast we would like to show that individuality is not found in clothing but in people,” Shin Odake, chief executive officer of Uniqlo USA of the campaign, said.
If you're a fan of the Jil Sander's +J capsule collection for Uniqlo, we come baring bad news. After two years of working with the high street retailer, a spokesperson from the brand announced that the fall 2011 collection will be the last from the line:
With the recent completion of the design of the...fall and winter collection, Ms. Sander and [Uniqlo] agreed that they had fully explored the possibilities of their creative collaboration and accomplished what they had set out to do. Consequently, the two parties have decided to wrap up their design consulting agreement with this collection.
The collection has been a great success - cast your mind back to those images of people quewing in the snow - so the decision to end the partnership has come a surprise. As yet, neither party have given an explanation.
Jil Sander's third collection for Uniqlo is set to hits stores on October 7th, just a day after the highly anticipated launch last year. But what can we expect from the next installment? "There's a silvery down jacket with little leggings, a midnight felt coat, with detachable gillet and hood, a black wool and cashmere jacket and duffel coats in pewter wool, tight-fitted, and high-waisted," the designer said.
In exciting news for Uniqlo fans in Malaysia, the brand is set to open its first store there this Autumn. The new Uniqlo 'Fahrenheit 88' store is set to be three floors, taking up a 2,140 square metre retail space in the nation's capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Based in the vibrant retail district of Bukit Bintang, the store will open only 18 months after Uniqlo opened their Singapore store, reinforcing the company's commitment to the overseas market. Customers over in South East Asia will be able to enjoy the popular Japanese brand at its best, as the successful Fahrenheit 88 collection will be stocked in a broad range of items within the new complex.
Recently expanded, under the luxurious roof of London's finest department store Selfridges, one can find the chic, Japanese menswear collection from UNIQLO.
Launching the highly anticipated Autumn/Winter collection, two weeks earlier than any of its standalone stores, Selfridges has decided to mark this honour with a little celebration. No good deed goes unpunished or shall we say without a party. On Saturday the 24th July, from 12.00 noon until 4pm, make your way to the Bond Street store to celebrate the re-launch. With complimentary drinks, a live DJ set from Sunday girl and the chance to win a £1000 UNIQLO wardrobe all on offer, how could you say no? Make an appearance for what is sure to be an amazing afternoon.